Governor approves millions to speed up foreclosure cases

Palm Beach County, Fla. - Governor Rick Scott has approved millions of dollars in emergency funding to help clear some of the hundreds of thousand of foreclosure cases currently making their way through Florida courts.

The governor was warned by the Florida Supreme Court that the massive backlog of foreclosure cases could get much bigger without this $14 million.

Floridians faced with losing a home to foreclosure could see an end to their troubles sooner than expected thanks to the financial boost.

The money is intended to help wrap up more than 322 thousand foreclosure cases statewide. More than 29 thousand of those cases are in Palm Beach County.

"It's going to speed up the foreclosure process", said bankruptcy attorney Norman Schroeder. Schroeder said foreclosure cases take more time for judges, clerks and case managers than most other lawsuits.

Governor Scott's approval of emergency funding for courts on Tuesday is intended to help wipe out the foreclosure backlog quicker.

Like many Palm Beach County neighborhoods, Suzanne Morrow's street is on the front lines of foreclosure.

"The grass is overgrown. It's not being taken care of. If somebody came in and took care of it and cleaned it all up it would be a lot better for all of us in this neighborhood", said Morrow.

The Palm Beach County clerk says foreclosure filings were down seventy percent this February compared to the same month in 2010. However, Clerk Sharon Bock believes this is just a lull and that a new wave of filings - and possibly a bigger backlog - could soon be on the way.