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 11, 2012
Indictments Filed Against Pair Accused Of Duping Homeowners Into Giving Up Control Of Homes To Avoid F'closure, Illegally Snatching Vacant Homes
In Denver, Colorado, The Denver Post reports:
The Denver Grand Jury has indicted two men in connection with a series of real-estate scams targeting homeowners facing foreclosure and Spanish-speaking would-be homebuyers.
Alfonso Carrillo, 50, and his associate Rudy Breda, 53, are charged with violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act and face multiple counts of theft, burglary and criminal trespass. Carrillo is charged with 18 counts and Breda with 10 counts.
The indictment, filed in Denver District Court [], alleges that Carrillo found homeowners facing foreclosure and, for a nominal fee, persuaded them to give him control of the properties. He misrepresented it as a way to avoid foreclosure. Carrillo and Breda would then allegedly sell the properties using phony documents.
The charges also allege that the duo would illegally gain access to empty homes, taking thousands of dollars in payments from unsuspecting buyers. Once the buyers were discovered by mortgage lenders or the actual property owners, they were forced to vacate the properties. Carrillo and Breda allegedly targeted Spanish-speaking homebuyers who were often undocumented, according to the indictment.
Arrest warrants have been issued for both men, with bail set at $750,000 for Carrillo and $20,000 for Breda. Carrillo already faces multiple felony counts of theft and forgery, but the earlier charges will be dismissed. The next court date for Carrillo and Breda has not been set.
The indictment also alleges Jose Caraveo, 39, and Veronica Fernandez-Beleta, 40, broke into a home and remained there unlawfully from April 2011 to this month. They are charged with first-degree criminal trespass and second-degree burglary.
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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