Summary of the Ohio Supreme Court's
Proposed Mediation Program

Return to Predatory Lending: Developments and Pending Litigation

On Thursday, November 8, 2007, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, Ohio Attorney Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Moyer first outlined a new initiative to encourage foreclosure lawsuits to be mediated before any suit is filed. This pilot project was to begin in Cuyahoga, Montgomery, and Franklin Counties, and the possibility of a statewide program is being discussed as foreclosure dockets continue to increase.

In February, Ohio Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer announced an 11-step foreclosure mediation model to help manage the exploding numbers of foreclosures across the State. According to the Ohio Supreme Court, this foreclosure model is the first of its kind across the nation. The program was developed by the Ohio Supreme Court's Dispute Resolution Section and Advisory Committee, which included judges, magistrates, mediators, attorneys, legal aid representatives, educators, mortgage bankers, and homeowners' representatives.

In Delaware County, where foreclosures make up nearly 1/3 of the county's civil docket, the court has already adopted the Ohio Supreme Court's 11-step model for foreclosure mediation. Thus far, 24 of Ohio's 88 counties - including Franklin County, Union County, and many of the larger counties across the state - are in the process of implementing or have adopted a mediation program.