Homeowners who were foreclosed on in 2009 and 2010 and believe they were financially harmed in the process by errors and misrepresentations now have more time to request a free review of their case.

The deadline to request a free Independent Foreclosure Review has been extended again to Dec. 31, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency jointly announced Thursday.

This is the third extension by federal bank regulators.

The extension gives more time to increase awareness about the Independent Foreclosure Review and how eligible borrowers can request one, and to encourage as much participation as possible, according to the announcement.

More than 18,900 Miami Valley homeowners could be eligible for the review because that’s how many foreclosure cases were filed in 2009 and 2010 in local courts in Champaign, Clark, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Warren counties.

At stake is $500 to $125,000 in lump sum cash payments, as well as corrections to credit reports and rescinded foreclosures if a case is found to have been done improperly.

Efforts to reach eligible borrowers have been criticized for not doing more to test readability of documents, work with consumer groups, communicate to non-English speakers, analyze response rates and spell out the financial remediation available, according to a report released publicly July 5 by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. However, the same report said outreach has improved over the last year.

To request a review, go online to www.independentforeclosurereview.com or call (888) 952-9105.

Fourteen mortgage servicers were ordered in April 2011 to off the review, among other actions, as the result of an investigation into foreclosure abuses by their regulators.