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.
Saturday, August 04, 2012
Casualty Insurer Drags Feet Addressing Damage Claim As Frightened Homeowners Witness Mother Nature Swallow Up Family Home
In Bartow, Florida, ABC Action News reports:
Almost on a daily basis, Heather and James Williams find a new crack or a new gaping hole in their house. For the last eight months, the family has lived in a home that appears to be sitting on a sinkhole. As the problem worsens, they’ve seen pieces of wall and ceiling begin to crumble to the ground. [...] The cracks have gotten so bad that in some parts of the house, you can see clear into the backyard.
As frustrating as the problem is, the bigger battle is now with their insurance. The Williams’ filed a claim back in December, but they say the company kept dragging their feet.
After getting so fed up, they hired attorney, Brad Stewart from Frost Van den Boom & Smith in Bartow. “By the time they came to me, there had been no attempts by the insurance company to determine whether the house was being damaged by a sinkhole,” he said.
***
“Sadly I see this kind of thing happen a lot,” he said. Stewart admits he’s biased, but his advice is to hire an attorney because he’s seen how companies will purposely try to overwhelm customers.
The Williams’ are waiting to see what will happen with their claim. They don’t have the money to move out. “Personally, I don’t want to stay here,” said Heather Williams. “I’m scared.”
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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