Property and occupancy inspections play an important role in foreclosures. To ensure due process, it’s necessary to verify residency of occupants and to make sure the appropriate individuals are notified of the action involving them. Having an experienced company handle these inspections will make sure a firm meets the strict compliance requirements for foreclosures.
Here are a few ways property inspections can be utilized during the foreclosure process:
Pre-sale
Property inspections can be used to determine who is living at the residence. This initial inspection serves a number of purposes, including determining who should be served. If there are tenants at the location, it’s necessary to locate another address for service for the owner(s).
During this process the inspector should also attempt to gather the tenants names to make the foreclosure process easier down the road. Rather than including Jane and John Doe as the subjects, the actual names can be entered on the complaint. This eliminates the need to amend the file later once names are determined.
Vacant & Abandoned Inspections
During the New Jersey foreclosure process, vacant and abandoned inspections provide a way to expedite proceedings involving properties where no one is residing. This reduces the cost to the lender to maintain the property and can significantly reduce the time from the commencement of the case to close. Because of the magnitude of the estates involved there numerous factors which must be included in a property inspection to sufficiently confirm that the location is indeed vacant and abandoned.
Post-sale
Post-sale inspections can be necessary during the foreclosure process, particularly with a tenant occupied home or building. If there are tenants, this requires the need to go through the eviction process in order to reach the stage of the Sheriff’s sale. During this post-sale inspection, letters are delivered to the tenants to confirm they are still at the location and to commence the eviction process.
CHOOSING A VENDOR
When looking for a provider to handle property and occupancy inspections for foreclosure matters, it’s important to ensure they are knowledgeable about the ever changing rules and requirements. There are constant changes to what constitutes adequate inspections and what courts and judges look for in order to substantiate affidavits and reports. The right vendor will help expedite timelines while providing quality information which stands up in court.
