As foreclosure increases in Westchester County follow national trends, County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni urges Westchester residents who may be at risk of having their properties foreclosed, to seek counseling from a reputable counseling agency. Residents who have received warning letters from their bank or lender, or who have fallen behind on their payments, should contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to obtain the name of a reputable counseling agency. A list of agencies can be obtained from the HUD website or by calling 1-800-569-4287. If a foreclosure action has been brought against you, beware of foreclosure rescue scams. Making a bad situation worse can be avoided by relying on a reputable counseling agency or a trusted attorney to guide you through the process. Residents who meet low income guidelines may qualify for free legal services and should visit LawHelp for more details.
The commencement of a foreclosure action does not mean that a Westchester home will be lost to foreclosure. Filing a foreclosure action in the Westchester County Clerk’s office is the first step of a process which could result in the loss of a home or building. If a foreclosure is granted, the home or building is sold at a foreclosure auction and the proceeds of sale are used to pay off the loan. Many homeowners enter into a repayment plan, secure a modified loan, refinance with another lender or sell their home on their own to avoid foreclosure.
The Westchester County Clerk is the Clerk for the Supreme Court where foreclosure actions are heard. Foreclosure actions are filed in our Legal Division. The public can visit the Legal Division located at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in White Plains between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays to look up legal records, judgments, liens, lis pendens, and other business records.
The Office of the Westchester County Clerk provides weekly foreclosure lists which contain data from recently commenced actions including mortgagor, mortgagee, property location and a reference to the pending court action. Please feel free to view a Sample Report to become familiar with what information can be provided to you. Further examination of pending court cases can be conducted either in person or via the online search feature of the County Clerk website. Enrolling in our Subscription Services allows a registered user to view cumulative weekly reports as well as weekly updated reports containing the latest court filings from one's personal computer for an annual fee of $480.00. However, if you are not enrolled in our Subscription Services, you can still obtain a copy of weekly foreclosure reports for a fee of $20.00 per weekly printout. To obtain the weekly foreclosure list, please visit Westchester Records Online or our office located at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Room 330 in White Plains which can be reached by entering through the Richard J. Daronco Courthouse. The office is open Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. If you would prefer to request a foreclosure list by mail, please be sure to include a check or money order payable to the "Westchester County Clerk" in the amount of $20.00 per weekly list as credit cards and cash are not accepted via mail. Please also include a self-addressed stamped envelope in which your list can be returned.