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, September 03, 2012
Sovereign Citizen Pair Among 4 Targeted By Indianapolis-Area Prosecutor In 3 Separate Cases Involving Alleged Vacant Home Title/Possession Hijackings
In Marion County, Indiana, WRTV-TV Channel 6 reports:
Four people have been charged in a real estate fraud scheme involving bad checks and renting out homes already in foreclosure. The Marion County Prosecutor's Office filed charges [] in connection with three separate cases in which suspects are accused of taking possession of homes that they did not own, and then renting them out for profit, Call 6 Investigator Rafael Sanchez reported.
Shela Amos and Beverly Cannedy, who both worked with the Tertius Malachi & James Youth Foundation, claimed to own six homes and collected $19,000 from victims they purported to sell or rent the homes, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Both Amos and Cannedy identified themselves as so-called sovereign citizens, a growing group of people who consider themselves exempt from obeying state and federal laws.
Amos and Cannedy are each charged with two counts of corrupt business influence, two counts of burglary, six counts of forgery and six counts of theft.
"The individuals who were duped into buying properties, not only are they out the money that they have provided to these defendants, but in the cases where these individuals believed they were buying a home, they actually moved in to the properties, put some work and improvements into the homes and obviously had that emotional investment as well," Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry said. "So clearly, they're victimized."
The second case Willie Hawkins, the former head of the Budget Property Group, who took possession of homes in foreclosure without the owners' consent, according to the affidavit.
Hawkins rented out the homes and told his victims that he would negotiate with the banks to help them purchase the homes, although he never contacted the banks, investigators said. Seven people paid Hawkins nearly $40,000 as part of the scheme involving seven properties, according to the affidavit.
Hawkins is charged with corrupt business influence, two counts of burglary, 10 counts of theft and three counts of evasion of tax.
The third case involves Wendell Brown, also known as Menes Ankh-El, who produced fake deeds and claimed ownership of homes that were vacant, including one he was found living in, investigators said. Brown is charged with five counts of forgery, one count of theft and five counts of intimidation.
"We also have reason to believe that other individuals have been victimized by these schemes, and we encourage citizens who believe they have been victims of fraud to come forward and report it to law enforcement or the Marion County Prosecutor's Office, so we can help prevent future crimes like these from occurring," Curry said.
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)
<< Home