Central Florida Chief Judge Revokes "Phone Privileges" For Foreclosure Attorneys Due To Actions Of Sloppy "Foreclosure Mills"

In Bradenton, Florida, the Bradenton Herald reports:

• The area’s top judge has lost patience with so-called foreclosure mills so he’s ordering them to appear in court. Non-local law firms that specialize in mass foreclosure filings have ignored local court procedures, filed incomplete or inaccurate court documents and “widely abused” the privilege of appearing at court hearings by telephone, 12th Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Lee Haworth said. He’s cracking down, requiring lawyers in foreclosure cases filed in Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties to attend all foreclosure-related hearings in person.

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• While the order affects all lawyers in foreclosure cases within the district, it’s pointed directly at so-called foreclosure mills that file the bulk of local cases. Those firms’ heavy workloads often result in incomplete court files and missed court hearings, causing delays and wasting court resources, Haworth said.(1)

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• He declined to name the firms that have drawn his ire. But court records show the biggest filers of foreclosure actions in Manatee include Florida Default Law Group in Tampa; the David J. Stern law firm in Plantation; and the Marshall C. Watson law firm in Fort Lauderdale.

For more, see Area's top judge cracks down on foreclosure mills.

See also, Sarasota Herald Tribune: Judge requires lawyers to show up for foreclosure hearings.

For an earlier report on this story and links to the local court procedures established for foreclosure actions filed in Florida's 12th Judicial Circuit, see The Sloppiness Continues For Attorneys Representing Foreclosing Lenders; "They Are Totally Disorganized!" Says Florida's 12th Judicial Circuit Chief.

Go here for other posts on the foreclosure mediation program in Florida's 12th Judicial Circuit (Manatee, Sarasota, and Desoto Counties).

(1) For posts that reference the failure of mortgage lenders and their attorneys to file the proper paperwork when bringing foreclosure actions, Go Here, Go Here, Go Here, Go Here, and Go Here. KappaMtgDocsMissing