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37 out there on mortgages that will need to move through the system. As Tony mentioned, there are vacant and abandoned properties that still need to move through the system. ere are a lot of defaulted loans that must move through the system. e headwinds I see are managing all of that: finding quality staff and having the time to adequately train them. We're going to have to ramp up with additional employees. We're going to have a lot of additional costs being advanced that the firms are going to have to deal with. We're going to have to deal with court systems that are backlogged. You're going to have to deal with third-party vendors, too: title searchers, process servers, or other critical vendors who downsized significantly in the last 24 months. ey're going to have to ramp up, and we're very reliant upon them for title searches. When they get inundated with orders in January, will they be able to properly fulfil those orders? I am optimistic about the future of the industry in 2022, but I do think that January and February are going to be incredibly busy. One of the biggest challenges is finding quality staff right now. We are moving to upgrade our firm trainings in every area. We're going over everything with our staff, from new Fair Debt rules to CFPB issues, to mortgage servicing and regulations, to just going back and retraining everyone on the foreclosure process, because there's been a lot of areas that have been dormant for the last 20 months. We want to make sure our staff is prepared and ready to go for the new year. Van Ness: Basically, we're kind of stretching our legs coming out of a coma for two years. We're going to have to deal with moving forward again, how much staff we're going to need. We just don't know. Some people think it's going to be in avalanche of files; some of us think it's not going to be quite as much. I've also heard that there will be initial bursts, yes, but then it's going to slow down dramatically, because there's not as much in default as you might think. As far as the clients are concerned, they have the same challenges we do. ey're concerned about exceeding expectations of the CFPB and others in regard to compliance to include Regulation F. We also had the Fair Debt case that came out, centering around having third-party mailing companies sending out correspondence. We have some new stuff out there that's concerning, and you may have to adjust your practice accordingly, so we have to address that. Finally, are there any initiatives or areas of focus that you're going to be pushing the League toward heavily this year? Van Ness: Well, this is a great thing about Steve and I, because we're both very close friends and we both bring different things and objectives to the table. For me, I'm looking forward to using the resources of the Five Star to get a good CLE (continuing legal education) program out there, so it's easy for members to get CLE credits. I think that would be a real value add for our membership. Our whole goal is to attract attorney members and provide an added value. We are also looking to add new events for networking outside of the Spring and Fall Summits. Hladik: Let me say that, first, it is an absolute privilege to serve as the Chair for our members and for this industry. It's been a rewarding experience already and I'm looking forward to a bright '22. It's truly a pleasure to work with Tony, who has been so active and brings so much to the group. It's great working with him on these challenging issues that the industry faces. As far as 2022, I believe in setting the bar high, and I want to see an increase in the membership for our organization. First and foremost, let's grow our membership. ere's strength in numbers, so let's grow our base. Two, let's build on our advocacy. Let's be the best advocate out there for the member firms and the mortgage servicing industry. ird, let's provide the highest level of educational opportunities for our servicers and our members. Let's continue that advocacy and promote that education to our industry. And again, let's provide the highest level of live events; that's a continuing theme. Let's have the best Spring Servicer Summit that we've had. e more you can connect and the more you can meet in-person at those kinds of events, it helps not just from a marketing standpoint but it increases your connection to the industry and how we can work together. Our goal is to provide the best membership experience for our members and also assist the mortgage servicing community. "I believe in setting the bar high and I want to see an increase in the membership for our organization. First and foremost, let's grow our membership." —Legal League Chair Stephen M. Hladik