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, December 21, 2015
Queens DA: GC Stole $175K+ From 'Sandy' Victims Seeking To Rebuild Hurricane-Destroyed Homes, Pocketing Deposits, Then Stiffing Subs In Violation Of State Lien Law (Misappropriation Of Trust Funds); Suspect Also Faces Grand Larceny, Scheme To Defraud Charges
From the Office of the Queens County, New York District Attorney:
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown [] announced that a Long Island contractor and his construction company have been charged with stealing more than $175,000 from victims whose Breezy Point homes were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 and who had contracted with the defendants to build new homes.
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The District Attorney identified the defendants as Andrew L. Troiano, 51, of Maple Grove, New York, and his corporation, Alt Design and Construction Consulting Inc., which at the time of the alleged crimes had offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and West Hempstead, New York.
Troiano and his corporation were arraigned [...] on a criminal complaint charging each of them with violating New York State Lien Law 79-A-1 (second- and third-degree misappropriation of funds of trust), second-, third- and fourth degree grand larceny and first-degree scheme to defraud. Troiano, who faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted, was released on his own recognizance and ordered to return to court on February 2, 2016. In the case of the corporate defendant, conviction of a felony is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or double the amount of the illegal gain. ...
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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