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, January 13, 2016
Real Estate Operator Cops Plea To 'Snatch & Flip' Conspiracy Using Forged Documents To Hijack Home Titles, Then Sell Them To Unwitting Buyers
From the Office of the U.S. Attorney (San Diego, California):
Mazen Alzoubi, a real estate investor, admitted [] that he orchestrated a scheme to steal title to Southern California homes and then sell the properties to unsuspecting buyers before the true owners could put a stop to the sale.
Alzoubi admitted that from May 2012 through August 2014, he and several co-conspirators fraudulently sold or attempted to sell at least 15 homes worth more than $3.6 million. On at least ten occasions, Alzoubi admitted, he was successful—earning illicit proceeds of nearly $2.2 million, which he then laundered and diverted to overseas bank accounts to ensure that the fraudulently-obtained proceeds could never be recovered.
Alzoubi and his co-conspirators, including Daniel Deaibes and Mohamed Daoud, would generate forged trust deeds, making it appear that the true owner had sold the home to a business Alzoubi controlled, when, in reality, the true owners were entirely unaware of Alzoubi’s actions. They would then record the fraudulent grant deeds at county recorder’s offices, so the deeds appeared legitimate. Once the fraudulent documents were recorded in the chain of title, Alzoubi would pose as the owner and immediately try to sell the properties. Alzoubi used a web of aliases (including “John Moran,” “Enrique Lopez,” “Dan Cox,” and “Zubu Wawa”) and a host of sham businesses (with names like “Land Investments 01”) to pose as the owner of properties he listed for sale. Alzoubi and his co-conspirators set up bank accounts for the sham companies, so that the proceeds could be diverted directly to them. In this way, Alzoubi collected all the sale proceeds, and the true owners were left with nothing.
In some cases, the real owners discovered the fraud, and made efforts to re-gain control of their property. In one instance, true owner Fannie Mae discovered that a fraudulent grant deed had been recorded relating to property it owned in Rowland Heights, California. Shortly after discovering the fraudulent deed, Fannie Mae filed a lawsuit to recover control over the property and recorded a lis pendens, notifying prospective buyers that Fannie Mae was challenging the fraudulent deed. Undeterred, Alzoubi and his co‑schemers created a fake “Withdrawal of Lis Pendens” in an effort to proceed with their fraudulent sale. When Fannie Mae won a judgment in its favor and obtained a court finding that the deed was fraudulent, Alzoubi and his co-schemers created a fake “Satisfaction of Judgment” and recorded that fraudulent document as well.
Alzoubi and his co-conspirators assumed the identities of others in order to keep the scheme going, and used the forged signatures and notary stamps of notaries to make fake documents look legitimate, and of lawyers to prepare and file fraudulent court documents. As a result, Alzoubi was charged with, and pleaded guilty to, aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison in addition to his sentence for the fraud and money laundering.
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