A week ago the Wall Street Journal reported that the sheriff of Philadelphia was refusing to conduct auctions for foreclosed homes. It's kind of civil disobedience from a government official. And his move prompted a sweeping reform scheduled to go into effect this week that will require lenders to participate in a court-sponsored "reconciliation session" before they can foreclose on a property.
This will no doubt reduce the foreclosure rate in Philadelphia but shouldn't it also expand the delinquency rate? For a variety of reasons, Philadelphia missed out on much of the housing boom and so isn't at the forefront of the mortgage mess either. But this move should help Philadelphia catch up with the rest of the country. If the bank can't foreclose, that's certainly an incentive to stop paying your mortgage when money gets tight.
He's Taking Law Into His Own Hands To Help Broke Homeowners [Wall Street Journal]
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