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51 were now officially on the other side of the business as the vendor owner. It is a unique position because we have an idea what the servicing client expects from us, but that can be annoying and overstepping too. A key focus of foreclosure departments in the late '90s and first decade of the millennium was the "first legal date." is was more imperative on FHA loans due to the potential of "curtailment"; however, this extended to conventional loans as well, requiring the filing of the complaint/petition within five days from referral received. I highlight the "First Legal" issue because we can all relate to this throughout the country in both judicial and nonjudicial states. It is symbolic of how the law firms adjusted to industry priorities. In 2009, the Florida Supreme Court created a Foreclosure Task Force to address issues it saw with the practice of foreclosures. As a result, they amended the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure. Starting February 2010, foreclosure complaints had to be sworn under penalty of perjury by the lender that all the facts stated herein are true. ey made the express threat that they are doing this to sanction the lenders. A few years later, the requirement to certify actual possession of the original note in a separate instrument was added. Nowadays, filing a complaint has gone from a simple, unsworn pleading that can be filed within a day or two to an investor-sworn document that includes multiple exhibits to include power of attorneys, assignments, note, and endorsement, along with a signed certification of original note possession. As an added bonus, the complaint-filing fees for foreclosures specifically changed. When we opened the firm in 2004, it cost $278 to file any foreclosure case. Now, the overwhelming majority of foreclosure cases fall under the $995-1,995 filing fee category, which does not include extra fees for recording, re-opening, indexing, etc. In the early 2000s, the center of the default world was California—specifically Orange County with New Century, Bank of America, Countrywide, Ameriquest, and others. A decade later, there was a shift to Texas and the Carolinas, mostly in the Dallas area. Conference locations changed accordingly. ere are definitely (and sadly) fewer conferences in Vegas or other locations that may have an image that can be portrayed negatively by the media. Overall, I think the industry has improved for the better. Although there still remains a need for efficiency and diligence, everyone understands there is a need to be thorough, precise, and without any shortcuts which can lead to problems. J. Anthony Van Ness is Founder and Managing Partner of Van Ness Law Firm, a Florida default and litigation law firm with locations in Deerfield Beach and Miami. e firm has represented national mortgage lenders and servicers since 2004, making it one of the older default firms serving Florida and likely the only certified, African American one. e firm has won several performance awards over the years and takes pride in becoming Fannie Mae-retained counsel in 2010 (until program ended). Van Ness serves on multiple boards for trade, associations, and charity. 51