MCLLC EVENTS

In April 2009, Attorney Croog served as the moderator for “Alternatives to Foreclosure Seminar” sponsored by the Connecticut Mortgage Bankers Association (Attorney Croog is a member of the CMBA’s Board of Directors.) The Seminar identified and explored the challenges associated with various retention and non-retention loss mitigation alternatives, both prior to, and during foreclosure. The seminar also provided in-depth coverage and intensive audience participation by lenders, servicers and attorneys with respect to local, state and federal initiatives involving foreclosure mediation and its impact on loss mitigation and foreclosure timelines, pending underwriting changes to the Emergency Mortgage Assistance Payment Program, lender registration tied to property preservation, and short sales. The distinguished panel included John Ertle, US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development; Carol DeRosa, Connecticut Housing and Finance Authority; the Honorable Douglas C. Mintz, Superior Court Judge, Roberta Palmer, Operational Manager of the Connecticut Judicial Branch’s Foreclosure Mediation Program, Kyle Anderson, Neighborhood Housing Services of New Britain, David Smith, Webster Bank and Gregory Jones, McCue Mortgage Company. For a copy of the agenda, please click here.

In March 2009, Attorney Croog was an invited speaker at the Banking and Compliance Association of Connecticut’s “Bankruptcy and Foreclosure Seminar”. Attorney Croog’s presentation included an overview of the foreclosure process, an in-depth discussion of Connecticut’s emergency mortgage assistance payment program and mediation programs, and other emerging trends in Connecticut laws that impact the lender’s duties to notice and afford relief for residential mortgagees and tenants in possession of mortgaged properties. For a copy of the Presentation Outline prepared by Attorney Croog, please click here. For a copy of the agenda, please click here.

In March 2009, Attorney Martha Croog wrote an article on Connecticut’s court sponsored Foreclosure Mediation Program. The article appeared in a special Real Estate section of the Hartford Courant on March 8, 2009. To read the article in its entirety, please click here.

In December 2008, the Connecticut General Assembly passed legislation designed to protect tenants of foreclosed properties. Click here to access Attorney Croog’s in-depth analysis of the new legislation and its effects on the rights of foreclosing mortgagees, please click here.



In October 2008, Attorney Croog was installed for an additional term as a member of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Mortgage Banker’s Association. The Installation Reception featured remarks by guest speakers Michael Berman Vice Chairperson of the Mortgage Banker’s Association of America and Alan Cicchetti, Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Banking.

In October 2008, Attorney Croog was an invited speaker at the Connecticut Bar Association’s “Representing Homeowners in Foreclosure” seminar. Additional speakers included the Honorable Douglas C. Mintz, Chairman of the Bench-Bar Foreclosure Committee; Roberta Palmer, Operational Manager of the Connecticut Judicial Branch’s Foreclosure Mediation Program; and Ann Parent, Senior Staff Attorney, Connecticut Fair Housing Center. During the seminar Attorney Croog provided an overview of the foreclosure process in Connecticut, highlighting recent developments under Connecticut’s new laws (An Act Concerning Responsible Lending and Economic Security), as well as insights from the residential mortgage lender’s perspective.

In June 2008, Attorney Croog served as the moderator for “Don’t Walk Away! Save the Deal! ‘Short Sales’ Seminar” sponsored by the Connecticut Mortgage Bankers Association, and provided an overview of short sales. This presentation addressed the question when a short sale is and is not an appropriate remedy, and how to complete the short sale. The speakers who reviewed the key considerations in the short sale transaction included; John Ertle, US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development; Carol DeRosa, Connecticut Housing and Finance Authority; Donna Brandveen, Freddie Mac; and Robert Kantor, Fannie Mae and Matt Cholewa, First American Title Insurance Company. For photos of the event, please click here. For a copy of the agenda, please click here.

In May 2008, Attorney Martha Croog wrote an article regarding tax foreclosure concerns for Connecticut mortgage lenders. To read the article in its entirety, please click here.

In May 2008, Attorney Martha Croog wrote an article on short sales. The article appeared in a special Real Estate section of the Hartford Courant on May 9, 2008.
To read the article in its entirety, please click here.

On April 1, 2008, Attorney Martha Croog presented to a group on the subject of Connecticut's strict foreclosure laws.

For a copy of Attorney Croog's presentation, please click here.

In January 2008, Attorney Martha Croog wrote an article on the subprime mortgage crisis. The article appeared in a special Real Estate section of the Hartford Courant on January 14, 2008.

To read the article in its entirety, please click here.

In March 2007, Attorney Croog served as a member of a CMBA joint task force on a seminar entitled "When Is It Fraud?" Sponsored by various committees of the CMBA, this exciting and innovative seminar was designed to inform multiple segments of the mortgage banking community, including real estate brokers, mortgage brokers, appraisers, buyers, sellers, mortgage lenders and closing attorneys. The seminar focused on identifying transactions and specific conduct that constitute actionable fraud. Existing and anticipated state and federal regulation and related enforcement action were addressed.

Detecting and preventing mortgage fraud in the underwriting and appraisal processes is a challenge on which the CMBA's diverse and prestigious panel of speakers focused on. Available opportunities for mitigating the risk of fraud were examined, including proper disclosure, title and fraud insurance, as well as state of the art technology solutions.

The seminar featured State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, as well as noted national speaker Ralph Roberts, both dedicated opponents of mortgage fraud in its various forms.

For a copy of Attorney Croog's presentation, please click here. (Note: Opening this file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

On March 30, 2007, Martha Croog, LLC was approved as a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The Law Office of Martha Croog, LLC was a proud sponsor of the successful CMBA Mortgage Expo which was held at the Mohegan Sun, in Uncasville, CT in January 2007.

In October 2006, Martha Croog was installed as a member of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Mortgage Bankers Association. Attorney Croog is a member of the Legislative and Loss Mitigation Committees of the CMBA.

In September 2006, The Law Office of Martha Croog, LLC implemented CaseAware Integrate through KMC Information Systems (KMCIS). CaseAware Integrate enables MCLLC to exchange information with the industry's various external systems, such as NewTrak, Lenstar and VendorScape, and NewInvoice. MCLLC has always been dedicated to providing its mortgage banking clients with the highest quality of legal representation. Its alliance with CaseAware enables it to streamline timely case reporting and management and to surpass existing timeline efficiencies through an automated, two-way transmission of data between our firm’s Case Management/Accounting system and the external platforms utilized by some of our clients. The MCLLC team welcomes KMCIS and its dedicated staff, and is confident that MCLLC clients will benefit from the collaboration.

CASE NOTE

On October 17, 2006, the Connecticut Appellate Court decided Wells Fargo Bank of Minn., N.A. v. Morgan, 98 Conn. App. 72. Effectively overruling prior law, Morgan holds that a defendant’s remaining rights following trial court ratification of a foreclosure sale are not limited to the right to take an appeal, but also include the right to file a motion to open judgment at any time during the 20 day appeal period. In this regard, Morgan contrasts sharply with existing Connecticut law involving the finality of judgments of strict foreclosure, where, by statute, the filing of a motion to open judgment is prohibited once title has become absolute in a party, after the law days have run. This expansive ruling may have a chilling effect on third party bidders at CT foreclosure sales, whose rights are vulnerable to continuing litigation at the trial court level. The decision also may delay the issuance of an execution of ejectment, which may be an important preservation issue for mortgage lenders, especially during the winter months. Judgments of strict foreclosure, which do not involve a property auction, are available in CT mortgage foreclosures where there is no equity, minimal equity or negative equity in a property or, by consent of the junior lienholder(s).

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