S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  6283

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             March 20, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. BARRON -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Judiciary

AN  ACT to amend the civil practice law and rules, in relation to manda-
  tory settlement conferences in  residential  foreclosure  actions  and
  requiring  good  faith  settlement discussions in connection with such
  foreclosure actions

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1. Subdivision (a) of rule 3408 of the civil practice law and
rules, as amended by chapter 306 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read
as follows:
  (a) In any residential foreclosure action involving  a  home  loan  as
such  term is defined in section thirteen hundred four of the real prop-
erty actions and proceedings law, in which the defendant is  a  resident
of  the  property  subject to foreclosure, plaintiff shall file proof of
service within twenty days of such service, however service is made, and
the court shall hold a mandatory conference within sixty days after  the
date  when proof of service upon such defendant is filed with the county
clerk, or on such adjourned date as has been agreed to by  the  parties,
for  the  purpose  of  holding  settlement discussions pertaining to the
relative rights and obligations of the parties under the  mortgage  loan
documents, including, but not limited to determining whether the parties
can  reach  a  mutually agreeable resolution to help the defendant avoid
losing his or her home, and evaluating the potential for a resolution in
which payment schedules or amounts may  be  modified  or  other  workout
options  may  be  agreed  to,  and for whatever other purposes the court
deems appropriate.  BOTH THE PLAINTIFF AND THE DEFENDANT MUST MAKE  GOOD
FAITH  EFFORTS TO REACH A MUTUALLY AGREEABLE RESOLUTION. SUCH GOOD FAITH
EFFORTS MUST INCLUDE, AT A MINIMUM, FOLLOWING THE UNITED STATES  DEPART-
MENT  OF TREASURY HOME AFFORDABLE MODIFICATION PROGRAM GUIDELINES ISSUED
ON MARCH FOURTH, TWO THOUSAND NINE, AND ANY AMENDMENTS THERETO.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD09517-01-5
              

A. 6283                             2

  S 2. Subdivision (a) of rule 3408 of the civil practice law and rules,
as added by chapter 472 of the laws of  2008,  is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  (a)  In  any residential foreclosure action involving a high-cost home
loan consummated between January first, two thousand three and September
first, two thousand eight, or a subprime or nontraditional home loan, as
those terms are defined under section thirteen hundred four of the  real
property  actions and proceedings law, in which the defendant is a resi-
dent of the property subject to foreclosure,  the  court  shall  hold  a
mandatory  conference  within  sixty  days  after the date when proof of
service is filed with the county clerk, or on such adjourned date as has
been agreed to by the parties, for the  purpose  of  holding  settlement
discussions  pertaining  to  the  relative rights and obligations of the
parties under the mortgage loan documents, including, but not limited to
determining whether the parties can reach a  mutually  agreeable  resol-
ution to help the defendant avoid losing his or her home, and evaluating
the potential for a resolution in which payment schedules or amounts may
be  modified or other workout options may be agreed to, and for whatever
other purposes the court deems appropriate.  BOTH THE PLAINTIFF AND  THE
DEFENDANT  MUST  MAKE  GOOD  FAITH EFFORTS TO REACH A MUTUALLY AGREEABLE
RESOLUTION. SUCH GOOD FAITH EFFORTS MUST INCLUDE, AT A MINIMUM,  FOLLOW-
ING  THE  UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY HOME AFFORDABLE MODIFICA-
TION PROGRAM GUIDELINES ISSUED ON MARCH FOURTH, TWO THOUSAND  NINE,  AND
ANY AMENDMENTS THERETO.
  S  3.  This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
the amendments to subdivision (a) of rule 3408 of the civil practice law
and rules made by section one of this act shall be subject to the  expi-
ration  and  reversion  of such subdivision pursuant to subdivision e of
section 25 of chapter 507 of the laws of 2009,  as  amended,  when  upon
such date the provisions of section two of this act shall take effect.