Legal News

Lawyers Rip Off Desperate Homeowners

By Glen Ashman

Lawyer misconduct rises with foreclosure record AP ? Sat Feb 13, 3:56 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  ? Warren Jacobs... unwittingly became one of the many thousands of homeowners authorities allege have been taken in by unscrupulous or incompetent loan modification attorneys who rushed into a burgeoning legal niche: helping financially struggling homeowners re-negotiate their mortgages... Currently, the California Bar is investigating more than 400 attorneys who are suspected of ripping off thousands of homeowners across the country.  The organization that licenses and disciplines California's more than 250,000 lawyers already has suspended or obtained the resignations of 15 lawyers while disciplinary charges are pending.  The first to be charged was Sean Rutledge, founder of the law firm that purported to represent Jacobs and 13 other homeowners.  Just months after securing a law license, Rutledge had been flying high. His United Law Group ramped up to several lawyers and opened offices in other states.  Today his license is suspended, his nascent career lies in tatters and he is under investigation in California and Ohio for taking fees of up to $3,500 from desperate homeowners then allegedly doing little ? or nothing ? to save their homes....

Full post as published by It's (Barely) Legal on February 14, 2010 (boomark / email).