Florida Civil Legal UPDATE

CLSMF has continued to use press releases to good purpose in order to get local media coverage of their programs and services.

On scams:

Scams are on the rise because more people are looking for help, and scam artists will gladly take people’s money.

Patricia Kearney fell victim to such a scam. She and her husband needed money to pay their mortgage and bills.

A lender inflated the appraisal of her home, telling her to take out a mortgage at that inflated price…

Community Legal Services helps low income families and the elderly from scams like this one and others for free.

And in publicizing assistance to low- and middle-income persons for tax filing.

Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida wants you to know there’s free online help for middle- and low-income taxpayers to file their federal income taxes.

That help is called I-CAN! It’s Web-based software available in English and Spanish.

And, it’s very easy to use, Legal Services Campaign and Communications Manager Larry Glinzman told The Beacon.

“Taxes are easy to do with I-CAN! E-file, and you don’t need to be a computer expert,” he said.

One of those great press releases from CLSMF is reproduced after the break. Read the rest of this entry »

As reported in the News-Journalonline, and right here, CLSMF is seeing a huge increase in requests for help with foreclosures and other consumer issues.

Home foreclosure activity jumped 82 percent in December in Volusia and Flagler counties despite pleas by Gov. Charlie Crist and federal mortgage agencies that banks and lenders slow the process during the holidays.

“Oh my goodness, no, they did not slow at all,” said Larry Glinzman, spokesman for Community Legal Services of Mid Florida. “We have open houses here in Daytona Beach, and last year they were half full. Now they are jam-packed, and it’s foreclosures and bankruptcies that are bringing them in the door, also in DeLand and Flagler.”

And more news from CFNews13!

Attorneys with Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, which provides legal help to those with low incomes, said recently they’ve seen an increase of middle class workers coming in for help.

The attorneys believe the trend is due to a loss of a job or a cut in hours, which then leads to falling behind on mortgages.

While the moratorium both on a state and federal level was called, it helped a little bit. But the worst may have yet to come.

“My guesstimate is we’re about halfway through this. I think we’ve got quite a ways to go, which is why federal help and any type of state help is greatly needed by people in our area,” said Bill Abbuehl from the Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida.

My friend Larry Glinzman at Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida sent word yesterday about an increase in calls to that program’s helpline.  I imagine every region is seeing a similar pattern.

Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida (CLSMF) Sees Spike In Calls For Help
Economic Troubles Hurting Low-Income People

A nonprofit legal agency that assists low-income people, seniors and the disabled, CLSMF is getting swamped with calls for help.  The increases in the number of people seeking help is an indicator of what’s going on with the recession.

CLSMF provides free legal help from nine offices across 12 counties in central Florida, including our headquarters in Daytona Beach. The Help Line is based in Daytona Beach and is being overwhelmed by people trying to meet their most basic needs.

Bob Feinson is the CLSMF attorney who oversees the Help Line. “People need help to meet their basic needs, which have grown dramatically over the past year. Everybody is worried about what’s going to be happening over the coming months and even years. Meanwhile, we’re just trying to help people as they contact us. We’re trying to do as much as we can for folks,” Feinson said.

There’s more after the break.
Read the rest of this entry »