Click on other tabs above for information about legal aid providers and courts in your area. Below is legal information on this sub-topic. You can localize this information by clicking on the"Choose Another Location" link in the right column and selecting the area where you live.
Online Applications, Benefit Screening, Resources and Forms
GovBenefits.gov
(Separate Website)
GovBenefits.gov is a free, online confidential tool that helps you find government benefits you may be eligible to receive.
By: GovBenefits.gov, a partnership of many Federal agencies and organizations
Read this in:
Spanish / Espaņol
Quiet Title Packet (Fraudulent Conveyance) Information and Forms to bring a Quiet Title action in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County. This type of action establishs a party's title to real property against anyone and everyone, and thus "quiets" any challenges or claims to the title.
By: Court of Common Pleas - Philadelphia
Information from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network
Ejectment
(Separate Website)
Information on what ejectment is and when it may be used.
By: Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
Articles of Agreement
(Separate Website)
Infromation on installment sale agreements.
By: Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
Home Improvement Finance Act
(Separate Website)
Information on the when the Home Improvement Finance Act applies to contracts and your rights under the Act.
By: Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services, Inc.
Predatory Lending Practices, Part 1 (Video)
(Separate Website)
Excerpt from Northwestern Legal Services' "Access to Justice" cable access television show broadcast on Erie Cablevision (Channel 2) in Erie, PA.
2/14/2008- Avoiding Predatory Lending Practices in Pennsylvania, with Dave Pesch, Housing Counseling Programs Manager at St. Martin's Center in Erie, PA and Maggie Schuetz, Staff Attorney with Community Justice Project, Pittsburgh, PA.
Part I - What is predatory lending, what help is available, details on over-appraisals, property flipping, avoiding variable rate, and details on the newly structured Western PA Mortgage Fraud Task Force.
Click on the title above to watch the program.
By: Northwestern Legal Services
Predatory Lending Practices, Part 2 (Video)
(Separate Website)
Excerpt from Northwestern Legal Services' "Access to Justice" cable access television show broadcast on Erie Cablevision (Channel 2) in Erie, PA.
2/14/2008- Avoiding Predatory Lending Practices in Pennsylvania, with Dave Pesch, Housing Counseling Programs Manager at St. Martin's Center in Erie, PA and Maggie Schuetz, Staff Attorney with Community Justice Project, Pittsburgh, PA.
Part 2 - Identifying poor lending practices, Tips on what to avoid.
Click on the title above to watch the program.
By: Northwestern Legal Services
Predatory Lending Practices, Part 3 (Video)
(Separate Website)
Excerpt from Northwestern Legal Services' "Access to Justice" cable access television show broadcast on Erie Cablevision (Channel 2) in Erie, PA.
2/14/2008- Avoiding Predatory Lending Practices in Pennsylvania, with Dave Pesch, Housing Counseling Programs Manager at St. Martin's Center in Erie, PA and Maggie Schuetz, Staff Attorney with Community Justice Project, Pittsburgh, PA.
Part 3 - How to protect yourself from predatory lending, recommended proactive steps, housing counseling is available, where to get help.
Click on the title above to watch the program.
By: Northwestern Legal Services
Philadelphia Real Estate Taxes
(Separate Website)
Information on issues related to Philadelphia Real Estate Taxes.
By: Community Legal Services
The Deed to Your Home What you need to know about your deed.
By: SeniorLAW Center (Philadelphia)
The Home Repair Contract A Senior Citizen's Guid to Home Repair.
By: SeniorLAW Center (Philadelphia)
Protecting Yourself From Financial Exploitation Information on how to prevent financial exploitation.
By: SeniorLAW Center (Philadelphia)
Homeowner Resource List This Homeowner Resource List is a list of agencies offering grants and low-interest loans for home repairs, and other resources, to those who qualify in the Philadelphia area.
By: SeniorLAW Center (Philadelphia)
REfinance to an Affordable Loan (REAL) Program
(Separate Website)
Is your adjustable rate or interest-only mortgage about to explode? Are you at risk of losing your home unless you can refinance to more affordable terms? If so, the REAL program may be your answer!
By: Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency
PA Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program
(Separate Website)
Program overview on property tax relief, rebate estimate calculator, commonly asked questions, as well as downloadable forms and instruction booklet. Claimants or spouses 65 years of age or older; widows or widowers 50 years of age or older; and permanently disabled 18 years of age or older may qualify.
By: Pennsylvania Department of Revenue
"Homeownership for All" Video Webcasts
(Separate Website)
This series of webcasts gives you some brief, basic, easy-to-understand guidance about the homebuying process. Watch all five or select ones that best fit your current needs.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Espaņol
Buying your Home: Settlement Costs and Information
(Separate Website)
Information for consumers on buying a home, as well as settlement costs, terms of sale, shopping for a loan, selecting an attorney, disclosures, processing the loan application, etc.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Espaņol
Your Rights and the Responsibilities of the Mortgage Servicer
(Separate Website)
Information for home buyers concerning your rights and the responsibility of your loan servicer.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Espaņol
High Cost Predatory Home Loans: How to Avoid the Traps
(Separate Website)
Information on how to protect yourself by knowing the warning signs of predatory loan practices.
By: Federal Citizen Information Center
Predatory Lending
(Separate Website)
Information from HUD on predatory lending and what you can do to protect yourself.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
How to Manage Your Mortgage If Your Lender Closes or Files for Bankruptcy
(Separate Website)
Fact sheet for consumers describing what to do if their mortgage company or mortgage servicing company closes or files for bankruptcy.
By: Federal Trade Commission
Reverse Mortgages for Seniors
(Separate Website)
Information about Reverse Mortgages, what they are, how they can give older Americans greater financial security, and also information on being aware of scam artists.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Espaņol
HOPE for Homeowners Frequently Asked Questions for Consumers
(Separate Website)
Information on a new program, created by Congress, that is intended to help borrowers at risk of default and foreclosure refinance into more affordable loans.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Espaņol
Basic Consumer Facts about the HOPE for Homeowners Program
(Separate Website)
Basic fact about this new program to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Espaņol
About Reverse Mortgages for Seniors - Section 255 - Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM)
(Separate Website)
This insured reverse mortgage can be used by senior homeowners age 62 and older to convert the equity in their home into monthly streams of income and/or a line of credit to be repaid when they no longer occupy the home. The loan, commonly known as HECM, is funded by a lending institution such as a mortgage lender, bank, credit union or savings and loan association.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Espaņol
It's Your Home: Reverse Mortgage Public Service Announcement
(Separate Website)
Video public service announcment giving information on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Reverse Mortgage program. Requires free REAL Player available at real.com. Time: 0:32
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Land Sale Complaints
(Separate Website)
Information for consumers regarding fraud and abuse when buying or leasing land from developers.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Espaņol
Deceptive Home Improvement Contractors Complaints
(Separate Website)
Information for home owners with HUD insured loans on avoiding deceptive home improvement contractors.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Espaņol
Does HUD Owe You a Refund?
(Separate Website)
Information and Fact Sheet regarding insured mortgages and whether you may be eligible for a HUD refund or share of any excess earnings from the FHA's Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. Fact Sheet also available in PDF By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Espaņol
Housing Counseling Agencies in Philadelphia
(Separate Website)
List of more than 30 housing counseling agencies that offer free counseling services to home owneres and buyers of homes in the City of Philadelphia. Eligibility requirements apply.
By: Philadelphia Office of Housing and Community Development
Is Homeownership Right for You?
(Separate Website)
Guide to home ownership from Freddie Mac, a stockholder-owned corporation chartered by Congress in 1970 to keep money flowing to mortgage lenders in support of homeownership and rental housing.
By: Freddie Mac
Read this in:
Spanish / Espaņol
Adobe Acrobat Reader required. (If you are using a screen reader that does not support PDF format, copy the PDF link, and use the Access Adobe online form to convert this file to HMTL text.)
Information, Not Legal Advice. We are providing this information as a public service. We try to make it accurate as of the date noted in the materials. Sometimes the laws change. We cannot promise that this information is always up-to-date and correct.
We do not intend this information to legal advice. By providing this information, we are not acting as your lawyer. If you need legal advice, you should contact a lawyer through your local legal aid organization. Always talk to a competent lawyer, if you can, before taking legal action.
Lawyer Advertising. This web site is not intended to be advertising or solicitation. The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based on advertisements. Before hiring an attorney, you should investigate his or her reputation and qualifications.
Links. Some of the items listed here have not been prepared by us, but are instead "links" to information prepared and posted by others. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of information posted on other sites. The links are not intended to imply that we sponsor or are affiliated or associated with the persons who created those sites, nor are the links intended to imply that we are legally authorized to use any trade name, registered trademark, logo, legal or official seal, or copyrighted symbol that may be reflected in the links.
E-mail. Viewing this web site, or transmitting an e-mail message through this web site, does not create an attorney-client relationship. Sending e-mail to an attorney mentioned in this site does NOT create an attorney-client relationship between you and the attorney. Unless you are already a client of the attorney, your e-mail may NOT be protected by the attorney-client privilege. Moreover, unless it is encrypted, e-mail can be intercepted by persons other than the recipient.
Deadlines are extremely important in most legal matters. You may lose important legal rights if you do not obtain an attorney immediately to advise you. Many people do not check their e-mail daily, and some attorneys do not respond to unsolicited e-mail from non-clients.
PALawHELP.org is provided as a public service by the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Legal Services Corporation.
