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, June 29, 2016
Georgia Man Faces Elderly Exploitation, I.D. Theft Charges For Allegedly Using Forged Deed To Snatch & Flip Title To Property Housing Salvage Operation For $1.2 Million; 85-Year Old Victim Says She Was Merely Renting Business To The Defendant
In Forest Park, Georgia, WSB-TV Channel 2 reports:
An 85-year-old woman says her business and property were stolen from her. She told Channel 2’s Tom Jones that if it wasn't for a code enforcement citation, she would have never known a man took her property.
Barbara Bell says was cited for tires on her property.
“He had stolen my property and forged my name,” Bell told Jones.
Investigators say Asif Mohammad forged her name on a document transferring her property to him. “I trusted him. But I wish I hadn't,” Bell said.
Bell told Jones she was renting a salvage business to Mohammad. Then in March, she says, a code enforcement officer cited her for tires on her business property next door. That's when she asked if everything was OK at the salvage business.
“He said, ‘Ms. Bell, it’s not in your name anymore.’ I said, ‘Yes it is,’ and he said, ‘No it's not,'” Bell told Jones.
That’s when she discovered a document that police say connects Mohammad to the forgery. Bell and her daughter say Mohammad has sold the property.
“There's another loan on it that adds up to $1.2 million,” daughter Barbara Miller said.
Jones was in court [] when Mohammad went before a judge on a slew of charges, including exploitation of the elderly and identity theft. Mohammad is being held without bond.
Bell's daughter says Mohammad seemed like such a nice guy. “It's a big betrayal because we totally trusted this guy,” Miller said. “I’m quite angry with him,” Bell said.
Mohammad has a bond hearing coming up next month. Bell has filed a lawsuit to try and get her property back.
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