The Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School has released a Know Your Rights video series consisting of 97 videos informing residents of Massachusetts their legal rights when faced with foreclosure or eviction. The videos are a product of the Mattapan Initiative — a free legal services anti-foreclosure and eviction defense program created in 2013 in response to the foreclosure crisis that ravaged the Mattapan section of Boston, as well as other low-income neighborhoods throughout Massachusetts. The Mattapan Initiative and the Know Your Rights video series were funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

The aim of the video series is to educate Massachusetts residents regarding their legal rights when faced with foreclosure, or the threat of displacement due to foreclosure or eviction. The series includes videos on legal issues pertaining to: Basic Tenant Rights, Loan Modifications, Bankruptcy as it Relates to Foreclosure, Eviction Summary Process for Former Homeowners, Eviction Summary Process for Tenants as well as FAQ videos for homeowners and tenants facing foreclosure or eviction.

Attorney Roger Bertling, Director of the Mattapan Initiative and Director of the Consumer Protection/Predatory Lending Clinic at the Legal Services Center, says

we created these videos in hope that they’ll be used as a resource for distressed homeowners. The mission of the Legal Services Center is to protect the legal rights of the communities we serve, and as an extension of that mission, these videos are available to help people make informed decisions regarding their foreclosure or eviction.

The Know Your Rights videos can be viewed on the Get Legal Help section of this website, as well as on the Legal Services Center’s YouTube channel.

Post-Foreclosure Eviction Summary Process for Former Homeowners

Post-Foreclosure Eviction Summary Process for Tenants

Basic Tenant Rights for Residents of Boston

Loan Modifications and Ways to Avoid Foreclosure

How Bankruptcy Can Help Avoid Foreclosure

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