Consumer Law

Quit Claim: Scams in prime time.

By Chris Wheaton

You know that a new topic has hit the big time when Law & Order gets hold of it.  In the lead-up to the settlement of the writers strike, NBC threw their hat into the ring concerning the current “ripped from the headlines” plot on Law & Order.  The episode entitled Quit Claim (aired on 2/7) involves a title company backed by the Mob who acts as the foreclosure consultants and the real estate agents who eventually find new buyers paying pennies on the dollar for homes in foreclosure.

NBC chose not to focus the episode on the real victims of the scam - the homeowners who had their house sold right out from under them.  In real life these unfortunate victims are often evicted and their life savings is taken by the scam artist.  Even on television the consumer gets ignored but the scam gets top billing.

The moral of the story?  If your home is in or getting close to foreclosure - find a consumer lawyer fast.  

Full post as published by Caveat Emptor on February 17, 2008 (boomark / email).