April 1, 2010
Supreme Court Offers Foreclosure Mediation Training Event in April
The Supreme Court of Ohio has scheduled the first of two in-person foreclosure mediation training sessions this year for April 28.
Designed to assist professionals working with courts to help homeowners facing foreclosure, the intended audience includes judges, magistrates, attorneys, mediators and other court personnel.
Jacqueline Hagerott, Dispute Resolution Section manager for the Supreme Court, said the training sessions include information on the range of settlement options, historical events leading up to the foreclosure crisis and relevant terminology of the foreclosure servicing industry. The sessions also focus on the model foreclosure mediation program for Ohio courts, which is available in nearly every county, and some of the successful practices employed by those courts.
Developed in response to Ohio’s rising mortgage crisis, the foreclosure mediation model provides local courts with step-by-step directions to operate a foreclosure mediation program. Flexibility built into the program has enabled local courts to modify to fit their needs.
“Ohio has served as a national leader in this effort since unveiling the first-in-the-nation model program in 2008 and helped other states establish their own programs,” Hagerott said. “That same kind of collaboration between and among Ohio courts will result in better, more successful mediation programs to keep more Ohioans in their homes.”
Hagerott also noted that while the 2009 foreclosure statistics recently released by the Supreme Court showed the foreclosure growth rate increasing at a slower rate than in past years, the need for mediation in this area remains strong.
The Supreme Court also participates in a multi-agency foreclosure prevention effort – the Save the Dream Ohio campaign – that continues to provide Ohioans with assistance to numerous state resources and programs related to foreclosure.
The Supreme Court also offers monthly Internet-based foreclosure mediation professional development events. Access the full 2010 schedule of dispute resolution events or register for a session.
Contact: Chris Davey or Bret Crow at 614.387.9250.