On Friday, January 20, 2023, Access Justice Brooklyn hosted a Foreclosure Answer-a-thon in partnership with Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Brooklyn Legal Services, Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A (Brooklyn A), NHS Brooklyn, and New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG). The event was held at Brooklyn Borough Hall and helped homeowners facing foreclosure draft an answer to their foreclosure summons and/or complaint.
Access Justice Brooklyn Supervising Attorney, Peter S. White II, spearheaded the event. Peter shared the following:
“Deed fraud and foreclosure numbers are on the rise and Brooklyn homeowners are in critical need of free legal help with drafting foreclosure legal documents. By hosting the Answer-a-thon, Access Justice Brooklyn and participating partners reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring that homeowners in foreclosure timely invoke every foreclosure defense available to them.”
The lingering effects of the pandemic, rapid gentrification, and rise of housing scams continue to impact Brooklyn residents – threatening to displace homeowners and increase the burden of debt for individuals and families. Last month, Access Justice Brooklyn and our partners were able to assist 23 homeowners in danger of losing their homes. Although drafting an answer is only the first step, our neighbors can rest assured they will not lose their home due to a default judgement.
Opportunities to partner with peer-organizations to provide free legal assistance and community education allows us to not only help far more of our neighbors than we could alone, but also offer an expansive array of services and expertise. In addition to our homeowner focused community events, Access Justice Brooklyn also provides weekly foreclosure intervention and prevention services at the Kings County Supreme Court to support Brooklyn homeowners through the Foreclosure Legal Assistance Group program held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the Friend of the Court program held on Thursdays. Access Justice Brooklyn also provides representation in Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) cases brought by the New York City Department of Buildings, helping individuals resolve or reduce the debt burden from violations.
To learn more about the services we provide through our Homeowners Assistance program, click here.
