State AG, Housing Advocates Advise Western New Yorkers Of Foreclosure Rights, Options

In Rochester, New York, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports:

• With Monroe County facing a foreclosure-action rate higher than most of New York, state and local officials gathered in downtown Rochester to inform homeowners of their rights and options. [...] Lawyers from Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office sponsored the panel and were joined by representatives from the Housing Council, Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Rochester, Empire Justice Center and the Fair Housing Enforcement Project.

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• Panelists urged consumers to open their bills, discuss issues with their lenders and seek help if needed. But they also warned people to avoid foreclosure-rescue scams, which pose as help. Carlos Rodriguez, deputy attorney general, said rescue scams tell borrowers not to talk to lenders or lawyers. They then ask for money and fees and ask the homeowners to sign over their deeds. "Tell consumers not to sign any paperwork that has to do with the property deed," Rodriguez told the Monroe County Bar Association audience.

For more, see Foreclosure crisis looming in western New York, experts say.