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

Class Action Certification Hearing Set In South Florida Chinese Drywall Case

Posted on July 03, 2009
In Miami, Florida, the South Florida Business Journal reports:Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Gill S. Freeman has ordered a Sept. 14 hearing to determine if a class action can be certified for homeowners with Chinese drywall in the Keys Gate subdivision in Homestead...

Central Florida Tenants Get The Boot As Utilities Are Shut Off In Apartments In Foreclosure; Landlord Suspected Of Stealing Electric Service

Posted on July 03, 2009
In Clearwater, Florida, My Fox Tampa Bay reports:Pinellas County Code Enforcement officers closed a row of apartments Tuesday, finding the rental units lacked water and electricity -- even as tenants continued paying. "We got 15 days, they got it posted on the door," said resident Debra Turman...

Long Island Man Accused Of Hijacking Homes In Foreclosure, Renting Them Out, Filing Over A Dozen Phony Liens Faces Jury Trial

Posted on July 03, 2009
In Suffolk County, New York, the Long Island Press reports:Home may be a man?s castle, but in Paul Salamone?s case, the entire fiefdom was allegedly fraudulent. The Medford man is facing a Suffolk County jury [...] after being accused of breaking into seven homes in various states of foreclosure and illegally renting some of them out in a scheme to capitalize on the failing local housing

Oklahoma Man Accused Of Hijacking Homes In Foreclosure & Renting Them To Unwitting Tenants Cops Plea, Gets Deferred Sentence

Posted on July 03, 2009
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Tulsa World reports:A man received a three-year deferred sentence Tuesday on accusations that he rented foreclosed houses in Tulsa without the authority to do so. Michael Remington was charged in May with two felony counts of obtaining money by false pretense...

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

Judge's Wife Charged With Forging Court Order In Attempt To Stall Home Foreclosure

Posted on July 02, 2009
In Marion County, Indiana, The Indianapolis Star reports:Forging a judge's signature. Pretending to be the victim of a vicious assault. Impersonating a co-worker at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Few would expect such actions from a police employee, much less the wife of a judge...

SW Florida Man Gets 22 Years In Mortgage Scam Involving $30M+ In Fraudulently Obtained Loans On 36 Properties

Posted on July 02, 2009
In Fort Myers, Florida, The News Press reports:A man federal authorities believe spearheaded a $30 million real estate scheme based in Cape Coral was sentenced to 22 years in prison Tuesday. Ronald Luczak, 38, who with his wife Lisa ran Cape Coral Equity and Development Group Inc...

Ohio AG Bags 13 Suspects In Alleged Mortgage Fraud Scam Involving 30+ Properties

Posted on July 02, 2009
From the Office of the Ohio Attorney General:Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray and the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission announced [Wednesday] details of an investigation which has led to the indictments of 13 people(1) alleged to have perpetrated a $9 million mortgage fraud scheme involving more than 30 properties in central Ohio...

Philadelphia Foreclosure Diversion Program Scoring High Marks

Posted on July 02, 2009
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Daily News reports:Jeff Jubelirer, a First Judicial District spokesman, said that more than 5,700 Philadelphia homeowners have participated in the [Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Pilot Program...

Nevada High Court Adopts Rules To Implement New State Foreclosure Mediation Program

Posted on July 02, 2009
The Nevada Supreme Court announced:The Nevada Supreme Court has adopted formal rules governing the Nevada Foreclosure Mediation Program that was established by the passage of Assembly Bill 149 by the 2009 Nevada Legislature. CLICK HERE to read the rules...

Louisville-Area Court System To Begin Foreclosure Conciliation Project

Posted on July 02, 2009
In Louisville, Kentucky, WFPL Radio 89.3 FM reports:Some Jefferson County judges are teaming up with non-profits to help Louisvillians who are faced with foreclosure. Circuit Court Chief Judge Jim Shake says many times homeowners who are dealing with foreclosure are contacted with a lot of scam offers and are afraid to communicate with their lender...

Facing Foreclosure? Need To Buy Some Time? Simply Go Into Court & Ask For It

Posted on July 01, 2009
In Sarasota, Florida, the Sarasota Herald Tribune recently ran a story on homeowners facing foreclosure being urged not to abandon their homes but, instead, to stay put and fight back. The following excerpt shows how easy it was for one homeowner in Florida (a state that requires lenders to file a court action in order to foreclose on a home) to buy at least six months time by simply filing one

Use Of Short Sale Promissory Notes To Squeeze Underwater Home Sellers Gaining In Popularity With Lenders?

Posted on July 01, 2009
In Seattle, Washington, the Puget Sound Business Journal reports:When her Edmonds condo went on the market, Mindy Moore thought she had managed to avoid foreclosure. Moore listed the home in Edmonds for about $30,000 less than she owed on the mortgage...

Deed Scams No Longer Flying Under The Radar In Brooklyn DA's Office

Posted on July 01, 2009
In Brooklyn, New York, a recent story in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle describing the newly formed Mortgage Fraud and Real Estate Crimes Unit of the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office referred to two recent cases in which criminal charges have been brought against alleged deed scammers:One man who was arrested earlier this year had forged a deed that said he was the owner of a 39-story co-operative

NJ AG Announces Mortgage Fraud Indictments In Three Unrelated Cases; Among Charges Are Use Of Stolen IDs To Fradulently Obtain Loans

Posted on July 01, 2009
From the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General:Attorney General Anne Milgram announced [Tuesday] the indictment of six people charged in three separate, unrelated mortgage fraud cases, including two women charged with spearheading a conspiracy to use stolen identities to obtain more than $1 million in unauthorized mortgages, lines of credit and credit cards...

Judge To Rule Within Days On Whether To Allow Baltimore's "Ghetto Loans" Suit To Proceed After Hearing "Test Run" Of Discriminatory Lending Claim

Posted on June 30, 2009
In Baltimore, Maryland, The Baltimore Sun reports:Having heard what he called a "test run" of Baltimore's discriminatory lending claim against Wells Fargo on Monday, a federal judge said he will rule within days on whether the civil case can proceed to discovery - a process that could reveal the inner workings of one of the region's largest mortgage lenders...

NY AG Scores Big Win As Supremes Reverse Lower Courts, Give Go-Ahead To States To Pursue Probes Of National Banks For Lending Discrimination

Posted on June 30, 2009
The Wall Street Journal reports:In a surprise win for state regulators over the banking industry, a divided U.S. Supreme Court on Monday gave New York prosecutors the green light to investigate national banks for lending discrimination. The high court, in a 5-4 opinion by Justice Antonin Scalia, said federal banking regulations didn't pre-empt the ability of states to enforce their own

Legal Advocates To Homeowners Facing Foreclosure: Stay Put & Fight Back; Clogged Courts, Budget Cuts Have Cases Moving At Snail's Pace

Posted on June 30, 2009
In Central Florida, the Sarasota Herald Tribune reports:Phil Agnes and other lawyers have two words for homeowners facing foreclosure: Stay put. The flood of foreclosures has clogged the courts, allowing homeowners to stay in their homes while the paperwork goes through the system...

Minnesota Title Closer Charged With Illegally Pocketing $220K+ By Paying Her Family Bills Out Of Real Estate Closing Funds

Posted on June 30, 2009
From the Office of the County Attorney for Dakota County, Minnesota:Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom announced that Kuntee Singramdoo, age 49 of Lakeville, has been charged with five counts of Theft and three counts of Theft by Swindle (all felonies), in connection with the theft of over $220,000 while she worked as an independent closer for a Burnsville title and real estate company...

Ohio AG Puts Hammer To Home Improvement Company In Civil Suit Alleging Shoddy Work, Failing To Deliver

Posted on June 30, 2009
From the Office of the Ohio Attorney General:A Columbus home improvement company did shoddy work and failed to deliver promised services or honor warranties, according to a lawsuit filed [...] by Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray. The suit, filed in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, charges Premier Design (Premier) and its owner, Jeffrey Shalayda, with multiple violations of Ohio

Notices To Homeowners Nearing Foreclosure Offering Mediation, Free Foreclosure Counseling Now Required In Indiana

Posted on June 30, 2009
In Allen County, Indiana, Indiana's NewsCenter reports:A new law is about to go into effect in Indiana that could help troubled homeowners stave off foreclosure. Starting July 1st, lenders pursuing foreclosure must send notice 30 days in advance, offering free mortgage foreclosure counseling and assistance at 1-877-GET HOPE...

Improper Service Of Process In Foreclosure Cases Becoming A Concern With Some Defense Attorneys Representing Homeowners

Posted on June 29, 2009
In Miami, Florida, the Daily Business Review reported last week that a Miami-Dade Circuit Court Civil Division Administrative Judge Jennifer D. Bailey discovered more than 15,000 foreclosure cases filed this year have yet to be served on the property owners who have become delinquent in their mortgage payments...

Ohio AG Tags Three Loan Modification Firms With Civil Suits As Part Of Statewide Foreclosure Rescue Scam Eradication Sweep

Posted on June 29, 2009
From the Office of the Ohio Attorney General:Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray [Thursday] filed three lawsuits in a continuing effort to rid the state of foreclosure rescue scams operations. The lawsuits, filed against 21st Century Legal Services (Franklin County), Foreclosure Home Assistance, LLC (Cuyahoga County), and Michael Brotherton, who does business as Financial Emergency, Inc...

Arizona AG Has 50+ Firms In The Crosshairs In Ongoing Probes Into Loan Modification, Refinancing Rackets

Posted on June 29, 2009
In Phoenix, Arizona, the Phoenix Business Journal reports:Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard said the state is investigating more than 50 mortgage modification and refinancing firms his office has received complaints about for ripping off consumers...

Long Island Lawyer Accused Of Pocketing $80K+ In Real Estate Sale Proceeds Due To Seller, $20K+ In Alleged Debt Consolidation Scam

Posted on June 29, 2009
From the Office of the Nassau County, New York District Attorney:Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced [...] that an East Meadow attorney has been arrested and charged with three felonies after three victims accused him of stealing more than $100,000 of their money...

Federal Judge Could Decide Today Whether To Allow Baltimore "Ghetto Loans" Case To Continue

Posted on June 29, 2009
In Baltimore, Maryland, The Baltimore Sun reports:Baltimore City will attempt to show a federal judge on Monday that it has lost millions of dollars because of what it contends were racially biased predatory lending practices by Wells Fargo. In what will amount to a mini-trial before U...

Lenders' Legal Standing To Foreclose Gets Attention At Arizona State Bar Convention

Posted on June 28, 2009
In Phoenix, Arizona, The Arizona Republic reports:A growing number of home-mortgage holders in foreclosure are taking their lenders to court, where they are posing fundamental questions about the banks' legal right to repossess their homes, said an attorney addressing a packed crowd of lawyers Thursday at the State Bar of Arizona 2009 Convention in Phoenix...

Cops: Forged Docs Used To Steal Home In Foreclosure, "Satisfy" Unpaid Loan, Pocket $167K+ From Subsequent Refi, Swipe Add'l $6K In Rent To Own Scam

Posted on June 28, 2009
In Newington, Connecticut, The New Britain Herald reports:A Glastonbury real estate investor is accused of forging documents to take out more than $167,000 in mortgages on a Newington property in foreclosure, police said. Thomas ?Steve? Moynihan, 48, [...

Ohio Lawsuit Against County Sheriff, Others Alleges Appraisal Improprieties In Connection With Foreclosure Process

Posted on June 28, 2009
In Youngstown, Ohio, The Vindicator reports:A local attorney feels something is amiss with Mahoning County Sheriff Randall Wellington and those appointed to appraise county property, and he is taking the matter to court. Atty. Brian P. Kish filed a civil lawsuit in common pleas court [...

Complaints From Homeowners, Former Company Employees Raise Questions About Activities Of Southwest Florida Foreclosure Rescue Firm

Posted on June 28, 2009
In Lee County, Florida, WINK News reports:The Florida Attorney General's Office has nine complaints against a Bonita Springs foreclosure rescue company, alleging that it may be breaking the law. Elite Financial Management Group, also known as Home Protection Agency, claims to help homeowners who are facing foreclosure by either mediating their mortgages or helping them with short sales...

DOJ Alleges Race Discrimination In Civil Suit Against Owners, Managers Of Mobile Home Park

Posted on June 28, 2009
The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced:The Department [...] filed a lawsuit against the former owner and managers of Homestead Mobile Home Village, a mobile home park in Gulfport, Miss., for violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against black tenants on the basis of race or color...

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 ...