Thinking about hiring a lawyer to pursue a wrongful foreclosure or unfair trade practices lawsuit against your lender?
Well here's an important little tidbit.
Despite what you might think, or what you might see on those clever legal dramas on prime time television, or what that high-priced lawyer in downtown Portland might tell you...
Lawyers do not win cases.
That's right, we said it.
We'll say it again.
Lawyers do not win cases.
That's right, we said it.
We'll say it again.
Lawyers. Do. NOT. Win. Cases.
Facts win cases.
Strike that.
Facts win cases.
Strike that.
Facts supported by EVIDENCE win cases.
Ever played poker? It's just like that. After all the preening and puffing and posturing, at some point you have to put up or shut up. You have to show your cards. Winning a case in a court of law is really no different.
You claim, for example:
Judge....the bank TOLD me if I stopped paying my mortgage, I would get a loan modification. I just did what the bank told me to do! Then they screwed me and filed a foreclosure anyway!
That, good people, is a factual assertion.
The judge then says:
I understand what you're saying, sir. I understand that you feel you've been wronged, sir.
You smile and think: Justice at last! That big evil bank is going down!
But the judge doesn't stop there. The judge slowly leans over oh-so-slightly, lowers his or her reading glasses, looks you squarely in the eyes and says....
Now prove it.
You smile and think: Justice at last! That big evil bank is going down!
But the judge doesn't stop there. The judge slowly leans over oh-so-slightly, lowers his or her reading glasses, looks you squarely in the eyes and says....
Now prove it.
Silence.
The judge is looking at you.
Your lawyer looks at you.
You look at your lawyer and think: You're the one with a law degree! Do something! Say something!
Guess what? There is no pixie dust we can waive over the court's eyes to make everything alright. There is no magic bullet. No eloquent, eleventh hour speech we can make that will seize the day. What we need, what every lawyer needs—and this is where you can help you help yourself—is evidence.
The judge is looking at you.
Your lawyer looks at you.
You look at your lawyer and think: You're the one with a law degree! Do something! Say something!
Guess what? There is no pixie dust we can waive over the court's eyes to make everything alright. There is no magic bullet. No eloquent, eleventh hour speech we can make that will seize the day. What we need, what every lawyer needs—and this is where you can help you help yourself—is evidence.
Evidence, good people, is the magic pixie dust that wins cases.
**********
Have you been mislead by a lender or loan servicer?
Do you believe your foreclosure is wrongful?
Were you mislead into believing you would get a loan modification?
Were you mislead into believing you would get a loan modification?
If it makes you feel any better (and it probably won't), there are lots of people out there just like you. You have been wronged. You deserve your day in court. But the critical difference between winning and losing a lawsuit, should it come to that, is having what lawyers refer to as an evidentiary trail. So before you call an attorney, here are 3 things you can do to help yourself WIN that foreclosure defense case:
1. Record your conversations.
Whenever we suggest recording your conversations with a lender, especially when you're talking about something meaningful or especially important, the almost immediate push back is: "Is that legal?"
The answer is yes.
Federal law and Oregon law prohibit recording any telephone conversation where you are not a party. (In other words, you can't record someone else's conversation). However, it is perfectly legal here in Oregon to record a telephone conversation as long as one party consents to the recording (see ORS §§165.535, 165.540). What this means is that unless you object to recording yourself, then it is not illegal to record your conversation with another party and then use that conversation as evidence in a court of law.
The answer is yes.
Federal law and Oregon law prohibit recording any telephone conversation where you are not a party. (In other words, you can't record someone else's conversation). However, it is perfectly legal here in Oregon to record a telephone conversation as long as one party consents to the recording (see ORS §§165.535, 165.540). What this means is that unless you object to recording yourself, then it is not illegal to record your conversation with another party and then use that conversation as evidence in a court of law.
Some states, such as Washington, require that both parties consent to the recording of a telephone call. This means that before the conversation can be recorded, the party doing the recording must let the other party know the conversation will be recorded and that party must then consent to the recording. So if you live in Oregon but you're calling Washington, follow Washington law and notify the lender about the recording. If you're calling somewhere else (New York for example), find out if only one party or both parties must be notified. The safest choice, if you're unsure about what to do, is to notify the other party that you intend to record the conversation.
2. Get it in writing.
Lenders will tell you a great many things. We have heard horror story after horror story about customer service representatives or loss mitigation mangers telling clients something, but there is no record, anywhere, of what was said, when it was said, or who said it. So whenever possible, if you reach any sort of an agreement with a lender, ask the person on the line to confirm the agreement in an email. You don't need a full blown contract or anything fancy, just a simple email confirming whatever it is you talked about will do. Emails are particularly useful because they are date and time stamped and the sender is clearly identified.
Lenders will tell you a great many things. We have heard horror story after horror story about customer service representatives or loss mitigation mangers telling clients something, but there is no record, anywhere, of what was said, when it was said, or who said it. So whenever possible, if you reach any sort of an agreement with a lender, ask the person on the line to confirm the agreement in an email. You don't need a full blown contract or anything fancy, just a simple email confirming whatever it is you talked about will do. Emails are particularly useful because they are date and time stamped and the sender is clearly identified.
3. If you can't get it in writing , then confirm it in writing yourself.
In order to be admissible as evidence in court, your don't have to have something in writing from your lender. While this is generally better, many lenders are loathe to confirm anything they say in writing. Or your lender will tell you that they have no problem sending you an email or letter, but you never actually get anything.
So be proactive.
When you conclude a conversation, ask for the person's name, title, address and email address. Then immediately write an email (if the bank will accept an email; if not, write an actual letter) to the person you spoke to confirming the conversation. Something like this will suffice: "Dear Mr. Smith, I enjoyed speaking to you on the telephone today. This email simply confirms our discussion and the agreement we reached during our conversation to [fill in the blank]. The court doesn't require anything fancy. You don't have to write like a lawyer. Just confirm what you discussed and send it via regular mail or email to that person. The existence of an a writing confirming a conversation is evidence you can introduce in court about that conversation. Why? Because the law presumes that if you send someone a writing containing factual assertions, but those assertions are not true, then you will receive a writing of some sort in response denying those assertions. Confirming writing from you + no response from bank = good evidence in court.
And evidence good people, not just facts, is the magic pixie dust you need.
So help you help yourself and remember these three simple things: (1) record your conversations, (2) get it in writing and/or (3) confirm it in writing. These simple steps could be the critical difference between winning and losing your foreclosure defense case.
And if you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact us at (503) 846-0707 or visit our website at garlandgriffiths.com.
In order to be admissible as evidence in court, your don't have to have something in writing from your lender. While this is generally better, many lenders are loathe to confirm anything they say in writing. Or your lender will tell you that they have no problem sending you an email or letter, but you never actually get anything.
So be proactive.
When you conclude a conversation, ask for the person's name, title, address and email address. Then immediately write an email (if the bank will accept an email; if not, write an actual letter) to the person you spoke to confirming the conversation. Something like this will suffice: "Dear Mr. Smith, I enjoyed speaking to you on the telephone today. This email simply confirms our discussion and the agreement we reached during our conversation to [fill in the blank]. The court doesn't require anything fancy. You don't have to write like a lawyer. Just confirm what you discussed and send it via regular mail or email to that person. The existence of an a writing confirming a conversation is evidence you can introduce in court about that conversation. Why? Because the law presumes that if you send someone a writing containing factual assertions, but those assertions are not true, then you will receive a writing of some sort in response denying those assertions. Confirming writing from you + no response from bank = good evidence in court.
And evidence good people, not just facts, is the magic pixie dust you need.
So help you help yourself and remember these three simple things: (1) record your conversations, (2) get it in writing and/or (3) confirm it in writing. These simple steps could be the critical difference between winning and losing your foreclosure defense case.
And if you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact us at (503) 846-0707 or visit our website at garlandgriffiths.com.
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