Click on other tabs above for information about legal aid providers and courts in your area. Below is legal information on this sub-topic. You can localize this information by clicking on the"Choose Another Location" link in the right column and selecting the area where you live.
Online Applications, Benefit Screening, Resources and Forms
GovBenefits.gov
(Separate Website)
GovBenefits.gov is a free, online confidential tool that helps you find government benefits you may be eligible to receive.
By: GovBenefits.gov, a partnership of many Federal agencies and organizations
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Quiet Title Packet (Fraudulent Conveyance) Information and Forms to bring a Quiet Title action in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County. This type of action establishs a party's title to real property against anyone and everyone, and thus "quiets" any challenges or claims to the title.
By: Court of Common Pleas - Philadelphia
Petition to Waive Court Costs
Click the document title to be linked to LawHelp Interactive where you can prepare a Petition to Waive Court Fees which can be used to ask the Pennsylvania Court for permission to file legal papers for free. This form can be used in most types of court cases in Pennsylvania. Approval to waive fees is not automatic. You will need to ask the Court to approve your Petition. Instructions will be included. PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a fill-in-the-blank form; you will need to answer questions while connected to the Internet.
IMPORTANT: To use this form, you must use Internet Explorer as your browser and Microsoft Word to print your documents.
By: North Penn Legal Services
Information from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network
Ejectment
(Separate Website)
Information on what ejectment is and when it may be used.
By: Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
Articles of Agreement
(Separate Website)
Infromation on installment sale agreements.
By: Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
Home Improvement Finance Act
(Separate Website)
Information on the when the Home Improvement Finance Act applies to contracts and your rights under the Act.
By: Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
Avoiding Predatory Lending Practices (Video)
Three-part excerpt from Northwestern Legal Services' "Access to Justice" cable access television show broadcast on Erie Cablevision (Channel 2) in Erie, PA.
Avoiding Predatory Lending Practices in Pennsylvania, with Dave Pesch, Housing Counseling Programs Manager at St. Martin's Center in Erie, PA and Maggie Schuetz, Staff Attorney with Community Justice Project, Pittsburgh, PA. Recorded February 14, 2008.
Part 1 - What is Predatory Lending. What help is available, details on over-appraisals, property flipping, avoiding variable rate, and details on the newly structured Western PA Mortgage Fraud Task Force. (9:58)
Part 2 - Identifying Poor Lending Practices. Tips on what to avoid. (6:09)
Part 3 - How to Protect Yourself from Predatory Lending. Recommended proactive steps, housing counseling is available, where to get help. (10:59)
Click on the title above to watch the program.
By: Northwestern Legal Services
Philadelphia Real Estate Taxes
(Separate Website)
Information on issues related to Philadelphia Real Estate Taxes.
By: Community Legal Services
The Deed to Your Home What you need to know about your deed.
By: SeniorLAW Center (Philadelphia)
The Home Repair Contract A Senior Citizen's Guid to Home Repair.
By: SeniorLAW Center (Philadelphia)
Protecting Yourself From Financial Exploitation Information on how to prevent financial exploitation.
By: SeniorLAW Center (Philadelphia)
Homeowner Resource List This Homeowner Resource List is a list of agencies offering grants and low-interest loans for home repairs, and other resources, to those who qualify in the Philadelphia area.
By: SeniorLAW Center (Philadelphia)
Information on Federal Making Home Affordable Programs
Making Home Affordable.gov
(Separate Website)
This website provides homeowners with detailed information about the Home Affordable Refinance Program and the Home Affordable Modification Program, along with self-assessment tools and calculators to empower borrowers with the resources they need to determine whether they might be eligible for a modification or a refinance under the Obama Administration's program. Through this website, borrowers can also connect with free counseling resources and access other useful tools and information.
By: U.S. Government
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Making Home Affordable (Video)
(Separate Website)
Video about the Making Home Affordable program of the U.S. Government. For more information on the Making Home Affordable program, and to see if you quality, visit http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov or contact the Homeowners HOPE? Hotline at (888) 995-HOPE.
By: U.S. Department of Treasury
Home Affordable Modification Program
(Separate Website)
If you can no longer afford to make your monthly loan payments, you may qualify for a loan modification under this program to make your monthly mortgage payment more affordable. Millions of borrowers who are current, but having difficulty making their payments and borrowers who have already missed one or more payments may be eligible.
By: Making Home Affordable.gov
Home Affordable Refinance Program
(Separate Website)
If you are a homeowner who is current on your mortgage payments but unable to refinance to a lower interest rate because your home value has decreased, you may be able to refinance under this program.
By: Making Home Affordable.gov
Asked and Answered : Questions from Homeowners Like You
(Separate Website)
Read responses to questions from homeowners like you.
By: Making Home Affordable.gov
Borrower Frequently Asked Questions
(Separate Website)
FAQ on the Making Home Affordable Program which offers two different potential solutions for borrowers: (1) refinancing mortgage loans, through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), and (2) modifying mortgage loans, through the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP).
By: Making Home Affordable.gov
Contact Your Mortgage Servicer
(Separate Website)
Once you have determined if you are eligible for a Home Affordable Refinance or Modification, the next step is to contact your mortgage servicer to discuss your situation. Here is a list of servicers who have agreed to participate in the Home Affordable Modification program.
By: Making Home Affordable.gov
Modification Evaluator
(Separate Website)
This tool will calculate a mortgage payment guideline amount based upon your current financial situation.
By: Making Home Affordable.gov
Payment Reduction Estimator
(Separate Website)
This Payment Reduction Estimator will determine what your current mortgage debt-to-income is and how much your monthly payment may be reduced if you qualify.
By: Making Home Affordable.gov
Understanding your Mortgage Statement
(Separate Website)
Mortgage statements come in many different forms. However, most contain similar terms and information. Some commonly used terms and their definitions are explained to help you better understand your mortgage statement.
By: Making Home Affordable.gov
REfinance to an Affordable Loan (REAL) Program
(Separate Website)
Is your adjustable rate or interest-only mortgage about to explode? Are you at risk of losing your home unless you can refinance to more affordable terms? If so, the REAL program may be your answer!
By: Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency
PA Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program
(Separate Website)
Program overview on property tax relief, rebate estimate calculator, commonly asked questions, as well as downloadable forms and instruction booklet. Claimants or spouses 65 years of age or older; widows or widowers 50 years of age or older; and permanently disabled 18 years of age or older may qualify.
By: Pennsylvania Department of Revenue
"Homeownership for All" Video Webcasts
(Separate Website)
This series of webcasts gives you some brief, basic, easy-to-understand guidance about the homebuying process. Watch all five or select ones that best fit your current needs.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
100 Questions & Answers About Buying A New Home
(Separate Website)
To become a first-time homebuyer, you need to know where and how to begin the homebuying process. The following questions and answers have been carefully selected to give you a foundation of basic knowledge.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Buying A Home
(Separate Website)
The homebuying process can seem complicated, but if you take things step-by-step, you will soon be holding the keys to your own home! Here are
nine steps to buying a home.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
The HUD Home Buying Guide
(Separate Website)
This guide will take you step by step through each stage of finding and buying your own home.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Buying a Home
(Separate Website)
Information and tips on buying a home.
By: Pennsylvania Department of Banking
Shopping for a Mortgage
(Separate Website)
Information on shopping for a mortgage to finance or re-finance your home.
By: Pennsylvania Department of Banking
Escrow Accounts: Frequently Asked Questions
(Separate Website)
Frequently asked questions (and Answers) about Escrow Accounts.
By: Pennsylvania Department of Banking
Your Rights and the Responsibilities of the Mortgage Servicer
(Separate Website)
Information for home buyers concerning your rights and the responsibility of your loan servicer.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
High Cost Predatory Home Loans: How to Avoid the Traps
(Separate Website)
Information on how to protect yourself by knowing the warning signs of predatory loan practices.
By: Federal Citizen Information Center
Predatory Lending
(Separate Website)
Information from HUD on predatory lending and what you can do to protect yourself.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
How to Manage Your Mortgage If Your Lender Closes or Files for Bankruptcy
(Separate Website)
Fact sheet for consumers describing what to do if their mortgage company or mortgage servicing company closes or files for bankruptcy.
By: Federal Trade Commission
HOPE for Homeowners Frequently Asked Questions for Consumers
(Separate Website)
Information on a new program, created by Congress, that is intended to help borrowers at risk of default and foreclosure refinance into more affordable loans.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Basic Consumer Facts about the HOPE for Homeowners Program
(Separate Website)
Basic fact about this new program to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Reverse Mortgages for Seniors
(Separate Website)
Information about Reverse Mortgages, what they are, how they can give older Americans greater financial security, and also information on being aware of scam artists.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
About Reverse Mortgages for Seniors - Section 255 - Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM)
(Separate Website)
This insured reverse mortgage can be used by senior homeowners age 62 and older to convert the equity in their home into monthly streams of income and/or a line of credit to be repaid when they no longer occupy the home. The loan, commonly known as HECM, is funded by a lending institution such as a mortgage lender, bank, credit union or savings and loan association.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Reverse Mortgages: Are They for You?
(Separate Website)
This Consumer Advisory, issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, is designed to help you better understand reverse mortgages. Reverse mortgages are complex loans and are secured by your home. It is important to understand the terms, risks, and costs before you sign a reverse mortgage contract. Make sure to consider alternatives to reverse mortgages.
By: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
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PALawHELP.org is provided as a public service by the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Legal Services Corporation.
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