The Home Equity Theft Reporter

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-377116072012-02-01T09:21:18.035-05:00The Home Equity Theft ReporterWelcome 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.Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comBlogger96151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-6412357905539851602012-02-01T04:04:00.009-05:002012-02-01T06:45:41.673-05:00Failure To Give Pennsylvania Homeowner Notice Of Right To Have Face-To-Face Meeting With Lender Within 30 Days Sinks Subsequent Foreclosure Sale

The Pennsylvania Superior Court recently affirmed a trial court order setting aside a foreclosure sale where the foreclosing lender failed to satisfy certain requirements to provide notice to the homeowner.In the trial court, the homeowner contended that the trial court lacked subject matter jurisdiction over the matter because the lender failed to comply with the notice requirements of the

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-41237492809370633892012-02-01T04:02:00.003-05:002012-02-01T06:51:03.749-05:00Suit: Woman Holds Ex-Hubby's Home Hostage, Refusing To Release Lien Held Against His House Despite Receiving Full Payment Of Debt Owed To Her

In Galveston, Texas, The Southeast Texas Record reports:A divorced Galveston County couple is at odds over certain funds stemming from the sale of local property, recent court documents say.Richard See has filed suit against his ex-spouse Glenda G. Gordon, claiming she refuses to release the lien on the property despite receiving $20,000 from him. The suit filed Jan. 12 in Galveston County

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-71729188803745902472012-02-01T04:00:00.006-05:002012-02-01T06:54:41.048-05:00Ex-Paralegal Gets 100 Months For I.D. Theft, Forgeries In Connection With Ripoffs Of Employer/Law Firm, Clients' Trust Accounts

From the Office of the U.S. Attorney (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania):Bonnie Sweeten, 40, of Pennsylvania, was sentenced [] to 100 months in prison for fraud schemes in which she stole in excess of $600,000 from her employer and family members. Sweeten pleaded guilty June 21, 2011 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge William H. Yohn,

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-88563163791803119172012-01-31T04:04:00.005-05:002012-01-31T04:04:01.018-05:00Missouri Homeowners Tire From Banksters' Sleazy Practices; Begin Mounting Challenges To State Foreclosure System

In St. Louis, Missouri, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports:John Kevin Kennedy was an engineer at Anheuser Busch for 30 years. Then came the sale to InBev, and the big downsizing at the brewery left Kennedy out on the street along with much of his department.With no job, he asked his mortgage lender for a lower payment on his home in Barnhart. What happened next set in motion a lawsuit

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-39522607090695401322012-01-31T04:02:00.006-05:002012-01-31T06:21:36.620-05:00Colorado Lawmaker Moves To Tighten Up State Foreclosure Procedures, Minimize Sleazy Conduct From Banksters, Lawyer-Sweatshops

In Denver, Colorado, The Denver Post reports:A years-old practice allowing foreclosure attorneys simply to attest with a signature that a bank has the right to take someone's home rather than produce the actual mortgage documents is the target of new legislation.The bill, introduced last week by Rep. Beth McCann, D-Boulder, aims to ensure thousands of Colorado homeowners facing foreclosure each

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-16433732446514971822012-01-31T04:00:00.007-05:002012-01-31T06:42:51.710-05:00Federal Judge OKs Banksters' Sleazy, Illegal Conduct During F'closure Litigation Where Homeowners Fail To Immediately Raise Issues During Proceedings

In Greenbelt, Maryland, The Baltimore Sun reports:A class-action lawsuit over alleged foreclosure "robo-signing" was thrown out of federal court in Greenbelt last week when a judge ruled that the plaintiffs could have raised those complaints during their foreclosure cases.***The class-action suit was filed after a former paralegal at the defendant Shapiro & Burson, a law firm based in Virginia

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-67129237200435196082012-01-30T04:04:00.008-05:002012-01-30T09:01:47.116-05:00Elderly Woman Faces The Boot From Home Of 40+ Years After Unwittingly Signing Over Premises To Convicted R/E Scam Artist Assisted By Then-L.A. Cop

In Los Angeles, California, NBC Los Angeles reports:A tangled web of fraud allegedly involving an ex-LAPD officer and a self-proclaimed Bishop has ensnared an 89-year-old woman who is losing to foreclosure the Lynwood home she paid off more than two decades ago, police say.Vistula Graham bought the three-bedroom ranch house more than 40 years ago, and owned it free and clear after paying off the

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-67283655129905588552012-01-30T04:02:00.005-05:002012-01-30T04:02:00.479-05:00Sale Leaseback Peddler Squeezed By Norfolk Feds 'Scores' 54 Month Stay In Federal Prison After Copping Plea For Running Home Equity Stripping Racket

From the Office of the U.S. Attorney (Norfolk, Virginia):Kathleen Harps, 51, of Chesapeake, VA, was sentenced [] in Norfolk federal court to 54 months in prison for operating a foreclosure rescue mortgage fraud scheme. [...] Harps previously pled guilty on August 23, 2011.According to court documents, during 2006 Harps owned and operated the now defunct Hampton Roads businesses, New Beginnings

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-55653931194303450522012-01-30T04:00:00.007-05:002012-01-30T04:00:01.220-05:00Minneapolis Feds Pinch Two In Alleged Sale Leaseback Rescue Peddling Scheme, Stripping Home Equity From Dozens Of Homeowners Seeking Financial Help

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Star Tribune reports:Two Bloomington residents were arraigned Thursday in Minneapolis on charges that they ran an $8 million equity-stripping scheme under the guise of a nonprofit that claimed to help troubled homeowners avoid foreclosure.Richard Scott Spady, 38, and Michele Denise Sengstock, 48, were each charged Jan. 19 in a sealed indictment with conspiracy,

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-70116786353284023522012-01-29T04:06:00.003-05:002012-01-29T04:06:00.602-05:00Sacramento Feds Squeeze Another Guilty Plea Out Of Real Estate Investors Suspected Of Bid Rigging At Foreclosure Sale Public Auctions

From the Office of the U.S. Attorney (Sacramento, California):[K]enneth A. Swanger, 41, of Woodland, pleaded guilty to conspiring with a group of real estate speculators who agreed not to bid against each other at certain public real estate foreclosure auctions in San Joaquin County.(1) The primary purpose of the conspiracy was to suppress and restrain competition and to obtain selected real

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-10662612280764400172012-01-29T04:04:00.011-05:002012-01-29T04:04:00.105-05:00Lack Of Standing Sinks Effort To Squeeze Cash Out Of Consumer; 'Show Me State' High Court: Collector Failed To Show Proper Evidence Of Debt Assignment

Lexology reports:A recent Missouri decision in a credit card collection case illustrates the kind of documentation attacks that are increasingly being lodged against the non-mortgage consumer lending industry.In its January 17, 2012, opinion in Cach, LLC v. Askew, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that a debt collector was not entitled to judgment in its favor because the collector had not

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-67039720265484818922012-01-29T04:02:00.004-05:002012-01-29T04:02:00.582-05:00Reluctant Banksters Refuse To Correct Loan Servicing Abuses, Resulting In Continued Harrassment Of Homeowners With Foreclosure Threats

An excerpt from a recent story from The Center for Public Integrity's iWatch News:Since 2007, nearly 9 million homes have been lost to foreclosure, according to data from RealtyTrac. About 4 million are currently in default on or in some stage of foreclosure. Some of these homeowners saw their payments skyrocket, some lost their jobs, and some bought a more expensive home than they could

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-31098082380616682622012-01-29T04:00:00.000-05:002012-01-29T04:00:01.829-05:00Dangers Of Buying Or Selling Real Estate With Land Contracts, Lease/Options

From SummitDaily.com:It happens innocently enough: A seller wants to sell real property and a buyer wants to buy it, only the buyer does not have the ability to obtain traditional financing. So, the parties make an arrangement.Perhaps the seller “leases” the property to the buyer for a period of time with the buyer having an “option” to purchase the property at some time in the future.Perhaps the

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-87170781108595322672012-01-28T04:08:00.006-05:002012-01-28T04:08:00.524-05:00Arizona AG: BofA Stymies State Probe Into Loan Modification Practices By Silencing Homeowner-Victims With Settlement Agreements

Bloomberg reports:Bank of America Corp. is impeding an investigation of its loan modification practices by negotiating settlements with borrowers who must agree to keep them secret and not criticize the bank in exchange for cash payments and loan relief, Arizona officials say.The Arizona Attorney General’s office is asking a court to block those aspects of the settlements and require the bank to

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-5971049966553012272012-01-28T04:06:00.009-05:002012-01-28T04:06:00.281-05:00Law Firm Faces Bar Probe For Allegedly Using Trust Funds To Advance Anticipated Proceeds From Check That Subsequently Bounced; Left Holding $285K+ Bag

In Orlando, Florida, the Orlando Sentinel reports:The Florida Bar is investigating practices by the KEL law firm that may have played a role in it being bilked out of more than $285,000 in a high-tech flim-flam, the Bar confirmed this week.Staff investigators are looking at whether the Orlando law firm violated the Bar's rules of financial conduct when it moved funds in and out of a trust account

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-21578340829644031862012-01-28T04:04:00.008-05:002012-01-28T06:09:02.149-05:00Property Insurer Seeks Court Guidance On To Whom To Pay Policy Proceeds Where Multiple Claims Made On Same 'Ike-Destroyed' Home

In Galveston, Texas, The Southeast Texas Record reports:American Modern Lloyds Insurance Co. is embroiled in a dispute over Hurricane Ike-related claims with three East Texas residents. The insurer filed suit against Orange resident Melvin Cook and Lumberton locals Stephen and Debora Dzenowski on Jan. 13 in Galveston County District Court, stating the respondents may expose it to "multiple

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-78688860406598440082012-01-28T04:02:00.003-05:002012-01-28T04:02:00.595-05:00Florida AG Stands Behind Crappy Nationwide Foreclosure Fraud Settlement She Helped Negotiate

In West Palm Beach, Florida, The Palm Beach Post reports:Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi stood by the 50-state attorneys general settlement with the nation's biggest banks on Thursday as California and Delaware formally rejected the proposal she helped negotiate.Bondi said Floridians can't wait for foreclosure relief and that the draft proposal sent to states on Monday addresses California's

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-35847639569328090832012-01-28T04:00:00.009-05:002012-01-28T06:19:17.875-05:00Wisconsin High Court Nixes Request From Advocates For Poor To Create Right To Free Counsel In Civil Cases Involving Housing, Other Basic Needs

In Madison, Wisconsin, The Capital Times reports:Courts in Wisconsin will not have to provide lawyers for poor people embroiled in cases that involve basic human needs, the state Supreme Court ruled last week. But the court gave its blessing to starting a pilot project in one or more counties that would provide attorneys in certain cases.The court's decision at Thursday's administrative

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-47634673173489600872012-01-27T04:04:00.005-05:002012-01-27T04:04:00.802-05:00Sloppy Loan Servicers Continue Victimizing Homeowners With Crappy Recordkeeping

Reuters reports:In July 2009, Roy and Sheila Bowers refinanced the mortgage on their suburban ranch home in Topeka, Kansas. The couple wanted to take advantage of the low interest rates that were all the rage at the time.Roy, a truck driver, and Sheila, a former hotel housekeeping supervisor, knew their new loan from Wells Fargo would enable them to save $198.86 a month - a nice chunk to help

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-1260869581426622392012-01-27T04:02:00.007-05:002012-01-27T04:02:00.218-05:00Oregon Foreclosure Trustee Accused Of Secret Markups For Published Legal Ads, Passing Jacked-Up Costs To Homeowners, Others

In Portland, Oregon, The Oregonian reports:A lawyer representing The Bulletin of Bend and the Redmond Spokesman newspapers has filed an ethics complaint with the Oregon State Bar against an executive of the Northwest's largest foreclosure trustee, accusing the company of secretly marking up the cost of foreclosure legal ads to its lender clients.Michael Dillard, of the Karnopp Petersen law firm

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-86414946253631067182012-01-27T04:00:00.009-05:002012-01-27T04:00:02.068-05:00Calif. AG Gives Thumbs Down To Latest Version Of Nationwide F'closure Fraud Settlement; Says New Deal Still Falls Short For Golden State Homeowners

In Sacramento, California, The Sacramento Bee reports:Calling it "inadequate for California," the state is rejecting the latest settlement proposal between states and major U.S. banks over lending abuses that fueled the foreclosure crisis.California Attorney General Kamala Harris pulled out of nationwide talks with the banks in October, saying the proposed $25 billion deal gave too much immunity

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-69006261608106378292012-01-26T04:04:00.009-05:002012-01-26T04:04:00.383-05:00Elderly Couple Says Misapplied House Payments, Force Placed Insurance Racket Victimized Them Into F'closure; Compelled To Hire Attorney To Stall Sale

In Baird, Texas, the Abilene Reporter News reports:It's been enough to make Virginia Tollett sick with worry. "If we hadn't went and got an attorney, they would have auctioned our house on the courthouse lawn," said Tollett, 72, her voice rising. "They would have sold our house."Tollett and her husband, Jim, 74, have turned to the courts in an effort to prevent lender JP Morgan Chase from

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-64136199943563120542012-01-26T04:02:00.005-05:002012-01-26T06:23:53.602-05:00Recent Nevada High Court Rulings Add Teeth To Earlier Precedent On Banksters' Obligations To Cough Up Loan Documents During Mediation

In Las Vegas, Nevada, KTVN-TV Channel 2 reports:Officials say a pair of Nevada Supreme Court rulings requiring mortgage lenders to produce all required foreclosure documents before repossessing a house don't establish a new legal standard, but rely on state high court opinions issued last July.In unanimous rulings Friday,(1) the court ruled there was insufficient documentation for separate

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-29226936370655947192012-01-26T04:00:00.010-05:002012-01-26T06:35:55.509-05:00White House To Create Mortgage Crisis Unit To Probe Bankster Wrongdoing; Names Foe Of Current State AG Investigation To Co-Chair Operation

Bloomberg reports:President Barack Obama said he will create a mortgage crisis unit that includes federal and state officials to investigate wrongdoing by banks related to real estate lending.The president announced the unit in his State of the Union speech yesterday after protests by the Campaign for a Fair Settlement, a coalition of labor unions, consumer advocates and political activists

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-68128695183177421792012-01-25T04:04:00.011-05:002012-01-25T06:28:08.549-05:00Register Of Deeds Calls For Criminal Probe Into Foreclosure Fraud; Makes Major Document Dump Of 31K+ Robosigned Land Instruments On Bay State AG, Feds

From the Office of the Southern Essex (Massachusetts) District Register of Deeds John O’Brien:Saying that the time has come for a full scale criminal investigation, Southern Essex District Register of Deeds John O’Brien, [] has sent some 31,897 of what he says are fraudulent documents that have been recorded in the Salem Registry to Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, U.S. Attorney

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-75822485261546384462012-01-25T04:02:00.000-05:002012-01-25T04:02:00.143-05:00Illinois AG Hits Debt Collector With Suit Alleging Variety Of Intimidation Tactics To Illegally Squeeze Cash From Consumers

From the Office of the Illinois Attorney General:[T]he Attorney General took action against a Skokie-based debt collector, PN Financial Inc., filing suit in Cook County Circuit Court. Madigan said PN Financial emerged last year as one of the most egregious cases of illegal debt collection during her tenure as Attorney General.***Madigan’s lawsuit against PN Financial and owner, Nelson Macwan, of

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-61092616200826333452012-01-25T04:00:00.007-05:002012-01-25T04:00:02.606-05:00Suit: Foreclosure Rescue Outfit Ran Loan Modification Racket Targeting Elderly Woman Seeking Help With House Payments

In Kansas City, Missouri, the Kansas City Business Journal reports:Legal Aid of Western Missouri(1) has filed a lawsuit on behalf of victims of an alleged foreclosure rescue scam operating out of Mission. According to the suit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Death Productions LP promised to help elderly women lower their mortgage payments by negotiating with lenders in

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-87298395420952485982012-01-24T04:04:00.001-05:002012-01-24T10:11:16.568-05:00Novice Homebuyer Pockets $8K 1st Time Buyer Tax Credit, Uses Funds To Fix House Only To Learn He Purchased Worthless Land Contract From Slick Operator

In Dearborn Heights, Michigan, WXYZ-TV Channel 7 reports:The complaints keep coming about Leonard Bale. 7 Action News Investigator Bill Proctor broke the story about the man who has been selling foreclosed homes to families who say they have lost their lifesavings on these deals. Now one city is taking on Bale, who may be facing major fines.Leonard Bale will go before a Dearborn Heights board

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-15745108405675343212012-01-24T04:02:00.009-05:002012-01-24T04:02:00.337-05:00Fire Drives Unwitting Recent Homebuyer From Residence Shortly After Learning His Property Purchase Was Worthless Land Contract Fleecing Him Of $48K

In Vacaville, California, KTXL-TV Channel 40 reports:The home Johnnie Carabajal was living in went up in smoke [earlier this month], but the fire was the last in a long list of bad things that happened to him and his four kids.Earlier in the month, he had been told to get out of the house he was trying to buy. "It went into foreclosure I lost it for hiring a bad realtor he's in court for

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-11944482269727030622012-01-24T04:00:00.004-05:002012-01-24T04:00:04.314-05:00Unwitting Family Who Recently Lost Home In Tax F'closure Clipped For $5500 From Alleged Scammer Claiming To Be New Owner Offering To Sell Back House

In Southfield, Michigan, WJBK-TV Channel 2 reports:A family loses their home to foreclosure. A man claiming to be the new owner of the house tells them to pay up or pack up. They gave him more than $5,000. Where did the money go?For more, see Ex-Convict Accused of a Dirty 'Deed'.

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-67091690589234722452012-01-23T04:04:00.005-05:002012-01-23T04:04:00.436-05:00More On Borrower Squeeze By Banksters' Force-Placed Homeowners' Insurance Racket

The New York Times reports:New York State financial services agency is investigating several large banks to see whether they fraudulently steered homeowners into overpriced insurance policies. The investigation centers on so-called force-placed insurance that has become increasingly common since the downturn of the housing market began and homeowners had trouble keeping up with payments on their

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-89613346038288528662012-01-23T04:02:00.011-05:002012-01-23T04:02:00.142-05:00Homeowner/Couple Claims Russian Mob Electronically Stole Refinance Proceeds; Title Insurer To Victims: 'Get Lost - We Ain't Payin' Your Claim!'

In Parker, Colorado, KMGH-TV Channel 7 reports:A simple refinance more than two years ago has a Parker family fighting for their home after the Russian mafia allegedly stole money during a wire transfer. Now the family’s home faces foreclosure again, with a hearing scheduled for Jan. 25.***In September of 2009, [Kim & Tim Canning] refinanced their home with Ryan Rodenbeck of Classic Title. At

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-47211478009353101052012-01-23T04:00:00.007-05:002012-01-23T04:00:04.525-05:00Media Intervention Saves Another Homeowner From Sloppy Servicer's Handiwork; Bankster Ran Up Late Charges, Threatened F'closure Over Bookkeeping Gaffe

In Caldwell County, North Carolina, WSOC-TV Channel 9 reports:A Caldwell County woman was threatened with foreclosure over a missing payment she said she made to her loan company. Sherry Story is a hard-working single mother and does not have money to waste. For the last two months she has been trying to chase down the $400 payment she made on her second mortgage to Litton Loan Servicing just as

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-4505779012983791422012-01-22T04:06:00.010-05:002012-01-22T09:08:19.971-05:00Illinois AG Tags Two With Criminal Charges For Allegedly Promising To Save Homeowners From Foreclosure By Peddling Sale Leaseback Schemes

From the Office of the Illinois Attorney General:Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced the arrest of a Chicago man who stole more than $350,000 in a wide-reaching mortgage fraud scheme in which they promised to help desperate homeowners avoid foreclosure.Madigan said defendant Warren Jackson, 41, of Chicago, was arrested late Thursday and is being held in Cook County jail. Yolanda King, 46, of

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-26068495990885754422012-01-22T04:04:00.007-05:002012-01-22T04:04:00.704-05:00Disgraced Ex-Lawyer Gets 15 Years For Role In At Least 102 Chicago-Area Sale Leaseback-Peddling, Equity Stripping Ripoffs

From the Office of the U.S. Attorney (Chicago, Illinois):A former Chicago lawyer was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for engaging in mortgage and bankruptcy fraud schemes involving a so-called “mortgage bailout” program that purported to “rescue” financially distressed homeowners but instead tricked victims into relinquishing title to their homes and declaring bankruptcy.The defendant,

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-30430309116669266792012-01-22T04:02:00.010-05:002012-01-22T09:12:19.557-05:00Feds Continue 'Pinch' On F'closure Rescue, Sale Leaseback Peddlers As Pair Get Tagged w/ Indictment In Equity Stripping Racket That Fleeced Homeowners

In Norfolk, Virginia, The Virginian Pilot reports:Two Chesapeake men have been indicted by a Norfolk federal grand jury on nine charges related to an alleged foreclosure rescue scheme, federal officials announced Thursday. The charges against Philip Villasis, 41, and Ray D. Gata, 56, include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.***From November 2006 until February 2011

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-42646026682678515472012-01-22T04:00:00.007-05:002012-01-22T08:50:04.121-05:00F'closure Sale Bid-Rigging Outfit Gets Break On Paying Fines After Guilty Plea For Sherman Act Violations; Aid To Feds Helps Bag 2 Add'l Confederates

In Mobile, Alabama, the Press Register reports:A local company will pay a $250,000 fine plus restitution for rigging real estate foreclosure auctions, a federal judge ruled this afternoon. U.S. District Judge Ginny Granade endorsed the deal worked out between prosecutors and attorneys for M&B Builders. Company co-owner Harold H. Buchman, who appeared on behalf of the corporation [], faces 6

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-29016123104839455992012-01-21T04:12:00.009-05:002012-01-21T04:12:00.268-05:0021 Residents Driven From Homes Into Frigid Cold As Frozen, Bursting Water Pipes, Electricity Short Out Spell Shut Down For Building In Foreclosure

In Cicero, Illinois, NBC Chicago Channel 5 reports:The town of Cicero stepped in Friday after 21 residents, including 12 children, were displaced from their home because of bursting water pipes amid a foreclosure battle.Ahead of the coldest morning of the year, several frozen pipes burst Thursday night in the building in the 5100 block of 30th Street, causing the electricity to short out. For the

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-37157672485458057812012-01-21T04:10:00.009-05:002012-01-21T06:28:28.222-05:00Suit: Judgment Debtor Played 'Keep-Away' With Creditor By Fraudulently Transferring Real Estate Ownership To Complicit Mom To Avoid Collection Efforts

In Galveston, Texas, The Southeast Texas Record reports:Claiming fellow Galvestonians Daniel and Rita Higgins committed a fraudulent property transfer, Leslie and Sandra Bartosh have a filed a lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed Dec. 30 in Galveston County District Court, accuses Daniel P. Higgins of turning two pieces of real property on the farther West End of Galveston over to his mother "with the

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-80724434454137126652012-01-21T04:08:00.006-05:002012-01-21T06:30:00.886-05:00Property Owner Sues Sibling/Co-Owner Over Alleged Failure To Cough Up Her Share Of Real Estate Tax Bill; Asks Judge To Order Forced Sale Of Land

In Jefferson County, Texas, The Southeast Texas Record reports:A woman claims her sister failed to pay her half of the property taxes on a piece of Jefferson County real estate the siblings jointly owned. As a result, the property has settled into disrepair, according to recently filed court documents.Susan Manuel filed a lawsuit Dec. 30 in Jefferson County District Court against Gwendolyn

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-68478299281844880992012-01-21T04:06:00.006-05:002012-01-21T04:06:00.629-05:00Texas Man Files Suit To Dodge Boot From Home Owned By Another That He's Lived In, Maintained For 35 Years

In Jefferson County, Texas, The Southeast Texas Record reports:A Nome man who has lived on a Jefferson County property for 35 years is asking the court to overturn a woman's eviction orders.Charles Malveaux filed a lawsuit Jan. 5 in Jefferson County District Court against Mary E. Jackson. In his complaint, Malveaux claims he has lived on and maintained a property in Nome for more than 35

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-14666561077752456902012-01-21T04:04:00.008-05:002012-01-21T04:04:00.958-05:00Federal Judge 'Green-Lights' Embattled Foreclosure Sweatshop Operator's Lawsuit Alleging BofA Stiffed Him Out Of $11M In Legal Fees

In Miami, Florida, Courthouse News Service reports:A Plantation, Fla., law firm can seek $11 million in unpaid legal fees for its work on Bank of America foreclosure cases, a federal judge ruled. The Law Offices of David J. Stern says it was the legal counsel for Bank of America's Florida residential foreclosure cases across the state, employing some 1,200 attorneys and support staff at its peak.

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-37124343886018646312012-01-21T04:02:00.012-05:002012-01-21T04:02:00.144-05:00L.A. City Tags Scofflaw Landlord For $322K In Relo Funds For Dozens Of Low-Income Tenants To Assist In Forced Move From 3-Unit Health/Safety/Fire Trap

In Los Angeles, California, the Los Angeles Times reports:The Los Angeles City Council voted [] to provide up to $322,000 in relocation money to dozens of low-income tenants who must move from a South Los Angeles apartment building deemed unsafe by city inspectors.Tenants were given eviction notices last month after housing officials concluded that owner John Callaghan had illegally converted

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-28156014687752591972012-01-21T04:00:00.009-05:002012-01-21T06:39:05.677-05:00F'closures Also Affect Dearly Departed; Loved Ones' Final Resting Place Anything But Peaceful As Pending Sale Of Troubled Cemetary Worries Families

In Madison, Indiana, WDRB-TV Channel 41 reports:Grandview Memorial Gardens Cemetery gained attention for water-logged graves and will now go to the highest bidder. The auction is just the latest problem for Grandview, that has many folks wondering what will happen to all of their loved ones.Pictures are all Hazel Wilkerson has of her late husband Fred who died October 22nd. "It will be three

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-19152313365763510162012-01-20T04:04:00.012-05:002012-01-20T06:41:09.016-05:00Brooklyn Judge Voids Foreclosure Forbearance Agreement; Sneaky Bankster Slicked Unrepresented Homeowner Into Signing One-Sided Deal

In Brooklyn, New York, Reuters reports:A Brooklyn judge has voided what she deemed an "unconscionable" forbearance agreement that required a mortgage holder to drop his legal defense against foreclosure proceedings in exchange for reduced payments that the judge said provided him "little, if any benefit."In a ruling dated January 6, Kings County Supreme Court Justice Marsha Steinhardt slammed the

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-77450881183828920322012-01-20T04:02:00.009-05:002012-01-20T04:02:00.760-05:00Mich. Woman Gets Up To 12 Months, Ordered To Pay $36K+ Restitution For Running Loan Mod Racket; Employee Gets 45 Days To Be Served Three Days/Week

In Allegan County, Michigan, The Allegan County News reports:A former Fennville woman will spend up to one year in jail after defrauding several dozen homeowners through her foreclosure rescue company. Tonya Raisbeck, 36, stood before Allegan Circuit Court Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker on Friday, Jan. 13, and said she knew people questioned her intentions.***Through her business, Mobile

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-26443284743739226262012-01-20T04:00:00.008-05:002012-01-20T04:00:08.041-05:00Another Homeowner Driven Into F'closure Over Misapplied Mortgage Payments; Bankster Refuses To Admit Error Until Media, State AG, US Senator Intervene

In East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania, The Patriot News reports:Citimortgage received a $20 billion government bailout on grounds it’s “too big to fail.” Fortunately, Citi isn’t too big to admit a mistake — although not fast enough to impress Myrna Hoke, whose daughter nearly lost her East Pennsboro Twp. home over an error by Citi."It’s been unbelievably stressful,” said Hoke, 65, who spent

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-37505254346913444792012-01-19T04:04:00.002-05:002012-01-19T04:04:00.349-05:00Lawsuit: Bankster Played "Hide & Seek" With Debtors, Judges, Others In Battling Tens Of Thousands Of Bankrupt Homeowners; Action Seeks Class Status

In Los Angeles, California, Courthouse News Service reports:JPMorgan Chase routinely fabricated documents to deceive bankruptcy judges, going so far as to Photoshop documents to "create the illusion" of standing "in tens of thousands of bankruptcy cases," according to a federal class action.Lead plaintiff Ernest Michael Bakenie claims that Chase's "pattern and practice of playing 'hide-and-seek'

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-40480456725784063452012-01-19T04:02:00.010-05:002012-01-19T04:02:00.610-05:00Foreclosure Sweatshop Operator Takes Scolding From Judge Over Sloppy Work; Ordered To Continue Personal Court Appearances Until Each File Is Corrected

In Poughkeepsie, New York, the New York Post reports:Take that, Steven Baum! The 50-year-old lawyer, who owns New York’s largest home-foreclosure mill, made a rare appearance in a courtroom [recently] — and was promptly ripped by a Bankruptcy Court judge frustrated by his firm’s sloppy work.Baum, whose eponymous firm has filed more than 25,000 foreclosure actions across the state over the past

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-13608826119674750262012-01-19T04:00:00.009-05:002012-01-19T04:00:01.253-05:00Bay State Regulator Strips Sticky-Fingered Broker Of Real Estate License; Writing Rubber Check, Failure To Return Buyer's Deposit Among Dirty Deeds

In Marblehead, Massachusetts, The Salem News reports:The state board that oversees real estate brokers has revoked the license of a Marblehead man who allegedly failed to turn over deposits to a seller and a buyer, as well as a commission owed to another broker, in real estate transactions he handled in 2010.Barry A. Rosenberg's license was revoked effective Oct. 8, the Board of Registration of

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-30064402332948207892012-01-18T04:04:00.000-05:002012-01-18T04:04:01.375-05:00State AG Jumps Into Utah Homeowner's Foreclosure Case; Moves To Intervene, Contesting Adverse Court Ruling Holding Federal, Texas Law Trumps Local Law

In Salt Lake City, Utah, KCSG-TV Channels 14/16 report:The Utah Attorney General has moved to intervene in a case filed by St. George attorney John Christian Barlow on behalf of Utah homeowner Garry Franklin Garrett in which senior Federal Judge David Sam ruled the Bank of America's foreclosure arm, ReconTrust Company, N.A. is operating under the National Bank Act regulated by the Office of the

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-65974887084188559682012-01-18T04:02:00.004-05:002012-01-18T04:02:00.201-05:00Recent Michigan Appeals Court Foreclosure Ruling Expected To Affect Similar Suits Impacting On Lenders' Failure To Record Mortgage Assignments

In Shelby Township, Michigan, The Oakland Press reports:A Shelby Township couple won a state Court of Appeals precedent-setting ruling that stops a foreclosure and allows them for now to keep their home that was once worth $650,000.Husband-and-wife Eui H. and In Sook Kim gained a reversal of a Macomb County judge’s dismissal of their lawsuit against JP Morgan Chase Bank. The couple won because

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-45002978855180388662012-01-18T04:00:00.010-05:002012-01-18T04:00:00.825-05:00Insurance Squeeze Continues For Florida Homeowners; 'Backdoor' Rate Increases, Industry Campaign Cash To Business-Friendly Governor Pinch Pocketbooks

In West Palm Beach, Florida, The Palm Beach Post reports:Linda Sapp's reaction to her insurance bill was sticker shock: The annual premium doubled to $4,800, adding hundreds to her monthly mortgage payment. Her first thought: "There's no way I can afford my house."***In Boynton Beach, retiree Thomas Spatafora is on a fixed income and said he has never filed a property claim. But annual premium

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-7758949697915965972012-01-17T04:04:00.007-05:002012-01-17T04:04:01.059-05:00Homeowner In Foreclosure Has Possession Of Vacated Home Swiped Out From Under; Cops Refuse Help, Say It's A Civil Matter

In Bakersfield, California, KGET-TV Channel 17 reports:A viewer e-mailed 17 News, saying squatters have taken over his southwest Bakersfield home. He says no one will help get them out. "I was very naive, foolish you might say. I wanted to help them," said Juan Medina.Juan Medina is packing up for a new life in Tehachapi. A messy divorce in 2008 left him with a house payment he could no longer

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-19388210674283560662012-01-17T04:02:00.007-05:002012-01-17T04:34:03.993-05:00NM Homeowner Seeks State High Court Review Of Subprime Refinance Involving No Appriasal, Income Check That Left Couple With Unaffordable Payments

In Santa Fe, New Mexico, NewsOK reports:A Chimayo, N.M., couple remain in their home into the new year as their 2007 default on their refinanced mortgage wends its way to the New Mexico Supreme Court.Their attorney, Joshua Simms of Albuquerque, N.M., said Joseph and Mary Romero continue to make minimal payments to the Bank of New York to stay in their family home until the legal fight is

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-79191701195405539282012-01-17T04:00:00.006-05:002012-01-17T04:00:02.619-05:00Pair Cop Guilty Pleas in Scams Involving Use Of Forged Mortgage Satisfactions, Rent Skimming To Screw Over Banks, Landlords

From the Office of the U.S. Attorney (District of Columbia):The owners of a property management company, Bryan W. Talbott, 48, and Chester D. Ransom, Jr., 44, have pleaded guilty to defrauding their clients, mortgage lenders, and the government out of more than $2.8 million.***According to the government’s evidence, Talbott was the president and Ransom was the vice president of a property

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-58720653807888979962012-01-16T04:04:00.005-05:002012-01-16T04:04:00.092-05:00Recent Florida IG Report Adds More Proof Of State Officials' Fear Of Prosecuting Foreclosure Fraud

In West Palm Beach, Florida, The Palm Beach Post reports:The Nevada attorney general calls signing another person's name on documents used to repossess a home "forgery" and a "scheme."Michigan's attorney general launched a criminal investigation that includes whether "falsified signatures" were used in foreclosure cases.But Theresa Edwards and June Clarkson were forced to resign their jobs as

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-3243790386709310392012-01-16T04:02:00.009-05:002012-01-16T10:47:39.485-05:00NJ Feds Squeeze Guilty Plea From Another Sale Leaseback Peddler In Equity Stripping Ripoff Of Homeowners In Foreclosure Having High Equity, No Cash

From the Office of the U.S. Attorney (Newark, New Jersey):A former employee of a Parsippany, N.J., mortgage lender admitted [] to taking $138,402 in illegitimate proceeds of multiple home sales as a result of a mortgage fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.Jorge Abbud, 33, of Dover, N.J., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls in Newark federal court to an

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-4577507358360090362012-01-16T04:00:00.006-05:002012-01-16T04:00:06.356-05:00Michigan Appeals Court: Failure To Record Mortgage Assignment Prior To Sale Sinks Foreclosure

From a press release from the Michigan law firm Warner Norcross & Judd:On January 12, 2012, the Michigan Court of Appeals issued its opinion in Kim v. JP Morgan Chase Bank, No. 302528. The foreclosure-by-advertisement statute, MCL 600.3204, provides, “If the party foreclosing a mortgage by advertisement is not the original mortgagee, a record chain of title shall exist prior to the date of sale

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-91790186809908866932012-01-15T04:06:00.008-05:002012-01-15T04:06:01.042-05:00Unimpressed w/ Progress In Current Negotiations, State AG Group Meets To Discuss Enforcement Options/Strategies Around Various F'closure Fraud Issues

The Huffington Post reports:Attorneys general or representatives from nearly 15 states met in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to discuss and share different enforcement options and strategies around various mortgage-related issues, according to sources familiar with the conversation.The meeting was prompted by the slow pace at which a national foreclosure settlement led by the Obama administration

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-61019290956423065212012-01-15T04:04:00.006-05:002012-01-15T04:04:00.402-05:00Process Server's Failure To Keep Adequate Records Sinks NY Foreclosure; May Open Floodgates In Effort To Vacate Judgments

In Nassau County, New York, Reuters reports:A process server working for a once-prolific foreclosure law firm in upstate New York broke the law by failing to keep any record of papers served in a 2008 foreclosure case, a Long Island judge has ruled, giving defense attorneys a new angle to explore in foreclosure cases as they seek to buy time for their financially beleaguered clients to modify or

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-70731562632809395182012-01-15T04:02:00.000-05:002012-01-15T04:02:00.434-05:00Squatters Score With Vacant Foreclosed Homes; Use Phony Leases To Get Free Temporary Housing, Squeeze Banks For 'Cash For Keys' 'Walking' Money

In Antioch, California, NBC Bay Area reports:It's a problem plaguing our country. Squatters moving into foreclosed homes and banks paying them to get out. It's happening in one Antioch neighborhood. Neighbors formed a neighborhood watch program in part because they noticed lots of homes being foreclosed in he area.They were apparently right to be worried. Police arrested three people Tuesday on

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-65461336173689894892012-01-15T04:00:00.013-05:002012-01-15T04:00:00.133-05:00Cops Pinch Pair For Illegally Hijacking Possession Of Temporarily Vacated Rental Home; Landlord Was In Process Of Remodeling Unoccupied Premises

In Taylorsville, Utah, KSTU-TV Channel 13 reports:Amanda Booth and Tony Hoskins face criminal charges related to squatting in a Taylorsville home. The two suspects apparently took up illegal residence November by allegedly squatting at a home on 5200 South and 3700 West.The rental property was vacant and being prepared for a new tenant, according to Taylorsville Police Sgt. Tracy Wyante. Wyante

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-54765962119222722952012-01-14T04:08:00.009-05:002012-01-20T06:44:34.220-05:00Court To Slum-Financing Lender: Cough Up The Repair Cash; Bank Learns It 'Can't Just Wash Its Hands & Walk Away'

In Brooklyn, New York, the New York Daily News reports:City Council Speaker Christine Quinn on Tuesday was touting a court decision to hold a bank responsible for repairs to a dilapidated Brooklyn tenement. “I think this is really a precedent-setting decision,” the mayoral hopeful said. “The buck finally stops somewhere for tenents in the city of New York.”Six elderly and disabled tenants at 294

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-86286851869309169102012-01-14T04:06:00.007-05:002012-01-14T04:06:00.168-05:00Court Strips Landlord Of Control Over Dilapidated Buildings Innundated With Code Violations; Gives Hope To Dozens Of Poor, Boot-Fearing Residents

In St. Paul, Minnesota, the Star Tribune reports:Halima Eidl lives in a St. Paul apartment that has urine-stained carpet and also mold, mice, roaches and rats. Despite that, she isn't looking to move. But Eidl and about five dozen of the city's poorest families could find themselves homeless later this month.The families live in two East Side apartment buildings that are on the verge of bank

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-32125113427533351662012-01-14T04:04:00.007-05:002012-01-14T04:04:00.334-05:00Another Would-Be Tenant Clipped By Rent-Skimming Property Owner; Kicks Herself For Not Checking Out Home's Foreclosure Status Before Signing Lease

In Augusta, Georgia, WRDW-TV Channel 12 reports:An Augusta woman thought she found her dream home only to be forced to move out weeks after signing the lease. April Williams fell in love with the two-bedroom, one-bath cottage on McDowell Street as soon as she stepped through the front door."Once I seen it I said, 'This is the spot for me. This is where I want to be,'" she said. She signed a year

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-28534317857200433802012-01-14T04:02:00.009-05:002012-01-14T04:02:00.488-05:00Man Pinched For Setting Up Indoor Pot Farm In Foreclosed Dad's House; Said He Decided To Grow His Own Stash After Being Burned By Local Pot Peddlers

In Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, the Sheboygan Press reports:A marijuana growing operation discovered when the locks on a house were changed during foreclosure led to charges Friday for a 43-year-old Sheboygan Falls man. Brock O. Bizzell, [...] is charged with marijuana manufacturing, maintaining a drug trafficking place and marijuana possession, felonies punishable by up to eight years in

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-85577989655749402662012-01-14T04:00:00.011-05:002012-01-14T12:56:55.955-05:00Cops: 'Disappointed' Homeowner Threatened To Shoot Judge After F'closure Hearing, Telling Paralegal He Was Taking Bomb, Missiles, Gun Into Courthouse

In Lakeland, Florida, The Ledger reports:A Lakeland man is accused of threatening to shoot a Polk judge after a foreclosure hearing, deputies said. Walter E. Norris, 55, was arrested Friday and charged with threatening to discharge a destructive device.Norris called his lawyer [...] and told a paralegal that he was going to take a bomb, missiles and a gun into the courthouse, according to an

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-66904290115631078132012-01-13T04:04:00.008-05:002012-01-13T05:04:31.871-05:00Bay State High Court Invites Supplemental Briefing In Pending Foreclosure Case That Looms As Possible Disaster For Massachusetts Land Titles

From The Boston Globe's Real Estate Now blog:Attorney Richard D. Vetstein reports on another court case about foreclosure paperwork problems.The Supreme Judicial Court has just issued an unusual order in the very important Eaton v. Federal National Mortgage Association case, indicating its deep concern over whether its ruling with have a disastrous impact on foreclosure titles and, if so, whether

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-24670757152581910152012-01-13T04:02:00.006-05:002012-01-13T04:02:00.752-05:00NYS Insurance Regulator Probes Suspected Force-Placed Insurance Shenanigans By Major Bankster/Servicers

The New York Times reports:A New York State financial services agency is investigating several large banks to see whether they fraudulently steered homeowners into overpriced insurance policies. The investigation centers on so-called force-placed insurance that has become increasingly common since the downturn of the housing market began and homeowners had trouble keeping up with payments on

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-20826477530516911702012-01-13T04:00:00.006-05:002012-01-13T04:00:06.251-05:00Now-Disbarred Closing Attorney Gets 3 Years For Looting Trust Accounts Of $1M, Ingloriously Ending 44-Year Law Career

In Henrico County, Virginia, the Richmond Times Dispatch reports:Character witnesses for longtime attorney William Orr Smith described him Tuesday as a trusted mentor whose decades-long career combined a sharp knowledge of the law, respect and a street-smart awareness.But when Smith stood to address a Henrico County judge poised to sentence him in a $1 million embezzlement scheme, Smith described

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-88224871089677259592012-01-12T04:04:00.008-05:002012-01-12T04:04:00.094-05:00Chase Beginning Consumer Debt Collections Shutdown? Lawsuits Virtually Disappeared In Several Major Cities; Document Irregularities May Be Problem

American Banker reports:JPMorgan Chase & Co. has quietly ceased filing lawsuits to collect consumer debts around the nation, dismissing in-house attorneys and virtually shutting down a collections machine that as recently as nine months ago was racking up hundreds of millions of dollars in monthly judgments.A sampling of court records in the major cities in five states shows that Chase collection

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-88111050864708957582012-01-12T04:02:00.010-05:002012-01-15T00:56:06.799-05:00Fla Appeals Court: 'Green Card-Lacking' Couple Entitled To Benefit Of State Homestead Exemption Against Forced Sale, Dodging $500K Claim Against Home

The Florida Bankruptcy Law Blog reports:A Florida appellate court has liberalized homestead exemptions for temporary U.S. residents. The court said that a foreign citizen’s eligibility for Florida homestead depends on his intent rather than the U.S. Immigration Service’s rules.A debtor’s eligibility for homestead is based on the all the facts relevant to his intent to reside permanently in his

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-18781663668407515302012-01-12T04:00:00.006-05:002012-01-12T04:24:51.948-05:00Bankster's Insurance Premium Overcharge Drives Foreclosure Defense Attorney Into Foreclosure

In Indianapolis, Indiana, The Huffington Post reports:Christine Jackson's three-bedroom wood-frame home in Indianapolis is in danger of foreclosure. It's not because she can't afford her mortgage, but because of a bank error, she said.Jackson is among thousands of homeowners from all walks of life who have complained that the major banks that service their mortgages have made frequent errors in

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-69436167652706782812012-01-11T04:04:00.005-05:002012-01-11T06:27:46.515-05:00AZ Appeals Court: Intent To Occupy Home As Residence Where Homeowner Never Actually Moves In Enough To Qualify For Protection Against Deficiency Jdgmt

The Arizona Republic reports:A would-be homeowner has the same right to walk away from a mortgage as someone who already is living in the house, the Arizona Court of Appeals has ruled.The judges acknowledged that laws which bar lenders from pursuing borrowers for the difference between what the property is worth and the amount owed is reserved under state law for owner-occupied premises. And in

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-10556565162705902002012-01-11T04:02:00.007-05:002012-01-11T04:02:00.506-05:00Now-Defunct Title Agency Typo Screw-Up Leads To Foreclosure Headaches For Former Homeowner Eight Years After Selling & Moving Out

In Plant City, Florida, The Tampa Tribune reports:Barbara and Rick Borchers sold their house and paid their mortgage in full eight years ago. But now, all these years later, another lender, Bank of America, is suing them for foreclosure on the same house. When the process server knocked on their door, lawsuit in hand, the Borchers thought it must be a mistake."Everyone I tell says, 'That's

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-51647355284348657592012-01-11T04:00:00.011-05:002012-01-11T06:38:29.371-05:00Contra County DA, Recorder Implement Plan Notifying Property Owners Of Recent R/E Recordings In Effort To Curb Title Thefts Due To Land Doc Forgeries

From the Office of the Contra Costa County, California District Attorney:Contra Costa County District Attorney Mark A. Peterson, in joint cooperation with County Clerk-Recorder Steve Weir, announces the implementation of a real estate fraud notification program. This process is made possible with the cooperation of the County Assessor Gus Kramer through inter-county data sharing.Beginning

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-53681670515557441382012-01-10T04:04:00.003-05:002012-01-10T04:04:00.843-05:00Reuters On Foreclosure Fraud: The Watchdogs That Didn't Bark

Reuters reports:Four years after the banking system nearly collapsed from reckless mortgage lending, federal prosecutors have stayed on the sidelines, even as judges around the country are pointing fingers at possible wrongdoing.The federal government, as has been widely noted, has pressed few criminal cases against major lenders or senior executives for the events that led to the meltdown of

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-78710007966888497082012-01-10T04:02:00.008-05:002012-01-10T04:02:01.040-05:00Celebrated Immigrant NYC Real Estate Operator Accused Of Building Empire By Preying On His Own

In Richmond Hill, Queens, The New York Times reports:For years, a self-made real estate magnate named Edul Ahmad personified the collective dreams of Richmond Hill, Queens, which is populated by many immigrants from Guyana, in South America. Mr. Ahmad drove a yellow Lamborghini, sponsored a cricket team and held white-glove parties at a lavish banquet hall that he owned.At a prominent

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-78006474724148200272012-01-10T04:00:00.007-05:002012-01-10T04:00:13.389-05:00Nevada AG Begins To Pull Back Curtain & Prosecute Shenanigans At Foreclosure Document Processing Sweatshop

The New York Times reports:Last month, [Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez] Masto sued Lender Processing Services, the huge default and foreclosure processor that works behind the scenes for most large banks. With this case, she demonstrated how enlightening an in-depth study can be.The complaint, which came after a 14-month inquiry, contends that L.P.S. deceived consumers by committing

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-91000732465330698732012-01-09T04:04:00.007-05:002012-01-09T04:04:00.148-05:00Daughter Convicted Of Improperly Pocketing Mortgage Payments & Forging Docs To Rip Off $105K Of Mom's Home Equity Insists Nothing Untoward Was Done

In Sussex County, New Jersey, the Star Ledger reports:A Sussex County woman who fraudulently obtained a $105,000 second mortgage loan on her mother’s home used the money to help her and her mother make ends meets, and pay their monthly bills, her attorney said. “There’s nothing to suggest she spent the money on anything extravagant. Unlike other cases like this, there’s nothing in the house to

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-91627041821489435652012-01-09T04:02:00.008-05:002012-01-09T04:02:01.098-05:00Operators Of Outfit Suspected Of Snatching Foreclosed Homes Defend Their 'Non-Profit' Racket

In San Diego, California, KGTV Channel 10 reports:Foreclosed homes in the South Bay are the subject of a dispute between real estate agents who want to sell them and a nonprofit group that has taken the titles and are renting them out.Dexter and Dianne Brown formed Prudent Constituents Association (PCA) nine months ago after they were foreclosed upon. "All these homes where people are being

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-79653456107049955562012-01-09T04:00:00.004-05:002012-01-09T04:00:07.250-05:00Lax Oversight, Snoozing Bureaucrats Make For Easy Ripoffs For Foreclosure Surplus Snatching Rackets

In Fulton County, Georgia, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports:John Nelson fought Fulton County and the private tax lien industry for years to keep his house in Inman Park. He lost the battle and nearly lost much more. After the Edgewood Avenue house was foreclosed in 2000 and sold at a sheriff’s auction, Nelson made the best of a bad situation and filed a claim for the excess funds —

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-87993138274947714232012-01-08T04:04:00.005-05:002012-01-08T04:04:00.667-05:00Pair Faces Multiple Felony Charges For Engaging In Alleged Harassment Campaign By Filing $100+ Billion In Bogus Liens Against Public Officials

In Hennepin County, Minnesota, the Pioneer Press reports:A Brooklyn Park man and his wife were charged Wednesday with filing of a slew of bogus and harassing liens worth more than $100 billion against public officials, including Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek and Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.Thomas Wayne Eilertson, 44, and Lisa Joan Connery Eilertson, 47, filed false liens against "

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-81548972164191195732012-01-08T04:02:00.007-05:002012-01-08T04:02:00.628-05:00Fla. AG Tags Alleged F'closure Relief Racket w/ Civil Suit; Outfit Allegedly Pocketed Upfront, Monthly Fees, Promised Homeowners Mortgage-Free Living

In West Palm Beach, Florida, The Palm Beach Post reports:Two West Palm Beach-based companies are being sued by the state for taking upfront fees to help struggling homeowners and promising them they can live mortgage-free for years.In return for the free-living, the homeowners paid CRS Marketing and MGD Management $300-a-month to stall a foreclosure, according to the state complaint. Also named

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-43978347237912555342012-01-08T04:00:00.007-05:002012-01-08T12:31:31.775-05:00Abrupt Close-Down Of Loan Modification Outfit Leaves Slew Of Homeowners In Mortgage Payment Limbo

In Chamblee, Georgia, WSB-TV Channel 2 reports:People who sought help with loan modifications at a center in DeKalb County are getting a shock. The location has locked its doors. "It scares me, my family, my kids," one client said who asked not to be identified. He says he paid $250 to The Community Business Center in Chamblee for help with a loan modification to save his home from foreclosure.

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-82376980692252501242012-01-07T04:08:00.004-05:002012-01-07T04:08:00.273-05:00Maryland AG, Wells Reach Settlement On Charges Involving Alleged "Pick-A-Pay" Mortgage Loan Ripoffs

In Baltimore, Maryland, The Baltimore Sun reports:Under an agreement announced Thursday by the Maryland Attorney General's Office, Wells Fargo has agreed to make loan modifications and pay nearly $1 million in restitution to customers of two lenders acquired by the bank.The office's Consumer Protection Division, which reached the agreement with Wells Fargo, said lenders Wachovia and Golden West

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-73590703756737745552012-01-07T04:06:00.005-05:002012-01-07T04:06:00.683-05:00Another Homeowner Needing Home Loan Modification Gets Put Through BofA Wringer

In Phoenix, Arizona, KPHO-TV Channel 5 reports:A Valley man calls it a rude awakening. Potential buyers knocked on this door Tuesday morning, saying his house was up for auction. "It made me angry," said Ryan Huber, homeowner.Huber, who grew up in the home and currently shares it with his mother, said he called the bank to tell them the sale was a mistake – that they received letters from Bank of

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-34786846309134174112012-01-07T04:04:00.005-05:002012-01-07T04:04:00.695-05:00Family Duped Into Leasing Home With Unpaid Mortgage Caught Between Rent Skimming Landlord, Foreclosing Fannie

In Acworth, Georgia, WSB-TV Channel 2 reports:A local family says they leased a home, and then a week later they received a Fannie Mae foreclosure notice on the door to move out. “I feel like I have been duped,” explained tenant Sonya Croft.Croft says there weren’t any red flags when she signed the lease. The rent was reasonable, she paid a $300 deposit and the landlord allowed her to pay monthly

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-69340664198457105602012-01-07T04:02:00.008-05:002012-01-07T08:11:56.372-05:00Lack Of Cash, Unrepaired Defective Boiler Leave Tenants In 100+ Units In Bronx Building Complex In Foreclosure Without Heat, Hot Water

In The Bronx, New York, The Riverdale Press reports:It was a cold Christmas at the historic Shalom Aleichem Houses in Kingsbridge Heights. More than 100 apartments at the troubled housing complex were without heat for most of December, including on Dec. 25.As Russell and Susan Paige’s family gathered around the table on Christmas Day, they donned winter coats just to keep warm. The Department of

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-47542936003921979342012-01-07T04:00:00.007-05:002012-01-07T08:16:37.886-05:00Blaze In Building In F'closure Latest Problem For Tenants In Complex Plagued By Dilapidated Conditions, Lack Of Heat/Hot Water, Freezing Temperatures

In Chicago, Illinois, WGN Radio 720 AM reports:Chicago firefighters [last week] quickly extinguished a small fire in a large South Side building that residents said has been without heat and hot water for all but a few hours since the weekend. More than a half-dozen residents of the courtyard building in the 7600 block of South East End Avenue managed to escape without injury, despite early

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-32937975632350191552012-01-06T04:04:00.006-05:002012-01-06T04:04:00.324-05:00Lawsuit: Capital One Illegally Squeezed Short Sale Homeowners On Deficiency Payments

Courthouse News Service reports:Homeowners say in a class action that Capital One illegally made them pay thousands of dollars in deficiency contributions after short sales of their homes, though the state prohibited that in 2010.Then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 931 into law in late 2010 to reduce foreclosures and boost short sales. Before the law took effect in January 2011,

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-14376547709265227762012-01-06T04:02:00.004-05:002012-01-06T04:02:00.403-05:00Ex-F'closure Mill King Tagged In Suit By His Now-Defunct Document Sweatshop For Allegedly Inflating Income By "Cutting Corners" In Litigation Process

In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Reuters reports:David J. Stern, who became one of the country's best-known foreclosure lawyers before shutting his business under regulatory pressure, has been sued for fraud by the publicly traded company he helped create to take on his now-defunct law firm's back-office operations.DJSP Enterprises Inc said Stern, a former chief executive, concealed that his law firm

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-19278466796139674882012-01-06T04:00:00.004-05:002012-01-06T04:00:06.714-05:00Legal Loophole Makes Paying Real Estate Taxes Optional For Some Detroit Homeowners

In Detroit, Michigan, The Detroit News reports:Paying property taxes has become optional for a growing number of Detroit landowners using a legal loophole to wipe away debt by buying back their properties in foreclosure.As the city nears financial collapse, owners erased at least $4.7 million in property taxes and liens this fall on more than 400 properties Wayne County appeared to sell back to

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-59162362623826878572012-01-05T04:04:00.005-05:002012-01-05T07:14:15.470-05:00NY Appeals Court: Missed Filing Deadline Not Enough To Dismiss Foreclosure Action

In New York City, Thomson Reuters reports:A Brooklyn judge should not have tossed a foreclosure case just because the foreclosing bank's counsel--from the scandal-plagued Steven J. Baum P.C. law firm--missed a deadline for filing paperwork rebutting its alleged conflict of interest, a New York appeals court has ruled.The unanimous, unsigned order from the Appellate Division, Second Department,

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-86911230379691895972012-01-05T04:02:00.009-05:002012-01-05T07:17:59.252-05:00Keypad Error Results In 80 Cent Mortgage Underpayment, Leading BofA To Boot Homeowner From Loan Modification Program

In Largo, Florida, The Tampa Tribune reports:When Tom Mudie was approved for a mortgage modification program, he thought his foreclosure troubles were over. Bank of America lowered his monthly payment by nearly $200. All he had to do was make the new payments — on time for three months — and the new amount would be made permanent.But a simple error — hitting a "0" on his telephone keypad instead

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-52483207391347447392012-01-05T04:00:00.006-05:002012-01-05T07:23:25.996-05:00Cops Tack On Forgery Charge In Prosecution Of Adverse Possession-Claiming Squatter; Allegedly Used Phony Papers To Get Power In Snatched Vacant Home

In Douglasville, Georgia, the Douglasville Patch reports:Forgery will be added to the charges of criminal trespass and misdemeanor possession of marijuana for Roderick Walker who was arrested by the Douglas County Sheriff's Department on Dec. 22.Sheriff Phil Miller said that Walker forged a signature to get utilities turned on by Greystone Power at another person's home. Walker counsels others to

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-76970863734074021012012-01-04T04:04:00.006-05:002012-01-04T04:04:00.695-05:00Pennsylvania Man Gets 81 Months For Using Fraudulent POAs To Pocket Cash From Refinancing Homes Owned By Elderly Parents, Other Family Members

From the Office of the U.S. Attorney (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania):Anthony Iacono, Jr., 60, of Rutledge, PA, was sentenced [] to 81 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining over $2 million in cash, and real and personal property, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. Iacono pleaded guilty to wire fraud, credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft charges on August 19, 2010.

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-28367289985117484402012-01-04T04:02:00.008-05:002012-01-04T06:01:18.390-05:00Financially Strapped Seniors Selling Off Pension, Retirement Payments To Meet Pressing Cash Needs?

In Greenville, North Carolina, The Daily Refector reports:Many people are doing whatever they can to make it to the next mortgage payment or bill paying day. In some cases people face foreclosure on their homes and need a large cash payment in order to stop the bank.Retirees and veterans who have a defined benefit pension now have another opportunity to get a lump sum payment but it does have a

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37711607.post-77246630479045959272012-01-04T04:00:00.005-05:002012-01-04T04:00:12.175-05:00Cops Begin Meeting With Local Homeowners, Residents To Address Concerns Over Adverse Possession-Claiming Squatters

In Douglasville, Georgia, The Holly Springs-Hickory Flat Patch reports:Members of the Douglasville Police Department and the Douglas County Sheriff's Department have scheduled a meeting on Jan. 3 with homeowners and residents that are concerned with squatters.Squatters have been using Georgia's adverse possession law, which is meant to resolve property disputes, to live in empty houses that are

Home Equity Theft Reporternoreply@blogger.com