Foreclosures would have to go through mediation and a judicial process under a bill proposed by Sen. Nick Collins.
The Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending held a press conference Wednesday to discuss the bill, which they said would help protect residents across Massachusetts.
Currently, there are four ways to file a foreclosure and only one type, judicial foreclosure, requires parties to go in front of a judge, said advocates. The bill would ban foreclosures except for judicial foreclosures, and require that parties meet in mediation before moving to foreclosure. The ban would last for two years, and the bill would allow for extensions for up to ten years.
The alliance said since the foreclosure process does not require oversight by a judge, fraud and predatory practices make it almost impossible for families to keep their homes.
Collins said he has heard from constituents about the struggles to fight foreclosures, and how he hopes the bill will help keep families in their homes.
“To have to be with a family who has no other way to keep their roof over their heads other than to prevent foreclosure without proper tools is very disheartening so that’s why I filed this bill,” he said.
