DSC07038The Mattapan Initiative, a project of the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School, provides free legal services to homeowners and tenants facing foreclosure or eviction by banks or other lenders.  The project, funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, provides services to Boston residents that live, work or send their children to school in Mattapan.  If you are afraid of losing your home and you are facing foreclosure or eviction, the Legal Services Center may be able to assist you.

Please contact us at 617-390-2592 or fill out our online intake form.

Important Tips About Loan Modification, Foreclosure, and Eviction

– Do not pay for loan modification assistance.  Free resources are always available and usually better.

– If you receive a “Right to Cure” or “Right to Request a Modified Mortgage Loan” notice from the bank contact us.  You must respond to the right to request a modification notice within 30 days.

– After foreclosure, do not leave you home.  Only a judge can evict you.

Services for Pre-Foreclosure Homeowners

Homeowners who are struggling to make their mortgage payments or facing foreclosure have legal rights that banks and lenders must respect before taking advantage of Massachusetts’ foreclosure processes.  These rights may empower homeowners to negotiate loan modifications that include lower interest rates, term extensions, and principal forbearance or reduction.  The Legal Services Center helps homeowners understand and use these rights to stay in their homes and find sustainable solutions.  We also undertake affirmative litigation in Massachusetts courts to help strengthen these rights.

Eviction Protection Services for Tenants and Homeowners After Foreclosure

The Legal Services Center represents both former homeowners and tenants who are being evicted from a home that has recently been foreclosed. Tenants have significant legal rights in Massachusetts, and the Legal Services Center works to make sure that those rights are protected. Our goal is to help tenants achieve the best outcome for their families. Sometimes this means that a family will be allowed to stay in the home and rent from the bank, and sometimes it means that they will be able to relocate to a new apartment with the time and resources they need to find a new home.

The Legal Services Center also represents former homeowners who are being evicted by banks. We fight for the rights of the former homeowner by challenging the foreclosure itself, and requiring the bank to prove that it complied with all applicable laws governing foreclosures in Massachusetts. In some cases the banks cannot demonstrate that they performed the foreclosure properly, and therefore the eviction case can get thrown out. Our goal is to help former homeowners get a chance to buy back their homes if they are eligible to, or alternatively, transition to affordable rental housing. The Legal Services Center aims to serve Mattapan residents on an individual basis, but also to decrease the number of vacant properties in the Mattapan community, and help as many people as possible avoid homelessness.

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