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.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Oregon Man Pinched On Suspicion Of Hijacking Possession Of Vacant Foreclosures, Then Pocketing Cash From Subsequent Rentals; Suspect Allegedly Used Online Craigslist Ads To Reel In Unwitting Tenants
In Sherwood, Oregon, KPTV Channel 12 reports:
If 40-year-old Jason Dimicelli is your landlord, deputies want to hear from you. Lincoln County deputies say he is responsible for a Craigslist scam that has put renters in multiple counties out of their homes.
Dimicelli was arrested in May for renting out a Newport home without the owner's permission. Further investigation has linked Dimicelli to residential properties in Lincoln, Clatsop, Yamhill and Washington counties.
In Sherwood, Shelly Taylor believes she was a victim of the scam. She had been renting a home there from Dimicelli for only two weeks when she started noticing red flags – the home had no smoke detectors, and basic maintenance had been neglected. Further research showed the home was actually bank-owned.
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Although she only actually lived there two weeks, Taylor says she had already paid Dimicelli $2,000 and done hundreds more in upgrades to the home – including replacing the missing smoke detectors. Now Taylor says she is out the money, and out of a place to rent.
Deputies say many of the homes in the investigation were either in foreclosure or bank-owned. They are currently investigating how their suspect was able to get into the homes and change the locks.
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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