It took years to reach the $25 billion settlement between the nation’s largest lenders and 49 states, but affected homeowners were only given months to claim their piece of the pie.

So this is a reminder to anyone who their home due to foreclosure between Jan. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2011, and whose loans were serviced by any of the following at the time — Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Ally/GMAC, Citi, Bank of America. The deadline to file your claim is Friday, Jan. 18.

If you met the conditions listed below, you should have already received a notice letter in the fall of 2012:
* Your loan went to foreclosure sale between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2011.
* The loan was serviced by one of the five mortgage servicers participating in the settlement.
* The borrower made at least three payments on the loan.
* The borrower lived in or intended to live in the property at the time of origination of the loan.
* The property was a one-to-four unit residential property.
* The unpaid principal balance of the first-lien mortgage loan did not exceed $729,750 for a one-unit property; $934,200 for a two-unit property; $1,129,250 for a three-unit property; or $1,403,400 for a four-unit property.
* The property was not located in Oklahoma, as that state opted out of the settlement.

If for some reason you meet these conditions but did not receive a notice letter, you should contact the National Mortgage Settlement Administrator at 1-866-430-8358.

For those that have the letters but have not filed their claim, they can do so at http://nationalmortgagesettlement.com/.

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