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.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
C. Florida Woman Named In F'closure Of Home She Sold 15+ Years Ago; Blames Problem On Title Company Screw-Up, Bank Attorney's Failure To Amend Filing
In Clearwater, Florida, The Tampa Tribune reports:
Deloris Bell sold her house in 1995, so she was shocked when in March a bank filed for foreclosure on the house and named her in the lawsuit.
She said she called the attorney's office handing the foreclosure and was told not to worry. "I called and the guy said, 'It's just an error, just file for a new deed, and we'll correct it and take your name out of the paperwork,'" Bell said.
Bell called her title company and filed for the new deed right away. But two months later, more court filings showed up, and her name was still listed as a defendant. The attorney's office again said it was an oversight.
"He said, 'Oh, not a problem, I see it right here, it's on the computer, it's been corrected. We'll take your name off,'" Bell said. That was in June, but her name was still on the lawsuit.
Lawsuits like Bell's, real estate experts say, illustrate the complexity of foreclosure and how innocent people can get pulled into someone else's financial trouble. When Bell sold her home, the title company made an error on the deed. She should have been dropped from the suit as soon as the deed was filed.
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[A]fter inquires from The Tampa Tribune and News Channel 8, Bell said she got good news. "The attorney called and said they're dropping me from the suit," she said. "I'm so relieved."
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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