President Judge C. Darnell Jones has announced that the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania has adopted a Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Pilot Program. The program is designed to address residential mortgage foreclosures, and to help homeowners in trouble find alternatives to foreclosure.
 
The process is designed to start automatically once the lender files a Mortgage Foreclosure Case with the court. A foreclosure filing on an owner-occupied residential property automatically generates a Case Management Order, which has to be served on the homeowner along with
the complaint.

For foreclosures filed after 7/7/2008, The Order schedules a Conciliation Conference between the homeowner and the lender within 30-45 days of the date the complaint was filed. Conferences for foreclosures filed prior to 7/7/2008 will be scheduled as soon as is
practical.

Immediately on receipt of the Order, the homeowner is required to call the SAVE YOUR HOME PHILLY HOTLINE at (215) 334-HOME, which will direct the homeowner to a housing counseling agency. The Order will require the homeowner to cooperate with the counseling agency, and to provide financial records and complete applications as appropriate. Details here:
http://fjd.phila.gov/pdf/regs/2008/cpjgcr-2008-01.pdf