Responding to Disaster, A Contemporary Approach to Foreclosure Defense

Introduction

The consequences of a family losing their home, it goes without saying, are horrendous. Helping people who have lost their homes is one of the most rewarding, yet heartbreaking, vocations a person can experience. I have been privileged to have had the opportunity to help families left homeless by both natural and human caused disasters around the world.

From Hurricanes, like Andrew and Katrina and tornados and floods, to armed conflict in Kosovo, economic collapse in Bulgaria, the Indian Ocean tsunami in South Asia and earthquakes in Haiti and Japan. One of the heartbreaking aspects of the work in those disasters was the subtle feeling of helplessness in the face of such overwhelming natural and human caused forces.

Disaster Response Experience

I first started volunteering for the American Red Cross, Greater Miami Chapter, in 1988. In 1990 I assisted with my first major disaster response, the fire at the Fontana Hotel, a residential hotel in Miami Beach. In 1992, I took a leave of absence from my work as a trial lawyer with FPL to respond to Hurricane Andrew. I worked for the Red Cross until 2008 and from 2008 until 2012 ran the global disaster response program of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.

Foreclosure Defense

In 2008, a friend who is one of the pioneers of foreclosure defense introduced me to a new kind of horror: one where the human caused disaster was leaving families homeless, but where there were very clear ways for vulnerable families to fight back and, in a significant number of cases, actually win the fight.

While many people may still perceive foreclosure as similar to that of our grandparents’ day, contemporary foreclosure is often the result of failings, or outright fraudulent behavior, of lenders and the industry. These circumstances can be defended against in court. Plaintiffs may sue homeowners without having the right to sue at all, may present falsified affidavits, or may misrepresent documents used to prove a right to foreclose.

There are no guarantees, but at least there are options that are missing in many other disasters. In those courts, there is a real possibility to defend against foreclosure and prevail. It is always stressful facing the possibility of losing a home, but it is a remarkable feeling to prevail and know that, for that family, you have assisted in preventing a horrendous family disaster.

Our Approach

Now I am gratified to assist homeowners and bring my experience and commitment to help homeowners fight against the potential of losing their homes. I take responsibility for my cases from when my clients sign up with the firm through the case. My family name, “Ackley,” means something along the lines of “Keeper of the Oak Meadow.” We have adopted the Oak to represent strength and durability in the face of the disaster facing our clients.

It is our focus to bring professional, ethical and zealous representation on behalf of our clients, and to stand through the onslaught of the parties seeking to take our clients’ homes and resources. In this disaster, we are not helpless to prevent the loss of property; we are able to fight back and prevent the consequences of foreclosure, maybe not in every case, but certainly with a significant level of success.

Get Help in Florida

If you are in Florida and are looking for help with your foreclosure, especially your foreclosure trial, call us at 1-833-FLA-ATTY (1-833-352-2889) for a FREE CONSULTATION. Let attorney James Randal Ackley serve you!