The government shutdown earlier this winter left about 800,000 federal workers without pay for weeks. More than half were required to work at least part of that time, without pay. On January 25, an interim agreement reopened the government for three weeks. But, those three weeks are nearly at an end, and many government employees… Read more »
During August 2018, one in every 1,456 homes in Ohio received a foreclosure filing, according to RealtyTrac.com. This was worse than the national average of 1 in every 1,882 homes, and placed Ohio just outside the top 10 states with the worst rates of foreclosure. Foreclosure in Ohio is a judicial process by which a… Read more »
Last updated April 21, 2018. In a recent lawsuit, Chase Bank was forced to pay out more than $160 million in penalties and $50 million in refunds to consumers for selling bad zombie debt to collection agencies. What is a zombie debt? Many people have had a debt that they could not pay or that… Read more »
Last updated April 21, 2018. We’ve all heard about student loan debt in the news. Lots of us have student loan debt ourselves. We hear a lot about how millennials won’t be able to buy their own homes or save for retirement. If so many are struggling to pay, what’s happening in the student loan… Read more »
Last updated May 14, 2018. You’ve fallen behind on your mortgage and now your home is in foreclosure. At the sheriff’s sale, the bank will try to sell the home for as much as it can get. If it sells for less than you owe, you may be liable to pay the difference. But what… Read more »
Chapter 7 bankruptcy offers debtors serious relief. In a chapter 7 bankruptcy, you surrender non-exempt property to the court. That property is sold and used to pay your creditors. The rest of your unsecured debts are then discharged. Most debtors don’t have any non-exempt property, so they don’t have to give up property. That means… Read more »
The mortgage market is a sensitive and complicated system. It reacts to any number of factors, including interest rates, housing purchases, and general economic outlook. It’s been in turmoil since the 2008 crisis and is still in the process of finding a new equilibrium. Last week was particularly tumultuous. What does all this turbulence mean… Read more »
What is HARP? Does it apply to me? HARP or the Home Affordable Refinance Program, began in 2009 as part of the Making Home Affordable Program in response to the housing market crisis of 2008 by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the U.S. Treasury Department. HARP allows borrowers, with loans owned by Fannie… Read more »
Last updated August 22, 2018. You’re behind on your mortgage payments. It happens – maybe you got sick, maybe you lost your job, maybe you just fell behind. Receiving a foreclosure notice can be overwhelming, but you should know that you have options. You may be able to defend against the foreclosure and keep your… Read more »
Last updated Aug. 31, 2017. If you’re considering filing for bankruptcy, if you’re struggling with debt and wondering what your options are, or if you’re just curious about the bankruptcy process and rules in Ohio, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a list of everything you need to know about bankruptcy… Read more »
Russ B. Cope is dedicated to legal standards that go far beyond filing cases — he is interested in your goals. Russ wants to be certain that each client is making an informed decision that will make their life better, and thrives on the interaction between lawyer and client.
