Foreclosures near Ohio U. soar
By Jordan Valinsky
The Post, Ohio U.
June 02, 2009

The number of home foreclosures filed in Athens County, Ohio this year has already surpassed the number of filings for all of 2008, and the Athens County Clerk is concerned that filings will continue to rise.

According to numbers provided by Athens County Clerk Ann Trout, the number of filings from January 1st to the end of May is 78 compared to 70 home foreclosures in all of 2008.

Trout said she was "surprised" in the rise of filings and could not attribute it to one source, but homeowners who were recently laid off can't afford their houses anymore. She added the number of filings have not peaked yet.

"They will go up before they go back down," said Trout. "I hope it doesn't get much worse." The state provides assistance for foreclosed homeowners.

Trout referred affected homeowners to the state's "Save the Dream" program that directs foreclosed homeowners to legal advisers.

In late May, the Democrat-led Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 3, which revamps the state's foreclosure process. The bill proposes a six-month moratorium on certain mortgages, raising the foreclosure fee to $750, and sending foreclosed homeowners an informational pamphlet informing them of their options. The bill now faces approval in the Republican-dominated Ohio Senate.

Trout thinks the bill will be met with a "fight" and said she will be "surprised" if the bill passes without more changes.

"I'm worried the moratorium won't stay in," said Trout. "And the filing fee will make the banks want to work out things (with homeowners)."

But Trout said she is worried about homeowners who have given up on finding a solution.

"I'm more concerned people are saying 'Whatever, I don't care, let them (banks) take it," Trout said. "You can really work to get this settled."

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