Banksters' Use Of Trash-Out Contractors To Harass Yet-To-Be Foreclosed Homeowners Remain Unabated As Two More Central Florida Families Find All Their Possessions Gone

In Orlando, Florida, WFTV-TV Channel 9 reports:

• Many Americans have stories to tell about losing their homes to foreclosure. Channel 9 found out that some homeowners who haven't yet been foreclosed have come home to find all their belongings gone.
  
  "It was a crime because no one had permission to take those items from the house," homeowner Bill Gullbrandson said.
  
  Gullbrandson was in the early stages of foreclosure on his Wildwood home. The house was still in his name when he said he walked inside and found that his belongings had been taken.
  
  "How much did they take off with?" Channel 9's Jamie Holmes asked. "Approximately $6,000 worth of new furnishings and appliances that had been placed in the house," said Gullbrandson.
  
  The same thing happened to Jonathan Axtell.
  
  In both cases, the men's attorney claims that the items were taken by a clean-out company hired by the bank to secure the property.
  
  The company cleaned out Axtell's Orlando home of about $20,000 worth of belongings. "I have nothing there. All my couches, my furniture, and my kids' brand-new -- well, almost new playground," Axtell said.
  
  Attorney Justin Clark said he's seen the scenario many times at his firm in the last few months. "That foreclosure process takes a long time. The bank has no right to come into your home and take your stuff. They don't own the house," said Clark.
  
  Gullbrandson's foreclosure is still pending, but he still owns the deed. The foreclosure was eventually reversed in Axtell's case. Gullbrandson and Axtell's belongings cannot be found, they said.
  
  The attorney is moving forward with two separate lawsuits in order to get compensation for the men's belongings.(1)

Source: Homeowners say houses were emptied before being foreclosed.

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(1) For those homeowners who've been screwed over by wrongful lockouts by foreclosing lenders (and their confederates) and seek some possible guidance on how much their cases might be worth if they seek to sue, see:

• Nevada High Court OKs $1M+ Damage Award To Homeowner Due To Mortgage Company Misidentification Of Home In Foreclosure (for the court ruling, see Countrywide Home Loans v. Thitchener, 192 P.3d 243; 2008 Nev. LEXIS 79; 124 Nev. Adv. Rep. 64 (Nev. 2008)),
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• Long Island Judge Hammers Wells w/ $155K Tab For Oppressive, Heavy Handed, Egregious Conduct For Pre-Sale Lockout Of Homeowner In Foreclosure (for the court ruling, see Wells Fargo v. Tyson, 27 Misc.3d 684, 897 N.Y.S.2d 610 (Sup. Ct., Suffolk County, 2010); reversed on procedural grounds Wells Fargo v. Tyson, 82 A.D.3d 757, 917 N.Y.S.2d 914 (App. Div. 2d Dept. 2011).
  .
  Editor's Note: The trial judge's $155,000 award in this case was subsequently reversed by an appeals court, but nevertheless provides an example of the kind of money a sympathetic trial judge is willing to award, assuming, over course, that a homeowner finds a sympathetic trial judge to hear his/her case.

For examples of filed lawsuits involving illegal bank break-in, "trash-out" lockout cases, see:

• Bank admits mistake on Willcox home foreclosure (involving an Arizona homeowner) (for a copy of the resulting federal lawsuit, see Newman v. Bank of America, N.A. and go here for the attached Exhibits),
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• Couple: Bank Foreclosed On Wrong House (New Bedford Couple Suing Bank Of America) (involving a Massachusetts resident with a home in Florida) (for a copy of the resulting federal lawsuit, see Cardoso v. Bank of America, et al.),
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• Family's recently purchased home, gutted by property removal service (involving a Michigan homeowner) (for a copy of the resulting federal lawsuit and accompanying Exhibits , see Rought v Deutsche National Trust Company, Trustee, et al.),
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• In a Sign of Foreclosure Flaws, Suits Claim Break-Ins by Banks (involving a California homeowner) (for a copy of the resulting federal lawsuit, see Ash v. Bank of America),
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• Former Lake Villa couple sues Bank of America over ‘illegal’ lockout (involving a Chicago, Illinois-area homeowner) (for a copy of the resulting federal lawsuit, see McKee v. Bank of America).