Staten Island woman saves her home by slashing her mortgage payment

A Staten Island woman who was struggling to pay her mortgage after her husband’s death managed to save her home by cutting her monthly payment in half, thanks to free legal assistance from a nonprofit organization. The woman, Iona Jarmond, received a tax exemption and a loan modification that reduced her interest rate and extended her repayment term.

Jarmond faced foreclosure after losing her husband

Jarmond and her husband moved to Staten Island from Harlem 30 years ago, to give their five adopted children more space. They bought a house in Graniteville, where they lived happily until her husband passed away in 2016. Jarmond, who is on a fixed income, could not afford the mortgage payments on her own, and relied on her children’s help for as long as they could.

However, Jarmond soon fell behind on her payments and faced foreclosure. She was terrified of losing her home, where she still lived with her youngest daughter, Belinda. She did not know what to do or where to turn for help.

Jarmond found free help from Legal Services NYC

Jarmond’s luck changed when she learned about Legal Services NYC, a nonprofit organization that provides free legal assistance to low-income New Yorkers. Jarmond contacted the Staten Island office of Legal Services NYC, where she met Jennifer Lerman, an attorney who specializes in housing issues.

Lerman helped Jarmond fill out the necessary paperwork and gather the required documents to apply for a tax exemption and a loan modification. Lerman also represented Jarmond in a foreclosure lawsuit and a settlement conference with her lender. Lerman negotiated with the lender to lower Jarmond’s interest rate, extend her repayment term, and forgive some of her debt.

Jarmond saved her home and halved her mortgage payment

Thanks to Lerman’s help, Jarmond was able to save her home and reduce her monthly mortgage payment from $2,000 to $1,000. Jarmond was overjoyed and relieved by the outcome, and grateful to Lerman and Legal Services NYC for their support and guidance. Jarmond said that Lerman was comforting, nice, and calm, and that she turned her situation around.

Lerman said that Jarmond was one of the thousands of New Yorkers who benefited from the Homeowner Protection Program, a state-funded initiative that supports Legal Services NYC and other organizations that provide free housing counseling and legal services to homeowners facing foreclosure. Lerman said that the program was vital for preserving homeownership and preventing homelessness in New York.