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

Cleveland Housing Court Judge Begins Belting Lenders With Contempt Citations For Failing To Answer For Code Violations On Dilapidated Foreclosures

Posted on June 21, 2009
In Cleveland, Ohio, The Plain Dealer reports:One day last month, Cleveland Housing Court Judge Raymond Pianka waited for absentee owners facing charges that they neglected their property to come and explain why they shouldn't be held in contempt. The mostly out-of-town companies had been no-shows at previous hearings, and now it looked as if they would be missing again, despite Pianka's

WV Non-Profit Law Firm Expands Assistance For State Predatory Mortgage Victims In Foreclosure By Launching New Office

Posted on June 21, 2009
In Charles Town, West Virginia, The Journal reports:Mountain State Justice Inc., a Charleston-based agency, has opened a new office in Clarksburg in an attempt to better serve clients in the state's eastern and northern counties. The nonprofit group opened its first office in 1996, to help provide legal assistance to low-income individuals facing problems related to consumer issues, health care

Fires In Vacant Homes On The Upswing?

Posted on June 21, 2009
The Associated Press reports:Fires in vacant homes rose 11 percent to 21,000 in 2006 ? the latest year for which figures are available ? while all home fires rose just 4 percent, the National Fire Protection Association reported in April. More than four of every 10 vacant building fires were intentionally set, the group reported...

Stiffed Condo Associations Now Target Deadbeat Lenders With "Unpaid Maintenance Fee" Lien Foreclosures On Units Already Seized By Banks

Posted on June 20, 2009
In Sunny South Florida, The Wall Street Journal reports:As more condominium owners default on home loans, the amount of unpaid dues owed to condo associations is piling up. To collect the arrears, some condo boards have begun foreclosures on units already seized by banks...

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

Florida Man Accused Of Using Bogus Deeds, Adverse Possession Claims In Alleged Massive Foreclosed Home Hijacking Scam Faces New Charges

Posted on June 20, 2009
In West Palm Beach, Florida, the Palm Beach Post reports:Carl Heflin, 51, of suburban West Palm Beach was arrested June 4 and charged with organized scheme to defraud and committing a criminal process under color of law. [Wednesday] morning he was marched back into a courtroom at the Palm Beach County Jail to face burglary and grand theft charges related to his "elaborate scheme," which

Federal Regulator Urges Caution When Considering Reverse Mortgages

Posted on June 20, 2009
The Washington Post reports:If you watch TV during insomniac hours, you've probably caught some of the commercials for reverse mortgages. [...] But there's much more to know about these highly complicated and often very expensive forms of credit. And [last week], one of the government's banking regulators, Comptroller of the Currency, John C...

Bomb Squad Called In To Clear Out Volatile Chemicals Stumbled Into By Bank Reps In Vacant Home Recently Foreclosed On

Posted on June 20, 2009
In Montgomery County, Ohio, the Dayton Daily News reports:The Dayton Bomb Squad has removed two chemicals from a vacant home on Evansville Avenue [Wednesday] afternoon and is trucking them out to be destroyed. At 4:40 p.m., two canisters containing potassium chlorate and aluminum powder were loaded onto a Harrison Twp...

Colorado Couple Arrested For Using Stolen IDs To Rent Expensive Homes From Property Owners For Use As Indoor Pot Farms

Posted on June 20, 2009
From the Front Range of Colorado, The Denver Post reports:Expensive homes in three Front Range counties have allegedly been rented by a couple who have used them to grow marijuana, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Department. The suspects were identified as Brian Wayne Coplen, 24, and Melissa Violet Haraldson, 21...

Unwitting Tenant Rents Foreclosed Home, Then Gets Evicted Days After Moving In; Full Rent Refund Obtained After Local Media Reporter Intervenes

Posted on June 20, 2009
In West Palm Beach, Florida, WPBF-TV Channel 25 reports:It's not what Marie Jean-Pierre envisioned for the week she took off work. She planned to be moving in, not moving out, too. Jean-Pierre rented a four-bedroom home in the gated Terracina community from a woman named Micki O'Callaghan...

New Jersey Man Accused Of Fraudulently Pocketing $75K+ In Mortgage Loan Proceeds Secured By Unwitting Father-In-Law's Vacation Home

Posted on June 19, 2009
In Bergen County, New Jersey, Examiner.com reports:A 68-year-old car salesman ripped off his father-in-law to the tune of $150,000 by impersonating him, authorities said [...]. Besides obtaining more than $75,000 through various accounts and leases, Jerome A...

New Orleans Feds Convict Local Woman Accused Of Using Forged Deed To Apply For & Obtain SBA Disaster Loan, HUD Grant

Posted on June 19, 2009
A recent press release by the Office of the U.S Attorney in New Orleans, Louisiana announced the conviction of Barbara Simmons Dowl on a five-count indictment by a Federal jury for theft of government funds, false statements and wire fraud.Dowl was accused of filing a bogus quit claim deed, naming her as owner to property she once owned but lost to the City of New Orleans for failure to pay real

Builder Convivted Of Pocketing Customer Cash For Homes Never Constructed

Posted on June 19, 2009
In Prince George's County, Maryland, The Washington Post reports:A District Heights builder who was accused of collecting more than $1 million from banks and home buyers for homes that were never constructed has been convicted of 16 counts of theft and other violations...

Central Oregon Squatters In Vacant Foreclosures A Problem Getting Out Of Hand, Say Local Cops, Real Estate Agents

Posted on June 19, 2009
In Bend, Oregon, KTVZ-TV Channel 21 reports:As more houses in Central Oregon and nationwide fall into foreclosure and sit empty, a new problem is creeping up: Squatters are breaking in and doing drugs, lighting fires, leaving a mess - and police are having a hard time finding them all...

Federal Jury Convicts San Antonio Woman Of Bilking Homeowners In Foreclosure Of Upfront Fees In Exchange For Bogus Promises Of Help

Posted on June 18, 2009
In San Antonio, Texas, the San Antonio Express News reports:A San Antonio woman accused of bilking $100,000 from several people who thought she could help stop foreclosure on their homes was convicted Wednesday of all 14 charges she faced. Rosario Castro Divins [aka Rosie Divins], 54, showed little emotion after hearing the guilty verdicts to seven counts of criminal contempt and seven counts of

Free Legal Help For Washington State Low & Middle Income Homeowners In Danger Of Foreclosure Available Thru State Bar Association

Posted on June 18, 2009
In Seattle, Washington, The Seattle Times reports:The Washington State Bar Association has launched a program to provide free legal help to low- and middle-income people in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure. Homeowners who call a toll-free number will be referred to volunteer attorneys in their communities who are trained to deal with foreclosure-related issues...

Brooklyn Man Accused Of Dressing In Drag To Impersonate Dead Mom To Collect Her Benefits Checks & Steal Back Brownstone Previously Lost To Foreclosure

Posted on June 18, 2009
In Brooklyn, New York, the New York Daily News reports:He may be the ultimate mama's boy. A Brooklyn man is accused of donning a wig, nail polish and dresses to impersonate his dead mom and collect $115,000 in Social Security and rent subsidies. For six years, Thomas Prusik-Parkin hoodwinked a stunning array of government agencies with his elaborate charade - using a cane, heavy makeup, fake ID

75-Year Old Chicago Woman Fights To Get Back Home Ripped Off In Straw Buyer, Equity Stripping Foreclosure Rescue Scam

Posted on June 18, 2009
In Chicago, Illinois, WLS-TV Channel 7 reports:A Chicago woman is battling to keep the home she has owned for 40 years. Lessie Towns is a victim of mortgage fraud, and she could lose her home, despite the fact she has never missed a mortgage payment. Towns, who is 75 years old, raised five children as a single mother in her South Side home...

Brooklyn Family Scammed Out Of Home In Foreclosure Rescue Scam

Posted on June 18, 2009
In Brooklyn, New York, WNYC Radio 93.9 reports on the story of Robert Pascall, a local homeowner who accuses three men of milking his two-family Brownsville home out of its equity and tricking him out of the deed in a foreclosure rescue, equity stripping sale leaseback scam...

Title Insurance Heavyweight Forks Over $300K, Drops NJ Malpractice Suit Against Buyer's Lawyer For Allegedly Failing To Unearth $2.7M Federal Tax Lien

Posted on June 18, 2009
The New Jersey Law Journal reports:A venerable title insurance company has done something unusual in New Jersey, and lawyers aren't likely to applaud. Chicago Title Insurance Co. filed a malpractice claim against a homebuyer's attorney, saying he acted without diligence and owes a piece of the $300,000 the company paid to save a policyholder's home...

Mandatory Mediation For Indiana Homeowners, Foreclosing Lenders Begins July 1

Posted on June 18, 2009
In Marion County, Indiana, The Indianapolis Star reports:Indiana homeowners facing foreclosure are starting to see benefits of new legal protections and counseling along with millions of dollars in new federal grants. On July 1, a new state law takes effect requiring mediation between homeowners and lenders in foreclosure cases...

L.A. Feds Charge Man With Filing Fraudulent Bankruptcy Petitions As Part Of Foreclosure Rescue Scam Targeting Financially Strapped Homeowners

Posted on June 17, 2009
From the Office of the U.S. Attorney (Los Angeles):A Los Angeles man was taken into federal custody last [week] on charges that he has been defrauding homeowners by falsely promising them that he could prevent foreclosures and evictions from their property...

DeKalb District Attorney's White Collar Unit Takes Aggressive Approach When Prosecuting Elder Exploitation Cases

Posted on June 17, 2009
In DeKalb County, Georgia, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports on how the county district attorney's white collar crime unit head Jeanne Canavan deals with the problem of the inability of elder exploitation victims(1) to testify (ie. due to death or infirmity) at the criminal trial of the alleged perpetrator:Once a defendant is indicted, Canavan moves quickly to secure the elderly victims?

Minnesota Woman Charged With Pocketing $1.1M+ In Real Estate Sale Proceeds Belonging To Her 89-Year Old Dementia-Suffering Mom, Leaving Her Destitute

Posted on June 17, 2009
From the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General:The Office of Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson [...] filed a criminal complaint in Rice County District Court charging a Dakota County woman, Connie Ruth Rott, with nine felony counts of theft by swindle and five felony counts of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult for diverting over $1...

Utah AG Prosecution Of Foreclosure Rescue Operator Accused In Dubious Equity Stripping, Sale Leaseback Deals Hits Another Delay

Posted on June 17, 2009
In Farmington, Utah, the Standard Examiner reports:One of the oldest foreclosure-rescue fraud cases in the state against a Morgan businessman has hit another road block. The Attorney General?s Office charged Jeffery Q. Wangsgard, 57, with three counts of communications fraud and two counts of exploitation...

Two Miami Men Face Charges Of "Hijacking" Vacant, Foreclosed Homes & Renting Them Out; Used Craigslist To Reel In Unsupecting Tenants, Say Cops

Posted on June 17, 2009
In Miami, Florida, WFOR-TV Channel 4 reports:Miami-Dade Police have arrested two men who they say scoured neighborhoods for vacant and foreclosed homes, broke in to them, removed and changed the locks and then used a popular website to rent them to unsuspecting tenants...

South Philly Mortgage Broker Gets 12+ Years In Mortgage Fraud Scam Involving Borrowed, Stolen IDs, 180 Properties In Or Near Foreclosure

Posted on June 17, 2009
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:A South Philadelphia mortgage broker charged with a murder-for-hire plot was sentenced yesterday to more than 12 years in federal prison for a separate mortgage-fraud scheme. Mahn Huu "Bruce" Doan, 40, was sentenced [...

Indictments Handed Down, Arrest Warrants Gone Out In San Diego "Land Patent" Foreclosure Rescue Scam; Add'l 12 Suspects Charged

Posted on June 16, 2009
In San Diego, California, XETV-TV Channel 6 reports:An indictment was unsealed Monday charging 18 people in a scam in which homeowners were falsely told that "land patents" would protect their properties from foreclosure.Six of the defendants -- Larry Smith, Maria Candida Capa, Margarita Gaviola, Jessica Refuerzo, Julita Whittingham and Edgardo Orcino -- were already charged in a criminal

Detroit Man Accused Of Using Forged Title Documents In Attempt To Steal Church

Posted on June 16, 2009
In Detroit, Michigan, the Detroit Free Press reports:Forget going to jail for deed fraud, what Tracy Carmichael is accused of doing could lead to an unpleasant afterlife. Carmichael, 46, of Detroit was charged Friday with trying to sell a Detroit church building that he never owned...

Homeowners Current On Their Mortgage Payments Now The Target Of Some Loan Modification Peddlers

Posted on June 16, 2009
The competition among the peddlers of loan modification services has apparently become so fierce that some outfits aren't even waiting for the legal notices indicating mortgage loan default to be filed in the public records to identify and contact potential targets - they are simply contacting anybody with a mortgage, as reflected in this Florida story in TC Palm:[S]eacoast National Bank

Private Mortgage Insurance A Source Of Help For Financially Strapped Homeowners?

Posted on June 16, 2009
The Wall Street Journal reports:Homeowners in trouble may find help from an unlikely source: their private mortgage insurance company. [...] Homeowners who've tried unsuccessfully to get help, may have one more opportunity to get back on their feet by turning to their private mortgage insurer...

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 ...