A “cramdown” is jargon used by lenders and bankruptcy lawyers in NYC. It effectively imposes a court-ordered reduction of the balance of a loan for an outstanding asset – oftentimes a car, boat or motor home. And while this type of forced loan modification exists for non-real assets, it historically has excluded real property.

During Spring 2009, legislators fought to pass a bill under the umbrella of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act that would make real property eligible for cramdown modifications – a bold move whose intent was to help stop the glut of foreclosures burdening homeowners throughout America.

Bankruptcy lawyers in NYC followed that cramdown legislation for homes with keen interest, as the proposed legislation wound its way through Congress. Ultimately, it failed in the Senate in a 45-51 vote in April 2009. At the time, most pundits and observers felt that the defeat in the Senate would be the final nail in the coffin for this much-sought-after relief championed by bankruptcy lawyers in NYC and beyond.

Now, however, cramdowns for real property may be on the comeback trail. Initially dismissive of potential attempts to revive the bill in May, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass) told reporters recently that he intends to try to revive the bill, possibly as soon as October.

This is a move hailed by both homeowners and bankruptcy lawyers throughout NYC, as it gives new hope to those at the heart of America’s financial crisis. While big-name banks continue to receive bailouts at taxpayer expense, they have been wont to share the government’s largesse by sincerely working with those homeowners who, month after month, struggle to meet their mortgage obligations.

Supporters of cramdown legislation cite the continued flood of foreclosures on the real estate market, and feel that cramdowns would help stabilize the real estate industry by finding the financial floor in housing prices. Bankruptcy lawyers in NYC also support the measure, because court-ordered modifications could help millions of borrowers who are burdened with mortgage debt be able to keep their homes.

Stay tuned, as this financial Capitol Hill smackdown – “Lenders vs. Homeowners” unfolds. Bankruptcy lawyers in NYC and across the nation now wait to see if special interests will yet again prevail, or if this time struggling homeowners can actually get some much-needed relief.

–