Jan. 26, 2009
Foreclosure Mediation Available in all 88 Counties in Ohio
Less than a year after announcing the availability of a mediation model program for Ohio courts to use in home foreclosure cases, all 88 counties in Ohio offer foreclosure mediation as an option.
Developed in response to Ohio’s rising mortgage crisis by the Supreme Court’s Dispute Resolution Section, the first-of-its-kind model in the nation provided local courts with step-by-step directions to launch foreclosure mediation programs.
The model includes best practices, related documents, forms and other resources and is designed for courts to modify. Since not every foreclosure case can be resolved through mediation, the model assists courts in assessing information provided by both the homeowner and the lender to find a mutually acceptable agreement that is both commercially reasonable and sustainable.
Jacqueline Hagerott, manager of Dispute Resolution for the Supreme Court, said common pleas courts, which have jurisdiction over foreclosure cases, are using several different arrangements to help homeowners. “Some courts are using court staff, some courts are using contract mediators and some courts are using volunteers in the mediation process,” she said.
The Supreme Court has provided free assistance to local courts to implement the model and public education and training specific to foreclosure cases. Hagerott said more than 500 people have participated in foreclosure mediation training since February. The Supreme Court has also helped courts identify volunteer mediators.
Hagerott said courts have spent the past year building programs and the next step will be to collect and submit data to the Supreme Court to chart the effectiveness of foreclosure mediation.
Ohio has served as a national leader in this effort and helped numerous states start similar foreclosure mediation programs. In addition, more than 20 state agencies, legal aid societies and housing organizations in Ohio have combined efforts since March in a coordinated, unified foreclosure prevention effort called Save the Dream.
Please visit this link for more information on the Court’s foreclosure mediation program model: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/JCS/disputeResolution/foreclosure/default.asp.
Contact: Chris Davey or Bret Crow at 614.387.9250.