Updates on Foreclosures

As mentioned previously on the Bronx News Network, the Governor signed into law a new foreclosure bill on Tuesday in the Bronx, sponsored by State Senator Jeffrey Klein. Nonprofit community groups throughout the City and State worked hard on this bill and really feel like it is a good piece of legislation.

I was unable to attend the signing because of a meeting with other groups doing foreclosure research at the NY Federal Reserve that morning. Here are a few highlights of this research and data, some of which is available online:

The number of foreclosure filings (lis pendens) continues to rise in NYC, though the number of auctions remains mostly flat. Some of the causes may include banks waiting for the market to recover, backlog at the courts, actual workouts/modifications taking place, and homeowners selling their properties before the foreclosure is completed.

Bronx News Roundup June 1

The two Bronx synagogues targeted in the recent bombing plot revealed on May 20th will each receive $25,000 in federal money from the Department of Homeland Security. This money will be used to provide alarms and surveillance equipment to protect the synagogues. Senator Kristen E. Gillibrand has also requested an additional $25 million for the Urban Areas Security Initiative that will finance further security initiatives at organizations at high risk of a terrorist attack.

A recent audit confirmed a Daily News report from last July that Bronx Court officials broke the law by illegally investing estates of the deceased in uncertain securities.

The fifth New York City swine flu related death to be reported is that of a Bronx infant. City officials have yet to confirm if the death is a result of the virus.

Critics of the recently nominated Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor are openly labeling the Bronx native as harsh, difficult to work with, unintelligent and racist against Caucasians. Judge Sotomayor's critics mainly consist of conservative groups and Republicans. In fact, Judge Sotomayor graduated from Princeton and Yale Law School and has a track record of rejecting more discrimination claims than accepting them. None of these critical claims have been found to have substantial proof.

Sonia Sotomayor's classmates recall the Supreme Court nominee as distinguished even in high school.

Joel R. Rivera announced his candidacy for the Bronx 77th Assembly District.

Bronx Democratic Senator Jeffrey Klein announced that he plans on introducing a school governance bill that will allow the mayor to retain control of the Panel on Education Policy. However, Klein also want to increase parental involvement in the local community boards by incorporating the boards with local Community Educational Councils. Klein believes that local boards will give parents a stronger voice to improve the conditions and test scores at local schools.

The Department of Environmental Protection and the Fire Department conducted a full-scale emergency response drill at Bronx Reservoir on Sunday.

Bronx News Roundup, April 15

Happy Tax Day! Now here's the news of the day.

Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. has called an emergency summit of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization tomorrow to strategize in response to Gov. David Paterson's initiative to legalize gay marriage.

The NYPD and several churches throughout the Bronx are organizing a gun buy back program.

A street leading to the Hutchinson Metro Center will be renamed to Marconi Street after the Nobel Prize winning inventor, Guglielmo Marconi as the city builds a 911 call center south of Pelham Parkway.

A dilapidated and rat-infested house in Throggs Neck has neighbors writing to Senator Jeffrey Klein for help.

The Wildlife Conservation Society, which faced budget cuts earlier this year, and faces additional cuts next year, is organizing its first Run For the Wild a 5k mile run/walk on Saturday April 25.