Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Atlanta's Largest Foreclosure Mill, Document Processor Among Those Targeted In Federal Robosigner Suit Seeking Class Action Status

In Atlanta, Georgia, WSB-TV Channel 2 reports:
  • A Channel 2 consumer investigation is now the basis for a federal class action lawsuit. Distressed homeowners accuse Atlanta’s largest foreclosure law firm, and its document processor, of fraud and racketeering. Fraud is among the allegations in the lawsuit filed against Prommis Solutions and several employees, foreclosure firm McCalla Raymer and two of its attorneys, and several client lenders.(1)

  • This is wrong; it's fraud,” said homeowner Jeff Crawford, whose wife is named as a plaintiff. Foreclosure of Crawford’s Marietta home is central to the case. “You hear about all this mess going on with foreclosures across the country. This is robo-signing, pure and simple,” he told Channel 2’s Jim Strickland.

  • The lawsuit accuses Prommis Solutions and McCalla Raymer of churning out improperly executed foreclosure documents. A Channel 2 investigation revealed attorney Troy Crouse’s signature on Crawford’s document doesn't match the attorney's own mortgage signature. Channel 2 also uncovered the notary wasn't a notary at the date of signing on the document.

  • Attorney Ebony Ameen said the different signatures occured over and over again. “When you make one mistake that's one thing, but when you make thousands of mistakes, that rises to conduct that's unacceptable,” Ameen said.

  • Ameen is using a Facebook page called Georgia Mortgage Class Action to find other Georgians whose homes were foreclosed who believe their documents are dubious. Prommis said outside auditors are reviewing its procedures. The company told Strickland it has new strict guidelines for notaries, and even a hot line to report irregularities. “Now they may be doing it the correct way. That doesn't cancel out the thousands of times they did it the wrong way,” said Ameen.

Source: Class Action Suit Filed After Channel 2 Document Investigation.

Go here for the WSB-TV Channel 2 video report.

For the lawsuit, see Jenkins, et ano. v. McCalla Raymer LLC, et al.

(1) The defendants named in the lawsuit:

  • McCalla Raymer, LLC,
  • Thomas A. Sears, Esq.,
  • Charles Troy Crouse, Esq.,
  • Merscorp, Inc.,
  • Bank of America, N.A.,
  • BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP,
  • Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.,
  • Prommis Solutions, LLC,
  • Prommis Solutions Holding, Inc,
  • Great Hill Partners, Inc,
  • Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc,
  • Americas Servicing Company,
  • Taylor Bean & Whitaker,
  • Crystal Wilder,
  • Elizabeth Lofaro,
  • Chiquita Raglin,
  • Victoria Marie Allen,
  • Iris Gisella Bey,
  • Jamela Reynolds, and
  • Latasha Daniel.