Hurricane Preparedness, Avoiding Foreclosure Top June Forum

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June 19, 2008

Commissioner Jess Santamaria held his monthly community forum at the original Wellington Mall on June 18. Invited speakers included Assistant County Administrator and Vince Bonvento addressing hurricane preparedness, and attorneys Neal Taslitz, James Bonfiglio, Louis Silber and Malcolm Harrison offering advice on how to avoid foreclosure and what to do if you are served notice.

Bonvento gave an overview of Palm Beach County’s comprehensive emergency management response plans, the organizational and decision-making structure during activation of the Emergency Operations Center, and the public’s responsibilities before, during and after a storm. “We can’t be afraid to make decisions and to implement those decisions,” he said.
Bonvento’s presentation touched on the importance of coordinated communication with the media and municipalities, emergency shelter locations, points of distribution (PODs) for post-storm recovery, bulk and community-based distribution sites, and the key role played by Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers.

The attorneys took turns explaining how the current mortgage crisis will continue to adversely affect the overall economy and how just one foreclosure can bring down property values throughout an entire neighborhood. Case studies were cited of individuals who have successfully fended off foreclosure for several years and others who possibly could have, if they had taken the proper action. They also offered tips on what to do if you fall behind in your mortgage payments, the borrowers’ rights when served a foreclosure notice, and why it is so important to respond to all correspondence from the lender, their attorney(s) and the courts.