The Observation Deck

I guess I look at things differently than most people here in Lakewood.

For example, when I read that one magistrate in Hamilton County completed four times as many foreclosure proceedings as a magistrate in Cuahoga County I thought how can this be?

How can one guy do so much more? How hard did he work? What was the quality of his work? What procedures did he follow? How were those procedures different than those in Cuyahoga County? How were they the same? etc etc..

Did Cuyahoga County ask any of those questions? No.. Their solution was to hire 11 more people. My hunch is that most people in Lakewood would agree with that solution.

My prediction is that one year after they hire those 11 people the foreclosure backlog will be just as great and the County's solution will be to hire even more people.

I am quite sure that the Hamilton County magistrate's life will be made a misery. He dared to do more with less and that will not be tolerated.

Bill inquired

What procedures did he follow? How were those procedures different than those in Cuyahoga County

As I understand the situation, the foreclosure magistrates in Hamilton County (Cinci) handle their cases in a different manner from Cuyahoga County. Although the laws of Ohio are "standard" throughout the state, sometimes the manner of their application differs from county to county.Thus, in Cuyahoga County, the magistrates tend to bend over backwards to assure that the owners have actual service of the potential loss of their home to foreclosure. They might also be more apt to cut the more misfortunate home a owner a break (by way of an extension or leave to plead) when such things are discretionary. Some of the notification protocol which can be required in Cuyahoga County adds to the time for a foreclosure, but it also adds a measure of protection for a homeowner is is facing the loss of their home.

Again as I understand it, the Hamilton County Court takes a stricter interpretation of what is required for service of process and notice. Once the technical requirements are met, the matter proceeds, with little opportunity for the homeowner who simply was ignoring the summons in the hope it would go away. Instead, the house may be foreclosed by default....that is without the homeowner ever actually appearing....

Your implication that the Magistrates who work the monstrous backlog of cases aren't busting their buts, day in and day out, shows how mere reliance on statistics, with neither knowledge of the underlying facts, circumstances or restriction under which they work is off base.

Is there a backlog problem...you bet. The economic collapse in this region caused an increase in foreclosures (Check the stats for that). And the local protocol that places importance on assuring that homeowners are given every opportunity to save their homes exacerbated the problem.

So, you can get an expeditious foreclosure in Cinci. In Cleveland the hard working Magistrates bend over backwards to afford those losing their property every opportunity to participate in those proceedings. It has nothing whatever with "doing more with less", it has everything to do with giving more of a chance and less rush to sheriff sale.

Jeff

Bill

A more important question I have to ask. Why the hurry to get families on the street?

I was over in England the year following the poll tax, when 27% of England was put on the street it was terrible. Whole families living in the doorways of London. At 5:30 the churches would deliver a form of gruel, they would find it's way to the curb by 8pm. Around 9 they would clean the gray mess on paper plates up. It left we with a horrible feeling about how any country could do that to its people.

So what is the hurry, got your eye on some property?



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