Florida Attorney Faces Discipline For Allegedly Pocketing Surplus Foreclosure Cash Belonging To Clients

In Central Florida, the Ocala Star Banner reports:

• A Florida Bar referee will recommend that Orlando attorney Norman Sanders Moss be permanently disbarred for allegedly stealing money owed his clients, including a Marion County man. Referee Alan A. Dickey, who conducted the disciplinary proceedings in June, found Moss guilty of violating the Bar's rules regulating trust accounts. The matter now goes before the Bar's Board of Governors' July 23 to 27.

• Moss, a 64-year-old retired Orlando attorney, allegedly absconded with a total of $107,000 of surplus foreclosure money owed to five clients, including $31,453.10 belonging to Nicolas Cabrera, Jr. of Marion County.

Surplus foreclosure money is simply the excess of the proceeds paid by a buyer for property sold at a foreclosure sale over the amount necessary to pay off the amount owed to the foreclosing lender. These overages were quite common in foreclosure sales during the recent real estate boom period; they're a lot less common now.

For more, see Lawyer may be disbarred for role in foreclosures.