A recent ruling by Florida’s Fifth Court of Appeal, if finalized, will affect any FHA foreclosure case that references the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s mandatory face-to-face interview with borrowers, according to industry attorneys. In Palma v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, Nat’l Ass’n, et al., the state appellate court found that HUD’s face-to-face interview requirement is “a condition precedent to foreclosure” for Florida mortgages that specifically incorporate the HUD regulation. Prior to the decision, no Florida appellate court has held that HUD’s requirement constitutes a condition precedent to foreclosure, according to attorneys with the Richmond, VA, law firm McGuireWoods. “Although this decision is not yet final and rehearing is likely, it has far-reaching impacts on the conditions and evidence required for foreclosure trials throughout Florida and is the ...