Buffalo, NY – Mayor Byron W. Brown announced today that the City of Buffalo has begun its annual Foreclosure Assistance Program at Erie County Court. This year’s program began on October 8, 2019, and City attorneys spent three days in County Court negotiating payment plans with property owners. The City was able to negotiate more than 460 court orders and payment plans, which allowed homeowners to remain in their homes and prevented the properties from being auctioned at the In Rem Tax Foreclosure Auction. The City of Buffalo Law Department is continuing to work with homeowners and businesses on making payment arrangements at City Hall through October 25.
“The City of Buffalo Law Department is working with city residents and business owners to set up reasonable payments for those at risk of losing their home or business to foreclosure,” said Mayor Brown. “I encourage residents in need to take advantage of this opportunity. Since taking office in 2006, my Administration has helped thousands of residents stay in their homes and kept businesses out of foreclosure.”
Administrative Judge Paula Feroleto, Judge Susan Eagan, and their staff generously provided the City space to work with homeowners at the courthouse. Local legal services agencies, such as the Volunteer Lawyers Project, Western New York Law Center, Legal Aid, and the Center for Elder Law and Justice, represented many city residents during these negotiations, and helped the Foreclosure Assistance Program meet the needs of homeowners and business owners.
The In Rem Foreclosure Auction is on October 29, 2019 at 9am at the Buffalo-Niagara Convention Center. Owners of the remaining properties set to be auctioned from October 29 to October 31 can still work with City attorneys on a payment plan. Appointments can be scheduled by calling (716) 851-4343. Any and all payment arrangements must be entered into, and all down payments must be made at City Hall by October 25, 2019, to keep a property from being auctioned the following week.