Complexity and Change in the Foreclosure Process in Toledo, Ohio

This paper analyzes the characteristics of foreclosure cases in Lucas C ounty, Ohio, from 2004 to 2008. We use a rich source of secondary data to track foreclosure filings through the legal process to their ultimate result in either the loss of a home or the dismissal of the case. We supplement the secondary data with interviews from officials involved in the process and with a discussion of the changes that have occurred during the foreclosure crisis. Our analysis suggests that the process has accelerated slightly despite the increase in cases and that basic interventions have substantially reduced the number of foreclosure filings that eventually result in the loss of a home. Unexpectedly, the characteristics and results of the process seem to vary little across income categories and neighborhoods. In addition, while most foreclosure cases are straightforward in a legal sense, there is evidence of larger trends that are introducing increasing complexity into the process.