WHITE PLAINS, NY — Westchester County has both good and bad news on the foreclosure front. A familiar pattern continues as the number of judgments entered on foreclosed properties rose over eight percent over the same period last year. Encouragingly, the number of new foreclosure filings dropped almost twenty-seven percent when compared to last year’s first quarter. The county has experienced a steady increase in foreclosed properties since 2011. Last year one thousand one hundred and seventy-eight (1,178) actions were commenced, representing the highest total in recent memory.
“While the number of filings is still higher than preferred, we are encouraged by the steady decline over the past two years. Judgments remain high due to older foreclosure filings making it through the court.” reported Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni who serves as Clerk of the Westchester County Supreme Court where foreclosure actions are heard.
In the first three months of 2016, four hundred and sixteen (416) foreclosure filings were accepted by the Office of the Westchester County Clerk, down from five hundred and sixty-nine (569) in the first quarter of 2015. This continues the positive steady decline since filings peaked at six hundred and eighty (680) in the first quarter of 2013.
A brief summary of foreclosure filings and judgments:
|
|
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
1st quarter 2016 |
|
Filings |
2,697 |
2,325 |
2,120 |
416 |
|
Judgments |
372 |
772 |
1,178 |
291 |
Westchester Residential Opportunities (WRO), a non-profit housing agency with offices in White Plains and Mount Vernon, conducts Mortgage Default Orientation sessions most Wednesdays in their White Plains Office. Trained counselors are available to help at (914) 428-4507 or by visiting www.wroinc.org.
For more information on the Office of the Westchester County Clerk, please visit WestchesterClerk.com or call (914)995-3081.