We recently settled two contested cases involving a family home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The set of facts required that I file an action against Chase Bank in Federal Court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and it is my belief that the Federal Court litigation is what spurred the global settlement.
My clients had owned their home for nearly 20 years and always paid their own local property taxes. My client was out of town for three months tending to her elderly mother and they missed a tax payment by two weeks. They quickly made up the late payment, but when Chase found out that it was late, Chase took it upon itself and mailed its own tax payment to the township. This then caused a domino effect of confusion, but ultimately ended up in Chase charging my client an additional $20,000 for the next year of taxes (so Chase could hold it in reserve), even though my client was always ready, willing, and able to pay the taxes. My client spent hours and days on the phone with Chase trying to explain that it was a one-time occurrence and therefore was no need to surcharge her the $20,000. She got nowhere.
While my client was trying to work things out with Chase, Chase filed a foreclosure action in Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. I responded to that lawsuit and we litigated that case for about 18 months; at the same time, I filed a lawsuit against Chase for wrongful foreclosure, claiming that my client did not breach the mortgage contract, but rather it was Chase that did. We conducted depositions and engaged in extensive motion practice, but then Chase reached out with a settlement offer which reduced the principle balance on my client’s property by $235,000. Chase, however, required that my clients pay off the mortgage in full (this is called a short-payoff) and my clients are able to do that by securing other sources of financing.
We stipulated in the settlement agreement that Chase would file a mortgage satisfaction, which was done approximately 45 days after my clients paid off the loan.
Contact Shaffer & Gaier – Protecting Homeowner Rights
The law firm of Shaffer & Gaier protects the rights of those who are facing foreclosure or seeking mortgage modifications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. To set up a free initial consultation, contact our office online or call our foreclosure hotline at 855-289-1660. Or call our office location in Philadelphia at 215-751-0100, or in New Jersey at 856-429-0970.
