Chase is now offering some South Florida homeowners a deal: According to an article on SunSentinel.com, a new program offered by Chase, one of the nations largest lenders, gives borrowers behind on their mortgage payments $10,000 to $20,000 if they’ll agree to a short sale.

This program launched at Chase last fall. Most banks believe they are doing homeowners a favor by simply agreeing to a short sale and forgiving the amount they owe. Now, for some cases, Chase is offering that and cash.

Many lenders will give homeowners a few thousand dollars if they leave their home in good condition after a short sale. However, Chase’s offer seems to be a first for the industry.

While Chase will not reveal the circumstances for which homeowners are being offered the incentive, Chase spokeswoman Nancy Norris explains that Chase is cutting its losses by forgoing the lengthy foreclosure process.

“Our goal is to help as many people avoid foreclosure as possible,” she told the Sun Sentinel, pointing out that the bank has completed more than 110,000 short sales nationwide since early 2009.

Homeowners cannot ask for this incentive, which does not have a formal name; Chase is not revealing how many people have been offered the incentive so far. Norris stresses that it is based on individual circumstances, although she would not give an example of what those are. Norris did reveal, however, that homeowners behind on their payments must call the lender or visit one of its 13 mortgage help centers in Florida.