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.
Friday, June 05, 2015
Manhattan DA: Uptown Scammer Squeezed For Pocketing $16K From Five Desperate Victims Seeking Low-Income Rental Housing In "Section 8" Swindle; Suspect Posed As Rep For Gov't Agency, Used Notarized Forms To Lend Racket Air Of Legitimacy: Cops
From the Office of the New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney:
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., announced the indictment of ENRIQUE GUERRERO, 25, for stealing $16,000 from victims seeking affordable housing in Washington Heights and Westchester County. The defendant is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with Grand Larceny in the Third and Fourth Degrees, and Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree.[1]
“Enrique Guerrero is accused of stealing from families seeking affordable housing at a time in this city when such housing is so scarce that more than 88,000 people applied for just 55 low-income apartments on the Upper West Side,” said District Attorney Vance. “Using notarized forms to lend his scam an air of legitimacy, he allegedly preyed upon vulnerable members of his community who were desperate for an affordable apartment.
“Scams like these often target the most defenseless among us, including new immigrants who may not speak fluent English or understand the housing system. If you or someone you know may be a victim of such fraud, I urge you to call my Financial Frauds Hotline at 212-335-8900, or my Immigrant Affairs Hotline at 212-335-3600. My Office is here to help, regardless of your immigration status.”
According to the indictment and documents filed in court, from October 25, 2014, through November 18, 2014, GUERRERO allegedly stole $16,000 from five victims seeking affordable housing in Washington Heights and Westchester County through the Housing Choice Voucher program, also known as Section 8.
In each case, GUERRERO is charged with posing as a representative of a government housing agency that could facilitate these requests, and claiming that he could help the victims in exchange for cash payments ranging from $3,000 to $4,500. GUERRERO allegedly signed notarized agreements with each victim in a Washington Heights office, promising them the lease and keys to an apartment within one month of receiving their payments. However, once GUERRERO received the payments, he allegedly stopped answering the victims’ phone calls, and never provided housing to any of the five victims.
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District Attorney Vance thanked the members of the NYPD’s 34th Precinct for their assistance with the case.
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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