Practice Tools

This is a lender’s standard form affidavit of heirship filled in by the homeowner.

This is a sample notice of error and request for information (pursuant to RESPA regulations).  This sample can be used to request information from a servicer about the status of an MOE (Mortgagee Optional Election) assignment, particularly where it appears HUD may not have approved a request for assignment, and the advocate is trying to determine the reason.

This is a sample notice of error from a homeowner (pursuant to RESPA regulations).  The notice asks the reverse mortgage lender to stop either acceleration or foreclosure of the reverse mortgage because, despite the lender’s claims, the property is in fact occupied.  The notice provides evidence of that occupancy.

This is a sample letter to HUD asking it to reopen a housing discrimination case where a reverse mortgage lender systematically refuses to provide accommodations to homeowners with disabilities to allow them more time to request an

“at risk extension” on overdue property taxes or other charges.

Heirs property owners are at heightened risk of losing the family home to property tax foreclosure and a range of other threats. Heirs who inherit property without a will or who have not yet gone through probate may struggle to access available property tax relief. In this interview, Andrea Bopp Stark and Kristopher Smith describe why this problem exists and suggest policy solutions to address it. 

Detailing the severe burden medical debt places on consumers, particularly the consequences of the presence of medical debt on consumer credit reports. This update describes recent policy developments and proposed solutions that have come from state attorneys general, the Big Three credit bureaus, federal agencies, credit score developers, and federal and state legislators, and highlights recommendations for addressing the overwhelming burden on consumers that medical debt causes.

This 21-minute video is sponsored and produced by the National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER) and presented by NCLC attorneys John Rao and Andrea Bopp Stark, explaining the Supreme Court case in Tyler v. Hennepin and its impact on older adults and property tax foreclosures. They also discuss how advocates can assist older adults, including exercising redemption options and connecting older adults with legal assistance to help them preserve their home equity.

This is a 2021 National Housing Resource Center (NHRC) webinar titled "Protecting Inter-Generational Wealth: Keeping the Family Homestead" concerning issues faced by a home's successors in interest (those who receive an interest in a home after a homeowner's death or divorce)  but who are not on the mortgage.  This raises issues dealing with mortgage servicers, obtaining loan modifications, and making mortgage payments. The webinar was presented by Sarah Mancini at NCLC and by Lisa Sitkin of the National Housing Law Project.

Re ATB, HS diploma fraud, false certification 

Re unpaid refund discharge