Welcome to The Home Equity Theft Reporter, a blog dedicated to informing the consumer public and the legal profession about Home Equity Theft issues. This blog will consist of information describing the various forms of Home Equity Theft and links to news reports & other informational sources from throughout the country about the victims of Home Equity Theft and what government authorities and others are doing about it.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Scammer Gets 18 Months For Running Loan Modification Ripoff That Fleeced 80+ Homeowners Out Of $250K
From the Office of the U.S. Attorney (St. Louis, Missouri):
Marien Brown was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and ordered to pay approximately $250,000 restitution for falsely representing that she operated a “mortgage rescue” or “foreclosure rescue” service.
According to court documents, Brown, 42, Wentzville, Mo., also known as Marien White, owned and operated 1st Financial Resource, LLC, (First Financial) from September 2008 until March 2009, at which time the business became known as 1st Federal Resource, LLC (First Federal).
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Brown researched and identified groups of vulnerable homeowners in Hawaii that were one or more mortgage payments behind, or were in imminent risk of home foreclosure, and sent out a large number of unsolicited mailings to prospective clients claiming that she operated a “mortgage rescue” or foreclosure rescue” service.
More than eighty clients responded to her mailings and wired funds to First Federal. Brown converted these funds to her own use. None of the client funds were ever sent to lenders. [...] Her scheme resulted in losses of approximately $250,000.
CBC News: Betrayal of Trust (A CBC investigation reveals how lawyers across Canada have misappropriated and mishandled clients money, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars, or sometimes even charging vulnerable people top dollar for shoddy services)
Land Contract/Contract For Deed/Rent-To-Own Rackets
The New York Times: The Housing Trap (In the wake of the housing crisis, low-income families have turned to seller financing to buy homes but these deals can be a money trap)
Beware The Fine Print: Consumers Forced To Sign Away Their Rights To Use Court System
The NY Times: Arbitration Everywhere, Stacking the Deck of Justice(Part 1 in series examining how clauses buried in tens of millions of contracts have deprived Americans of one of their most fundamental constitutional rights: their day in court)
Foreclosure Mills' Abysmal Record In Complying With New NYS Foreclosure Requirements
Justice Deceived: How Large Foreclosure Firms Subvert State Regulations Protecting Homeowners
MFY Legal Services Report On Questionable Practices By Process Servers In Debt Collection Cases
Justice Disserved: A Preliminary Analysis of the Exceptionally
Low Appearance Rate by Defendants in Lawsuits Filed in the Civil Court of the City of New York
Mortgage Mess Redux: Robo-Signers Return (A Reuters investigation finds that many banks are still employing the controversial foreclosure practices that sparked a major outcry last year)
CNN Video: As Foreclosures Mount, Florida Court Turns To 'Rocket Docket'
The Wall Street Journal: A Florida Court's 'Rocket Docket' Blasts Through Foreclosure Cases (2 Questions, 15 Seconds, 45 Days to Get Out; 'What's to Talk About?' Says a Judge)
"Produce The Note" Strategy When Dealing With Missing Promissory Notes In Foreclosure Actions
ABC Video: Fighting Against Foreclosure (Some homeowners have found a new tactic to keep the banks at bay)
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