The Home Equity Theft Reporter: Real Estate & Property Law

Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Real Estate & Property Law Blogs

OR PHONE (866) 635-1838 for Bankruptcy Help, (866) 635-6190 for Divorce,
(866) 635-2689 for Personal Injury or (866) 635-9402 for Criminal Defense

Find a Local Lawyer

Bankruptcy (866) 635-1838
Divorce (866) 635-6190
Personal Injury (866) 635-2689
Criminal Defense (866) 635-9402

Real Estate & Property Law

The Home Equity Theft Reporter

Welcome to The Home Equity Theft Reporter, a blog dedicated to informing the consumer public and the legal profession about Home Equity Theft issues.
By r morris

Post Frequency: 25.7/day

Last Entry: September 06, 2017 at 04:02:00

Death Threats Begin Coming In To Texas HOA That Foreclosed On Active Duty Servicemember While Away In Iraq Over Unpaid $800 Fee

Posted on June 25, 2010
In Frisco, Texas, WFAA-TV Channel 8 reports:An Army officer on active duty lost his house when his homeowners' association foreclosed for back dues. It's a story first reported by News 8, and it outraged people around the world.(1)Now the HOA is breaking its silence, saying the board is getting death threats ? even though it did nothing wrong...

Foreclosed Home Preservation Contractor Says It's Also A Victim Of Mortgage Crisis In Suit Against BofA; Claims Bank Gave It $400K Stiffing

Posted on June 25, 2010
WFAA-TV Channel 8 reports:A property preservation company with business in Texas charges Bank of America with fraud and deceit, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment in a civil suit in California. Diversified Field Services of Tustin, California ? which maintains foreclosed properties for banks ? says in the lawsuit that Bank of America signed DFS to a contract to maintain repossessed homes

NY AG Fires Off 180+ Cease & Desist Warnings To Loan Modification Outfits Peddling Services To Empire State Residents

Posted on June 24, 2010
From the Office of the New York Attorney General:Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo [] announced that his office is sending over 180 cease-and-desist letters to mortgage rescue companies with customers in New York, warning them to immediately end all misleading and illegal conduct...

Rockland County DA Charges Duo In Equity Stripping Foreclosure Rescue Scam; Allegedly Duped Struggling Homeowner Into Bogus Sale Leaseback Ripoff

Posted on June 24, 2010
In New City, New York, The Journal News reports:Two men were arrested and charged today for swindling a Tomkins Cove homeowner on the verge of foreclosure, the Rockland County District Attorney's Office said.(1) Edward DeFrancesco Sr., 59, of [...] Highland Lakes, N...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

One NYC DA's Office Invokes State Hate Crimes Law As Added Leverage When Hammering Scammers Targeting Elderly In Home Equity, Other Ripoffs

Posted on June 24, 2010
In Kew Gardens, Queens, The New York Times reports:In the public?s imagination, the classic hate crime is an assault born of animus against a particular ethnicity or sexual orientation, like the case of the Long Island man convicted in April of killing an Ecuadorean immigrant after hunting for Hispanics to beat up...

Unforgiven Debt Balances On Foreclosure, Short Sales Leave Ex-Homeowners Stunned; Failure To Obtain Written Waivers Drive Some Into Bankruptcy Court

Posted on June 24, 2010
In Gainesville, Virginia, The Washington Post reports:After the bank foreclosed on Fernando Palacios's home in March, he thought he was done with what he described as the most stressful financial situation of his life. The bank sold the home for far less than Palacios owed on it, as often happens with foreclosures...

Maryland Judge Grants Ground Rent Investors Class Action Status In Suit To Preserve Their Ability To Snatch Homes Over Miniscule Debts

Posted on June 24, 2010
In Anne Arundel County, Maryland, The Baltimore Sun reports:From fat-cat Wall Street financiers to oil-polluting energy companies like BP, nobody induces public rage quite like the unprincipled speculator who makes huge profits by brazenly running roughshod over the average citizen...

Newark Feds Charge Trio In Alleged Sale Leaseback, Equity Stripping Foreclosure Rescue Ripoff

Posted on June 23, 2010
In Newark, New Jersey, CBS 3 reports:Three people who offered distressed homeowners foreclosure rescue services have been arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey said Tuesday.Authorities say 40-year-old Ronald Harris Jr...

"Sun" Shines Light On Sticky-Fingered Title Insurance, Real Estate Escrow/Settlement Agents Victimizing Homeowners

Posted on June 23, 2010
In Baltimore, Maryland, The Baltimore Sun reports:It's the lesser-known side of the mortgage disaster. As lenders foisted billions of dollars in mortgage debt on unqualified borrowers buying overpriced houses, too often there was a sticky-fingered settlement agent standing nearby...

BofA Uses Computer Glitch As Excuse To Stiff Property Preservation Contractors Out Of Million$, Leaving Thousands Across Country Without Paychecks

Posted on June 23, 2010
In Fort Worth, Texas, WFAA-TV Channel 8 reports:If the nation's largest bank had lost the records of thousands of its customers, federal regulators would take swift action. But that's just what Bank of America has done ? directly and indirectly ? with the paychecks of thousands of its contractors and subcontractors in the property preservation business...

Wells Fargo Pre-Foreclosure Inspection Contractor Accused Of Repeatedly Sledge-Hammering Delinquent Borrower; Claims Self Defense

Posted on June 23, 2010
In Reno, Nevada, The Reno Gazette Journal reports:When Ralph "Pete" Peterson of Spanish Springs saw a stranger taking photos of his house and suspected the man might have sinister motives, he confronted the person, who he said refused to identify himself...

Suspect In $3.3M Mansion-Squatting Case To Continuing Pursuing Claim To It & Ten Other Foreclosed, Bank-Owned Seattle-Area Homes

Posted on June 22, 2010
In Kirkland, Washington, staff columnist Danny Westneat of The Seattle Times observes:I figured the arrest of the Kirkland mansion squatter last week would be the end of that crazy story. But it only gets curiouser and curiouser. As we go down the rabbit hole of the housing meltdown...

Maryland Title Agent Gets Eight Years In $7M+ Escrow Swindle Occurring Over 10+ Years

Posted on June 22, 2010
In Baltimore, Maryland, The Baltimore Sun reports:State prosecutors say a title company executive accused of taking more than $7 million from escrow accounts has been sentenced to eight years in prison. Prosecutors say 67-year-old George Sybert Sr. of Reisterstown was also ordered to pay $2...

Appeals Court Tells Lender To "Take A Hike" In Response To Request To Vacate F'closure Sale; Screw-Up In Calculating Minimum Bid Leads To $275K+ Hit

Posted on June 22, 2010
The Georgia Court of Appeals recently left untouched a lower court ruling that directed a foreclosing lender to provide a deed to the winning bidder at a foreclosure sale that the lender requested be invalidated due to a mistake in its calculation of its minimum opening bid that resulted in the lender taking a financial hit to the tune of $279,000...

MD Feds Wrap Up Metropolitan Money Store Sale Leaseback, Equity Stripping Foreclosure Rescue Criminal Prosecution As Final Defendant Cops Guilty Plea

Posted on June 22, 2010
From the Office of the U.S. Attorney (Greenbelt, Maryland):Rolando Alonzo Cousins, a/k/a ?Junior,? age 32, of Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty [] to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud in connection with a massive mortgage fraud scheme which promised to help homeowners facing foreclosure keep their homes and repair their damaged credit, but left them homeless and with no equity...

Maryland High Court Revives Ex-Owner's Attempt In Civil Lawsuit To Undo Metropolitan Money Store Sale Leaseback Foreclosure Rescue Home Equity Ripoff

Posted on June 22, 2010
In Baltimore, Maryland, The Maryland Daily Record reports:Maryland?s top court has revived a woman?s attempt to retrieve the home she claims she lost in a foreclosure scam. The Court of Appeals said Harriette Julian can pursue her case even though she did not post a bond generally required in appeals of approved foreclosure sales...

Central Fla. Multiple Corporate Hat-Wearing Vice President Back In News; Gets Hand Slap For Use Of Shortened Signature When Acting As "Robo-Notary"

Posted on June 21, 2010
In Central Florida, the St. Petersburg Times reports:To thousands of homeowners whose loans have been shuttled from one company to another, the name "Bryan Bly'' is very familiar. Over the past few years, Bly has signed countless mortgage assignments as either a notary public or "vice president'' of various lenders...

Ohio Appeals Court: Failure To Give Delinquent Borrower Notice Of Acceleration Of Amounts Due Sinks Lender's Foreclosure Attempt

Posted on June 21, 2010
An Ohio appeals court recently reversed a lower court ruling and held that a lender was not entitled to summary judgment in a foreclosure action where it failed to plead and establish that it provided a delinquent homeowner/borrower a notice of acceleration before commencing a foreclosure action, as required by the terms contained in paragraph 22 of the subject mortgage...

Miami Jury Awards Couple $2.5M For Damages Due To Defective Chinese Drywall; Company To Mull Over Possible Appeal

Posted on June 21, 2010
In Miami, Florida, The Miami Herald reports:About 2 � years after a Miami couple first wondered about the strange odor in their home, a Miami-Dade jury awarded them $2.5 million in damages and expenses Friday, blaming odors and corrosion problems on defective Chinese drywall...

Failure To Update Owner's Title Insurance Policy On Refinance Leaves Couple Facing F'closure As Escrow Agent Allegedly Failed To Pay Off Existing Lien

Posted on June 21, 2010
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, WTAE-TV Channel 4 reports:Team 4's Paul Van Osdol spoke with one local family in danger of losing their home after being victimized by an accused fraudster. "We've been victimized many times over and this is getting ridiculous...

Jury Sends 62-Year Old Scammer Into Probable Retirement w/ Guilty Verdict In "Land Patent" F'closure Rescue Scam; Homeowners Losses Estimated At $260K

Posted on June 21, 2010
In San Diego, California, KGTV-TV Channel 10 reports:A man who told homeowners that buying "land patents" from him would protect their properties from foreclosure was convicted Thursday of 21 felony counts, including grand theft and unlawful practices by a foreclosure consultant...

Cal. State Bar Shelves Another Attorney For Association With Alleged Lawyer-Renting Loan Mod Racket; Pocketed Upfront Fees & Did Nothing, Says Judge

Posted on June 20, 2010
In Southern California, The Orange County Register reports:An Orange County lawyer who signed retainer agreements with homeowners facing foreclosure but then "did little or nothing to help them'' was placed on involuntary inactive enrollment, the State Bar of California announced...

NC AG Wins Temporary Shut Down Of Alleged Ripoff Operation Peddling Loan Modification, ?Regulation Z Audit? Services

Posted on June 20, 2010
From the Office of the North Carolina Attorney General:A Charlotte foreclosure rescue operation, which previously operated in Colfax, NC, is barred from collecting any money from consumers for foreclosure assistance or loan modifications, Attorney General Roy Cooper announced Friday...

Illinois AG Files Civil Suit Against Firm For Allegedly Pocketing Upfront Fees, Failing To Deliver Services In Running Loan Modification Ripoff

Posted on June 20, 2010
In Chicago, Illinois, The Herald News reports:A Crest Hill business is among those targeted in Operation Stolen Dreams, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of Justice and state attorney generals targeting mortgage-related fraud. [... Illinois Attorney General Lisa] Madigan filed her complaint[] in Cook County Circuit Court against: Opportunity Consultants Inc...

Ohio AG Files Suits Against Two Firms For Allegedly Running Loan Modification Ripoffs; Secures Judgments Against Three Others

Posted on June 20, 2010
From the Office of the Ohio Attorney General:As part of a national mortgage fraud sweep dubbed ?Operation Stolen Dreams,? Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray [] announced lawsuits against two Ohio foreclosure rescue businesses for failing to provide services for which consumers paid...

Cal. AG Warns Underwater Homeowners Against Emergence Of An Entire Industry Of So-Called Short Sale Negotiators; Calls It A Field Rife w/ Scam Artists

Posted on June 20, 2010
From the Office of the California Attorney General:Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. [] joined the California Department of Real Estate and the State Bar of California to warn homeowners about an alarming rise in short sale fraud across California in a field "rife with scam artists"...

Sale Leaseback Scam Warnings Continue As Desperate Borrowers Will Do Anything To Save Homes From Foreclosure

Posted on June 20, 2010
Buried in a recent story in the Sarasota Herald Tribune is this warning on sale leaseback foreclosure rescue scams:"Rent-buyback" schemes are proliferating, the Federal Trade Commission recently warned, because so many homeowners are behind on their payments and are willing to do anything to save their homes from foreclosure...

Sacramento Feds Say Foreclosure Rescue Operator Clipped Homeowners $1K/Month To Purportedly Fight Lenders; Used Ch. 13 Filings To Stall Legal Actions

Posted on June 20, 2010
From the Office of the U.S. Attorney (Sacramento, California):United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced the unsealing of a seven-count indictment charging George M. Eggleston, 63, of Las Vegas, with wire fraud and mail fraud in a foreclosure rescue scheme...

Foreclosure Purchaser Intimidated Renter's Minor Children, Driving Tenants From Home, Says Suit Seeking $1M+ In Damages On Behalf Of F'closed Landlord

Posted on June 19, 2010
In Rockville, Maryland, Courthouse News Service reports:A couple who lost their rental home to foreclosure claim the buyers sent men to the house the next day to force their way in, demand the keys from the tenants' children, who were home alone, and tell the kids to leave, or they would "break the door and change the locks...

Harassment Of Tenants In Foreclosed Homes Continues As Investors Ignore Federal Law

Posted on June 19, 2010
In Bakersfield, California, KGET-TV Channel 17 reports:Amber and Tony Moore say their rental was foreclosed on and sold at auction last year. "On the 15th of September we watched the house get sold," said Moore. The Moores obtained a lawyer who assured them they had the right to live out their lease, but eventually they say the harassment got so bad they just decided to give up...

Previous | Next

Related Law Bulletins

Home is where the trailer is: Trailer on lot sufficient to destroy grandfathered lot status
The Appeals Court, in an unpublished decision, has determined that...

Real Estate Agents, Lenders, Appraisers & Home Inspectors: ARE BUYERS WASTING TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME?
PREQUALIFY, PREQUALIFY, PREQUALIFY. It cannot be said enough times...

Going Home: Remembering Long Branch eminent domain activist Anna DeFaria
While she waited for the next round in the eminent domain fi...

Pennsylvania Nursing Home Director Admits Criminal Neglect of Patient
Donna Cameron, of Ashton Pennsylvania, who was the former Director...

Nursing Home Abuse: Organizations Defend Seniors
Boston, MA: Nursing home abuse is, unfortunately, not an uncommon ...