Administrative Order Impacting Foreclosure Litigation

In the Twelfth Judicial Circuit for Sarasota, Desoto, and Manatee County, a recent administrative order (Administrative Order 2012-3.1) has established anew procedure requiring that two “circuit liaisons” be appointed by any plaintiff having filed five or more foreclosure actions in the circuit. One circuit liaison must be an attorney, and the other a representative of the entity servicing the plaintiff’s mortgages, if any, and, if none, are presentative of the plaintiff. Plaintiff’s counsel must provide a written notice of the name, phone number (including extension), email, and mailing address of both liaisons. A plaintiff’s liaisons are expected to act as the court’s point of contact for all pending foreclosure cases, and must be “capable of answering questions concerning the administrative status of pending cases and the party’s internal procedures relating to the processing of foreclosure cases, and be readily accessible to discuss administrative and logistical issues affecting the progress of the plaintiffs cases through courts of the Twelfth Circuit.” The Administrative Order went into effect January 21, 2012.