Sasha*, who is disabled, and her husband bought their first home in 2006. They have six children, two of whom have special medical needs. To purchase the home, they took a first mortgage for $440,000 and a second mortgage for $80,000, both from the same lender. Sasha’s husband is self-employed, and they could not afford the mortgage payments due to the family’s medical issues. They were at risk of homelessness as a result of mortgage foreclosure.
A private pro bono attorney through the Broward Lawyers Care Pro Bono Program agreed to represent Sasha in 2008. She was sued for mortgage foreclosure three times within the span of a year. The pro bono attorney got the first two cases dismissed based on standing issues. The attorney defended Sasha in the third suit until 2017. While the case was pending, the first mortgage balance increased to $865,000, and the second mortgage balance increased to $220,000. In 2017, the Broker’s Property Opinion valued the home at $165,000.
In 2017, the pro bono attorney negotiated a settlement where the Plaintiff agreed to dismiss the foreclosure pursuant to a loan modification agreement. The Plaintiff also agreed to discharge the second mortgage and write off $695,000 on the first mortgage, leaving a balance of only $170,000. Sasha and her husband have been making payments since then. The attorney’s work enabled the family of eight to save their home.
*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of our clients.