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New foreclosure case filings in Ohio courts continued to increase in 2007, according to the latest Ohio Courts Summary released today by the Supreme Court of Ohio.
General division courts of common pleas saw a 5 percent increase in foreclosure cases – a total of 83,230 new filings – in 2007, which also represents a 280 percent increase since 1997.
To help courts manage this burden, the Supreme Court unveiled a model foreclosure mediation program earlier this year that can be used to resolve some of the many foreclosure cases. The goal is to give individuals involved in foreclosure cases the same access to mediation that has been regularly provided in other types of civil cases for over a decade.
The 11-step model program, which includes processes, forms and other documents, focuses on residential foreclosure cases and contains options to enable courts to make modifications based on available mediation resources while also meeting the needs of their communities.
The mediation program represents one part of the Save the Dream foreclosure prevention effort, a coordinated response by the state to help Ohioans remain in their homes.
The Ohio Courts Summary is published each spring and provides a retrospective overview of the activity in Ohio’s courts – from municipal and county courts to the Supreme Court – including statistics about caseloads, case terminations and clearance rates. Mayor’s courts’ statistics are published in a separate report, which will be released later this year.
“Tracking court statistics at all levels through the Ohio Courts Summary enables court leaders to devote resources appropriately and efficiently,” said Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer. “The report also informs Ohio’s citizens as to how their court system is serving them.”
Other notable statistics from the report include:
The Ohio Courts Summary contains detailed caseload data, including a complete breakdown of the various types of cases appearing before various courts, such as domestic relations and juvenile courts. In addition, the report includes clearance rate statistics – a performance measure that compares the number of cases filed during the year to the number of cases terminated during the same year. Information contained in the Ohio Courts Summary is provided to the Supreme Court on a monthly basis by all courts except for courts of appeals and probate courts, which provide statistics on a quarterly basis.
To access the data contained in the summary, visit the court’s Web site at:
http://www.supremecourtofohio.gov/publications/annrep/07OCS.
Contact: Chris Davey or Bret Crow at 614.387.9250.