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.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Staten Island Landlord Busted For Allegedly Stealing Moroccan Immigrant/Tenant's Possessions Now Faces Fair Housing Suit; Victim Says Landlord Flipped Her Lid After Hearing Her Speaking Arabic
In New York City, NY1 reports:
A contentious landlord-tenant housing dispute pits a former political leader in the hot seat, and one woman is saying the case is racially motivated.
The doorbell goes unanswered at MaryLou Shanahan's home. The townhouse on the quiet Eltingville Street is at the center of a nasty landlord-tenant dispute between the one-time chairwoman of the Island Conservative Party and a Moroccan immigrant who says Shanahan harassed her and stole all of her possessions.
"Harassment every day, every day, every day," said the tenant, 33-year-old Hasna Jalal. Jalal moved into the third floor late last summer.
According to a federal civil complaint Jalal filed this week, the relationship between the two women soured almost immediately, after the landlord heard her speaking in Arabic. Shanahan allegedly told her, "I don't need anybody speaking Arabic in my house! You're scaring the neighbors!" and "The neighbors will think you are from al-Qaida."
Jalal also alleges that the landlord routinely cursed and insulted her, once words to the effect of, "I remember when this country was all white. Those were the days..." "The harassment, the insults, it was nonstop every day," Jalal said.
Jalal, an accountant who works in Manhattan, says the items, with a total value of $400,000, have not been returned. "This is something that should not be tolerated, certainly in a place like New York City, where the are very strict protections for tenants," said lawyer Nicholas Moccia.
In October, the Staten Island district attorney's office asked for the appointment of a special prosecutor because the Acting D.A knew Shanahan. A judge finally approved the request this week. The reason for the delay is unclear. Shanahan's defense attorney tells NY1 his client is innocent... and then declined further comment.
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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