January 27, 2012

In May 2009, foreclosure reform legislation was enacted to address two major obstacles inhibiting lenders and borrowers from working out loan modifications. It provided an avenue for lenders to reach out and engage borrowers and offered the borrowers an opportunity to sit down with the lenders to attempt to modify their mortgage loan. If the borrower requests a meeting to attempt to achieve a loan modification, there would be a 90 day "freeze" on the foreclosure proceedings. The lender would serve written notice to the borrower with information outlining the new law. The notice would also include:

• The reasons the mortgage is in default and the total amount that is unpaid.
• The contact information for the mortgage holder and servicer (the lender) and which is the appropriate entity to contact.
• A list of housing counselors from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and information regarding their ability to request a meeting with the housing counselor and lender to attempt to work out a loan modification to avoid foreclosure.

This law was essential in helping many families stay in their homes. As written, it was set to expire on January 5, 2012, leaving uncertainty for struggling families and lenders alike.

An extension was recently passed by the Legislature with full bi-partisan support and signed into law as Public Act 302 of 2011.  It ensures that these important safe guards for homeowners and lenders will stay intact. Effective February 1, 2012 the existing law is extended until December 31, 2012. The new version also provides deadlines for certain actions pertaining to both the borrower and the lender within the existing 90 day timeframe. It ensures that the redemption periods for residential property with three acres or more is consistent with that of property with less than three acres. Further, during the redemption period following a foreclosure sale of property, the borrower may be liable to the purchaser, for physical injury to the property (beyond wear and tear resulting from the normal use of the property) if the physical injury is caused by or at the direction of the borrower.

This extension was critical in providing Michigan homeowners with an outlet in the event of a foreclosure. If you or someone you know is struggling to make mortgage payments on time, act quickly and contact a lender as soon as possible. For additional help, you may also contact MHSDA at 866-946-7432.

If you would like to view the recently enacted legislation, please visit www.legislature.mi.gov.

January 20, 2012--

The following is an editorial written by State Representative Barb Byrum (D-Onondaga). If you have questions about this commentary, please contact Rep. Byrum's office by calling (517) 373-0587.

On Wednesday, the Governor gave his second State of the State address, his annual report on how our state is doing and his agenda for the year ahead.

I believe that last year was extremely detrimental to all Michigan citizens. There are fewer teachers in the classrooms, fewer police officers on the streets and fewer dollars in the pockets of our working families. This is a direct result of the Governor's agenda and budget from 2011.

Last year we saw the legislature slash education funding by over $1 billion when no cut was needed and the School Aid Fund was posting a surplus. These cuts were shortsighted and ignored a simple truth – we cannot bring Michigan back if we fail to properly educate our kids. In this interconnected global economy, those who would cut education to balance our budget in the short term fail to realize that our children will be competing for jobs with their counterparts from New York, Tokyo, Berlin and Shanghai. Our students deserve a world-class education that will prepare them for a 21st century economy.

In fact, according to the Governor's own education dashboard, fewer third graders are mastering reading skills, more schools are failing to make academic progress, and there has been a 40 percent increase in schools in financial trouble.

I was happy to hear the Governor mention the need to focus on public safety. Unfortunately, this is a problem largely created by legislation passed last year. The complete elimination of revenue sharing and other cuts to local government has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses and less funding available for local police and fire services.

At this critical time in our history, we need all hands on deck and true leadership to make sure that our economy moves forward, that we are giving our kids the best possible education, and that our citizens are protected, Michigan's hard-working residents deserve nothing less!

While there were very few details from the Governor on what direction he would like to take the state in 2012, I am hopeful that we will focus on working together to restore the devastating and unnecessary cuts of 2011 and that we will work together to create sound policies that truly benefit the citizens. I am hopeful that the surplus that was created on the backs of working families, schools and a tax on seniors' retirement income will be returned and not go to further line the pockets of wealthy corporations.

January 13, 2012--

The following is an editorial written by State Representative Barb Byrum (D-Onondaga). If you have questions about this commentary, please contact Rep. Byrum's office by calling (517) 373-0587.

For the past several months, rural telephone companies in Michigan – and across the country – have been experiencing call completion problems, and as a result, rural customers may have delayed or dropped calls.

Traditionally, rural areas are more expensive to serve. Therefore, certain carriers either refuse to transport calls on certain rural telephone companies' networks or they route the call in a way to try to minimize the cost, this is commonly referred to as 'least cost routing.' Many complainants mistakenly put the blame on the rural local exchange provider that is terminating the call when the issue actually arises from the route the call takes before it gets to the rural provider who connects it to the customer.

Least cost routing has led to poorer service quality for customers. In fact, rural telephone service providers have reported a 2000 percent increase in call completion problems between April 2010 and March 2011 according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Some issues reported by customers include:

• The calling party will hear ringing but the called party hears nothing

• The called party’s phone rings but hears dead air when the call is answered

• Extremely poor quality on answerable calls

• The caller ID display is inaccurate or misleading

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) together with the FCC and the rural telephone's national association, are working to resolve the issue. In the meantime if you are experiencing these issues there are steps you should take immediately.

First contact your provider to let them know that you are experiencing problems. If you know the person calling you whose calls are not going through correctly, have them contact their provider to make a complaint.

Also, you may file a complaint with the FCC online at fcc.gov/complaints or by calling 888-CALL-FCC. You may contact the MPSC's Service Quality Division, to assist you in filing a complaint with the FCC, by calling 800-292-9555 or online at www.Michigan.gov/mpsc.

January 6, 2012--

The following is an editorial by State Representative Barb Byrum (D-Onondaga). If you have any questions about this article, please contact Rep. Byrum's office by calling (517) 373-0587.

With 2011 in the rear-view mirror, 2012 presents an opportunity to start the new-year off on the right foot. Whether your 2011 was filled with good memories or bad; now is the perfect time to start fresh in working towards new goals and accomplishments. Rather than dwelling on the past, it's important to view this new-year as an opportunity to better yourself by focusing on what you can do, not what you can't. Setting a New Year's resolution is a great place to start.

New Year's resolutions always start off with the best intentions, but if you are like most people they tend to fizzle quickly by the end of January. That can be expected though - change is difficult, inconvenient and sometimes uncomfortable. But if you stick with it, your resolution can quickly become a habit and a regular part of your life. Forming good, healthy habits can be one of the best ways to keep your spirits up, your mind focused, and your expectations high.

It usually takes between 20 and 30 days to form a new habit. Whether you are hoping to eat healthier, socialize more, become more computer savvy or get more exercise, here are a few tips to help you turn your resolution into a healthy habit.

Set realistic goals. While it is good to set challenging goals, they should not be unattainable. If you want to become more familiar with computers, do not try to transform yourself into a tech-wiz in one month. Take small steps, such as taking a week or two to learn to use e-mail or social networking sites, and then move on to your next goal.

Keep a balance. If your resolution is to stay in shape, do not take it to the extreme by over exercising and not eating. It is not good to have too much of one thing and too little of another – doing so will do more harm than good and create unneeded stress. Plus, it will make your routine less enjoyable, and therefore less likely to become a habit.

Stay flexible. One of the easiest ways to form a new habit is to do it at the same time of the day, every day. While planning to exercise at the same time every day will help ensure success, it is not always the most convenient option. As long as you can set aside a block of time each day to exercise, you will be well on your way to making it a regular part of your day.

Remember that everyone makes mistakes. It might take almost 30 days to form your new habit, but do not throw in the towel if you miss a day or two. Just pick up where you left off and keep working toward your goal.

I hope these tips help you establish your New Year's resolution and achieve your goals. No matter what your plans are for the coming year, I wish you all the best for a healthy and successful 2012!