Hennepin County Taxpayer Services, in conjunction with the Minnesota Home Ownership Center, has been conducting free public foreclosure information workshops at county libraries over the past few months. For those who haven't been able to attend, a video of the workshop is now available on the Hennepin County website - http://hennepinmn.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=12.
The workshops help residents - including homeowners facing or worried about foreclosure, and renters affected by landlords' foreclosures - to understand the foreclosure process, their rights, and how they can find assistance. The workshop includes information about the foreclosure process, homeowners' and tenants' rights, foreclosure counseling, working with your lender, assistance and other related topics.
The first workshops were held in Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis, Crystal, Richfield and Brooklyn Park. The three remaining workshops: Saturday, Nov. 1, 1:30-3 p.m. at Pierre Bottineau Library, 55 Broadway St. N.E.; Wednesday, Nov. 12, 6:30-8 p.m. at Golden Valley Library, 830 Winnetka Ave. N.; and Tuesday, Dec. 2, 6:30-8 p.m. at Brooklyn Park Library, 8600 Zane Ave. N.
Information and assistance for distressed homeowners is available from the Minnesota Home Ownership Center at 651-659-9336, toll-free at 1-866-462-6466, or at hocmn.org. The center also is offering telephone seminars on foreclosure - the next one is Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 7 to 8 p.m. Call 1-888-886-6603 for info.
Foreclosures in Hennepin County increased by 82 percent from 2005 to 2006 and by 84 percent from 2006 to 2007. So far in 2008 there have been 5,798 foreclosures - a 26-percent increase over 2007 - compared to 1,670 in 2005.