Foreclosure Defense Attorney Serving Long Island and Nassau County

A foreclosure notice is not a verdict. In New York, no lender can take your home without going through the court system — and that process gives you time, legal rights, and options that most homeowners do not know they have. Aronow Law P.C. has represented New York State and Long Island homeowners facing foreclosure for 23+ years, using every available legal tool to keep clients in their homes or resolve their situation on terms they can live with.

What New York's Judicial Foreclosure Process Means for You

New York is one of a minority of states that requires every foreclosure to proceed through the court system. A lender cannot simply take your home because you missed payments. They must file a lawsuit, serve you with process, and navigate a court proceeding that — particularly in Nassau and Suffolk County — can take a year or more from initial filing to any action on the property.



That timeline is not a loophole. It is a legal right built into New York's foreclosure statute. It means that from the moment you receive a default notice, you have time — time to apply for a modification, time to consult an attorney, time to explore every available option before the situation becomes irreversible.

The homeowners who lose that time are the ones who wait, assume nothing can be done, or try to negotiate with the lender alone.

Foreclosure Defense Options at Aronow Law

Loan Modifications — Change the Terms, Keep the Home



A loan modification restructures the terms of your existing mortgage — reducing the interest rate, extending the loan term, or deferring arrears — to bring your monthly payment to a level you can sustain. Lenders are legally required to negotiate in good faith under New York law, but homeowners who approach that process without an attorney routinely find their applications lost, delayed, or denied without explanation. With legal representation, the negotiation carries weight the lender cannot simply ignore.

Mandatory Settlement Conferences — The Court-Supervised Negotiation Process

Under CPLR § 3408, every residential foreclosure in New York triggers a mandatory settlement conference process — a court-supervised series of meetings between the homeowner and the lender, held in front of a judge or referee. Lenders are required to attend, negotiate in good faith, and respond to modification applications under penalty of sanctions. This process creates leverage that does not exist in a private negotiation. Aronow Law represents homeowners throughout the conference process and holds lenders to the obligations the statute imposes.

Short Sales — A Controlled Exit When Keeping the Home Is Not the Goal

When a homeowner owes more on the property than it is worth, or when keeping the home is no longer the right outcome, a properly negotiated short sale allows the property to be sold for less than the outstanding mortgage balance — with the lender's approval and, in many cases, forgiveness of the remaining deficiency. A properly structured short sale avoids a foreclosure judgment on the public record and ends the process on terms the homeowner has agreed to, rather than terms imposed by a court.

Foreclosure Litigation — When the Lender Has Not Followed the Law

Lenders and loan servicers make procedural errors. They fail to follow proper notice requirements. They misapply payments. They pursue foreclosure on loans with active modification applications in violation of New York's dual tracking prohibition. When lenders have not complied with the legal requirements governing the foreclosure process, Aronow Law litigates those failures directly — raising defenses, filing motions, and holding servicers accountable through the court.

When Bankruptcy Is the Right Foreclosure Defense Tool

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is one of the most powerful tools available to a homeowner facing foreclosure — and it is frequently underused because most foreclosure defense attorneys do not file bankruptcy. Filing Chapter 13 triggers an automatic stay that immediately halts any foreclosure proceeding, then allows the homeowner to repay mortgage arrears over a three-to-five-year court-supervised plan while staying current on ongoing payments.



For homeowners who have income but have fallen behind due to a job loss, medical event, or temporary disruption, Chapter 13 can produce an outcome that neither a loan modification nor a short sale can: keeping the home, curing the arrears over time, and exiting the process with a mortgage that is current.

Aronow Law handles both foreclosure defense and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Clients do not need a separate firm to access this option.

Why Homeowners Who Negotiate With Lenders

Alone Lose Ground

The most common story clients bring to Aronow Law about loan modification is the same: they submitted the application, the bank acknowledged receipt, then called weeks later asking for the same documents again. The process repeated two, three, four times. Months passed. The foreclosure moved forward.



This is not accidental. Loan servicers operate under no obligation to move quickly when there is no one holding them to a legal standard. Under CPLR § 3408, the mandatory settlement conference process creates that standard — lenders must negotiate in good faith, respond to applications, and appear before the court. An attorney who understands that process uses it to compel the response the lender has been avoiding.

Frequently Asked Questions About Foreclosure Defense in New York

A Foreclosure Notice Is a Starting Point. Let's Map Your Options.

If you have received a foreclosure notice, a summons, or a notice of default on your Long Island home, the time to act is now — not after the next court date. Aronow Law serves Nassau County and Suffolk County homeowners from the firm's office in Woodbury, NY. The consultation is free, has no time limit, and covers every option available to your specific situation.