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County Executive's Office

Dane County, State Bar, Dane County Bar & Foreclosure Prevention Task Force Offer Help to Homeowners

June 23, 2010
Joshua Wescott, Office of the County Executive (608) 267-8823 or cell (608) 669-5606
County Executive

Free Legal Assistance Clinics to Start in City-County Building in July

Dane County is partnering with the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Dane County Bar Association and the Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Task Force to host free clinics to help homeowners facing foreclosure.

Starting in July, Dane County Foreclosure Answer Clinics will run the first and third Thursdays of the month from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.  The first clinic will be held July 1st in room 310 of the City County Building, 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

“Foreclosures cause enormous hardship and confusion and I hope these free clinics offer some help to families when they need it most,” County Executive Kathleen Falk said.

The clinics will be conducted by volunteer lawyers with the goal of offering homeowners basic information about the foreclosure process.  Homeowners who have been served with a foreclosure lawsuit can also receive help preparing a written response, which the homeowner can then file with the court.  The goal of the program is to increase access to the legal system.  A recent sampling of court filings shows that in 85% of cases in Dane County homeowners face foreclosure without the benefit of legal counsel. 

“These clinics will help those who are unrepresented become more engaged in the process and improve their chances for a positive outcome,” Dan O'Callaghan, co-chair of the Foreclosure Prevention Task Force, said.

The clinics will be done on a walk-in basis.  No appointments are necessary.

The Foreclosure Answer Clinic is a collaborative effort of the Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce, the Dane County Bar Association and the UW Law School, with grant funding provided by the State Bar of Wisconsin and the use of space donated by the County.  For more information about foreclosure prevention efforts in Dane County, visit:  www.daneforeclosurehelp.org.

 

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