An Associated Press story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution highlights a Florida attorney who has developed a stall tactic that has mortgage servicers wanting to foreclose on homes scrambling to find documentation that proves they in fact own the loan. Homeowners across the country have used the legal move to delay or stop foreclosure proceedings and stay in their homes.

After being served with foreclosure notice, the homeowner files with the court seeking proof of the lien by asking that the lender produce the original mortgage paperwork.

Since the paperwork is often stored in dedicated facilities, it may take weeks or even months to find the documentation delaying the foreclosure. Sometimes, mortgage lenders have been unable to produce the documentation of the loan and the foreclosure is stopped by the courts.

Since the foreclosure process in Georgia is much quicker than in some parts of the country, it requires that homeowners be on top of their situation. Knowing you have missed a couple of mortgage payments, you need to be on the lookout for a notice in your local paper and anything that may be sent to you in the mail regarding a foreclosure.

If your financial situation has deteriorated to the point that you are struggling to make your housepayment, you should talk to a Georgia bankruptcy attorney about your options.