The Supreme Court of Ohio - Supreme Court - State of Ohio

The Chief Justice called on all Ohio judges with jurisdiction over foreclosure cases to use
the model in their courtrooms by modifying the model to meet the needs and resources
of their communities. The Supreme Court also offered free assistance to local courts to
implement the model and provide public education and training specific to foreclosure
cases.
“We are providing the tools to facilitate the use of mediation at the local level in resolving
foreclosure cases,” Moyer said, “giving these cases the same access to mediation that has
been regularly available in other types of civil cases for more than a decade.”
In March 2008, the Supreme Court joined efforts with the statewide anti-forclosure
program, Save the Dream, as the Ohio Department of Commerce launched a public
awareness campaign of radio and television advertisements, a Web site and a telephone
hot line to provide callers with information and access to an approved housing counselor.
Ohio’s extraordinary multi-agency foreclosure assistance program consolidated numerous
state resources and programs related to foreclosure into one program for citizens to access
for assistance.
Other Save the Dream partners include: Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and the Ohio Department of
Development, Ohio Attorney
General Richard Cordray’s
office, Ohio Treasurer of State
Kevin Boyce’s office, the Ohio
Housing Finance Agency, the
Ohio State Bar Association,
the Ohio State Legal Services
Association, local housing
counseling agencies and local
legal aid organizations.
Ohio’s efforts to address its
foreclosure crisis were noted
by scholars and experts across
the country, as well as by other
states. An April 16 report by
The Pew Charitable Trusts
ranked Ohio’s foreclosure
response as one of the
three best in the country.
During the Save the Dream launch event, William Wheeler,
executive director of the Dayton Bar Association (middle),
listens as attendees discuss the initiative.
In addition, U.S. News & World Report, in an April 21 story, labeled Ohio’s foreclosure
prevention program as one of the country’s “most ambitious.”
The Court also received numerous inquiries from other states interested in following the
Ohio model. By the end of 2008, the Court’s Dispute Resolution staff provided assistance in
foreclosure mediation to 15 other states.
2008 Annual Report • The Supreme Court of Ohio
19
Clerk's division
Office of the Clerk
Case Mediation Section