| New law extends foreclosure notification period
A new state law provides a 90-day cooling off period for Massachusetts homeowners facing the prospect of foreclosure. The law, which took effect last Thursday, requires that lenders give borrowers 90 days after a notice of delinquency to resolve their debt. The previous law required only 30 days’ notice. Gov. Deval Patrick says the new rules are aimed at avoiding unnecessary foreclosures and allowing more people to stay in their homes. He’s asking lenders to use the 90-day period to restructure as many loans as possible. As of July 1, the new law will also require the licensing of all mortgage loan originators. A recent report by the Warren Group, a Boston-based publisher of real estate data, said foreclosure deeds in Massachusetts more than doubled last month compared with the same month a year ago. Patrick taps corrections vet to head criminal information board
Gov. Deval Patrick is appointing a veteran corrections official to head the state’s Criminal History Systems Board. Curtis Wood of Winthrop had served as the board’s deputy executive director since 2002 before the governor announced his elevation to executive director last Thursday. Wood now oversees a $6.3 million budget and is responsible for Criminal Offender Record Information services — known as CORI information — as well as the Criminal Justice Information System and the daily operation of the agency. Wood previously was the commanding officer of the Department of Correction Fugitive Apprehension Unit and the Governor’s Warrant Task Force. | 
