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Sure They’re Technical Errors | Mortgage servicer industry error rate might be 10 times higher says U.S. Trustee

Sure They’re Technical Errors | Mortgage servicer industry error rate might be 10 times higher says U.S. Trustee


NYTimes’s Gretchen Morgenson

Mistakes happen, of course. And loan servicers like to contend that if errors occur, they are rare and honestly made. But after sifting through the data produced by this investigation, Mr. White disagreed that problems are rare. “In Senate testimony, an executive from Countrywide said its error rate was 1 percent,” Mr. White recalled. “The mortgage servicer industry error rate might be 10 times higher, based on the number of cases we are looking at.”

“There are continued flaws in the process, and they are not merely technical,” Mr. White continued. “Those flaws undermine the integrity of the bankruptcy system. Many homeowners have been harmed, including where the lender has come in and said ‘we want to lift the stay and go back into foreclosure proceedings,’ even though they lacked a sufficient basis to do it.”


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Independent reviews in mortgage servicer consent orders to stay sealed

Independent reviews in mortgage servicer consent orders to stay sealed


The investigation conducted by the OCC and the Fed included a review of just 100 foreclosure files.

Housing Wire-

When mortgage servicers signed consent orders with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve, these companies were required to hire outside firms to conduct “look back” evaluations of questionable foreclosure practices.

But these reviews will not be made public, according to an OCC spokesman.

William Black | ‘If you don’t look; you don’t find, Wherever you look; you will find’

~

FDIC Chair Shelia Bair concurs with O’Brien and Thigpen that damages to consumer’s “has yet to be quantified”

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“FRAUDCLOSURE” Whistleblowers Speak Out Against Loan Modifications That Helped Banks Not Homeowners | Dylan Ratigan

“FRAUDCLOSURE” Whistleblowers Speak Out Against Loan Modifications That Helped Banks Not Homeowners | Dylan Ratigan


NBC’s Lisa Myers introduces us to two industry whistleblowers in the third of her exclusive reports.

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FDIC’s Bair: Millions of Foreclosures Could Be ‘Infected’

FDIC’s Bair: Millions of Foreclosures Could Be ‘Infected’


This is HUGE!!

WSJ-

The head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is warning that flaws may have “infected millions of foreclosures” and questioned whether other regulators’ inquiries into problems at the nation’s mortgage-servicing companies have been thorough enough.

“We do not yet really know the full extent of the problem,” FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair said Thursday in written remarks submitted to a hearing of the Senate Banking Committee. “Flawed mortgage-banking processes have potentially infected millions of foreclosures, and the damages to be assessed against these operations could be significant and take years to materialize.”


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Foreclosure fraud complaints flood Florida Bar but no lawyer reprimands so far

Foreclosure fraud complaints flood Florida Bar but no lawyer reprimands so far


Things that make you go hmmm…

Sun-Sentinel-

Complaints about foreclosure fraud are pouring into the Florida Bar, with four times more cases pending than there were six months ago, as property owners trying to save their homes increasingly take on their banks and their lenders’ lawyers.

The bar, which regulates lawyer conduct in Florida and most states, has opened 202 foreclosure fraud grievance investigations since November, with 226 now pending. Such complaints target lenders’ attorneys, some of whose huge practices process thousands of foreclosures a month.


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Housing Wire Again Runs PR Masquerading as News on Behalf of Its Big Client, Lender Processing Services

Housing Wire Again Runs PR Masquerading as News on Behalf of Its Big Client, Lender Processing Services


Naked Capitalism- Yves Smith

The very fact that this item “LPS fires back with motion seeking sanctions against Alabama attorney,” was treated as a news story by Housing Wire is further proof that Housing Wire is above all committed to promoting client and mortgage industry interests and only incidentally engages in random acts of journalism.

LPS is desperate to create a shred of positive-looking noise in the face of pending fines under a Federal consent decree, mounting private litigation, and loss of client business under the continued barrage of bad press. Housing Wire, who has LPS as one of its top advertisers, is clearly more than willing to treat a virtual non-event as newsworthy to help an important meal ticket.

If you know anything about litigation, particularly when small fry square off against large companies, it’s standard for the well funded party to engage in a war of attrition against the underdog. One overused device is to threaten or file for sanctions. Even when they are weak or groundless, they still waste opposing counsel’s time and energy.

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Re: EXPOSING THE LAW FIRMS AND BANKS IN THE DOCX SCHEME (and then the many others)

Re: EXPOSING THE LAW FIRMS AND BANKS IN THE DOCX SCHEME (and then the many others)


Dear Friends,

After the 60 Minutes Segment on Foreclosure Fraud on April 3, 2011, I was contacted by over 2,000 individuals, seeking help or wanting to help.

FOR ALL THOSE WHO WANT TO HELP RESEARCH THE DOCX FORGERY SCHEME:

1. Search the official records of your county and find all the Mortgage Assignments filed by Docx in 2009. Search by bank: Deutsche Bank, Bank of NY Mellon, U.S. Bank, HSBC, Wells Fargo, etc.

These are very recognizable. On each form, in the left hand corner, there is a statement that the Assignment was prepared by Docx in Alpharetta, GA.

For examples, click on the word PLEADINGS on the Home Page of www.frauddigest.com (my online magazine) – then click on the second entry – 10 Versions of Linda Green signatures on mortgage documents.

Print each example you find in your county Official Records. Identify and circle the name of the borrorwer/homeowner on each record.

2. Go Back to the Official Records. Search the name of each homeowner on the Docx Assignments for Lis Pendens.

Print the Lis Pendens that corresponds to the Assignment and staple these together.

Note that there will not be a Lis Pendens for every Assignment – many homeowners will have already handed over the keys or agreed to a short sale to avoid litigation.

3. Sort by Law Firm Preparing the Lis Pendens.

In Florida, for example, the firms using these Assignments will include Law Offices of David Stern, Law Offices of Marshall Watson, Shapiro & Fishman, Florida Default Law Group, Law Offices of Daniel Consuegra, Akerman & Senterfitt, Gladstone Law Group and many others.

These are the firms that continued to use the forged documents, never “noticing” that:

(1) the signatures varied so significantly that forgeries were likely;

(2) the same individuals used so many different job titles that the validity was unlikely;

(3) the dates of the Assignments indicated a fraudulent document because the Assignments came after the Lis Pendens.

4. Compile a report of these findings – LAW FIRMS USING FORGED AND FABRICATED DOCUMENTS TO FORECLOSE.

State plainly which law firms used these documents and attach the documents supporting your conclusions.

5. Send your reports to the following:

(1) your local State Attorney;

(2) the Disciplinary Committee of the Bar Association in your state;

(3) the FBI/attention: Mortgage Fraud Taskforce;

(4) the U.S. Attorney for your district;

(5) the Attorney General for your state;

(6) your country recorder;

(7) your area newspaper/television investigative reporter.

6. You may also sort by the BANK that used these fraudulent documents to take homes, and include that information in your reports.

Please send a .pdf file of your letter (without attachments) to szymoniak@mac.com.

If you are very ambitious, you may also add the face value of all of the Docx Assignments you locate so that you can report the total amount that banks took or tried to take using these forged and fabricated documents in 2009.

WHEN WE ALL COMPLETE THIS PROJECT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO FORGED AND FABRICATED ASSIGNMENTS  PREPARED BY LAW FIRMS (such as David Stern in Florida and Baum in NY) AND OTHER SERVICERS.

Thank you for joining this effort.

Best regards,

LYNN E. SZYMONIAK


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WSJ | Fannie Report Warned of Foreclosure Problems in 2006

WSJ | Fannie Report Warned of Foreclosure Problems in 2006


Fannie Mae was warned in a 2006 internal report of abuses in the way lenders and their law firms handled foreclosures, long before regulators launched investigations into the mortgage industry’s practices.

The report said foreclosure attorneys in Florida had “routinely made” false statements in court in an effort to more quickly process foreclosures and raised questions about whether some mortgage servicers or another entity had the legal standing to foreclose.

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Florida Bar President Downs Predicts Some Fla. Attorneys Will Pay The Ultimate Price

Florida Bar President Downs Predicts Some Fla. Attorneys Will Pay The Ultimate Price


From the Palm Beach Post

Florida Bar President Mayanne Downs predicts some Florida attorneys will pay the ultimate professional price for foreclosure-related wrongdoing – disbarment – as investigations mount statewide.

“It’s the death penalty of the legal profession,” said Downs, who spoke to The Palm Beach Post’s editorial board this week about legislative proposals affecting the courts and the state’s ongoing foreclosure tumult.

The bar, which is responsible for investigating complaints of attorney misconduct, has 222 foreclosure fraud cases open on 157 lawyers.

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Comparing Apples to Oranges – Read What This Senator Compares Foreclosure Mills To?

Comparing Apples to Oranges – Read What This Senator Compares Foreclosure Mills To?


Florida’s Sen. Joe Negron is obviously in the dark! According to the Palm Beach Post

Negron also objected to Palmer using the term “foreclosure mills” when referring to South Florida law firms specializing in foreclosures, some of which are now being sued or under investigation for alleged fraud.

“In most occupations, whether it’s making doughnuts or running a sporting goods store, having more volume is better than having less volume. It may, in fact, be a commentary on your capability and your competitive advantage rather than something that we should disparage,” Negron said. “Foreclosure mill could also be called very busy law firm because you provide excellent service to your clients.”

Perhaps a better comparison would have been a puppy mill. Wouldn’t you agree it’s about quality, not quantity?


[image credit: Flickr]

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GA Attorney General Olens Is Taking Foreclosure Fraud Bill By The Horns

GA Attorney General Olens Is Taking Foreclosure Fraud Bill By The Horns


Georgia’s newly elected Attorney General Sam Olens is clearly not part of any 50 state settlement. According to AJC, on Tuesday House Bill 237 is moving closer to passing.

This bill if passed, will criminalize falsifying foreclosure documents, not simply errors or typos. The bill would go into effect on July 1, and will give both the attorney general and district attorneys the power to subpoena. Florida you listening?

Georgians make sure this goes smoothly and do all you can.

Perhaps Mr. Olens should take over Mr. Millers position of leading the pack?

[image: Doug Thompson]

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CLOUDED TITLES | You Can’t Sell Real Estate When You Can’t Establish You Own It!

CLOUDED TITLES | You Can’t Sell Real Estate When You Can’t Establish You Own It!


Abigail Field raises an excellent point in her latest article titled Why the Foreclosure Mess Settlement Proposal Can’t Fix the Damage. She states

You can’t sell real estate when you can’t establish that you own it — banks won’t loan money for purchasers to buy the property. That’s because the bank wants to be sure that if it forecloses, it will get good title to the property. (Yes, this issue practically oozes irony.) That’s why banks won’t approve a mortgage for a property if a title insurance company won’t insure its title. And title insurance companies won’t do that if they know the title is clouded.

A few months ago, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued its Ibanez decision, which made it clear that the banks’ foreclosure practices — and indeed, the standard securitization deal — violated longstanding basic Massachusetts real estate law, and thus, many completed Massachusetts foreclosures were invalid. The foreclosing banks, which had either since sold the properties or still “owned” them, had no right to foreclose, and therefore had never owned those properties. So who owns them now? Well, the fact that it’s a question is the very definition of “clouded title.”

Naked Capitalism’s Eve directs the attention to the following

One thing that it is important to stress: that the abuses to established real estate transfer and recording processes were not inherent to the securitization model. I’m not a fan of securitization but the sad reality is that no one is prepared to go back to the more costly in terms of equity required, model of on-balance sheet banking (it would result in a shrinkage of credit that every respectable economist would recommend against and hence will never happen). But no one (except the FDIC, which keeps being ignored) is thinking seriously enough about what it would take to make securitization safer.

Everyone, from the bank originators to the investment bank packagers, got hooked on the easy profits, and kept pushing for ways to streamline the process, to both increase their profits and increase the size of the potential market. The biggest problems result from cutting corners, including the failure of the deal sponsors to adhere to their own agreements with investors, that led to this mess. Securitization had existed since the 1970s; MERS, one of the biggest culprits in the uncertainties over title, did not become a serious player until 1999. The widespread failure to convey notes (the borrower IOU) to securitization trusts appears not to have started until sometime between 2002 and 2004.

It’s not rocket science that the problems are clearly visible and this is not going to be easily thrown under the rug as they have done so well thus far.

You can’t sell real estate that doesn’t have a clean bill of health especially with fraudulent documentation.

An important question that should be considered is why hasn’t the National Association of Realtors not issued ANY warnings to their agents about the defects and consequences of selling properties that have been foreclosed and or in short sale? I know for a fact, the NAR’s former president Vickie Cox Golder was made well aware of this in 2010.


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MAX GARDNER | Why Don’t AGs Want to Get to the Bottom of the Mortgage Mess?

MAX GARDNER | Why Don’t AGs Want to Get to the Bottom of the Mortgage Mess?


via Max Gardner

Gretchen Morgenson’s column in the New York Times yesterday points out a connection we should all be making:  the high-speed, no time to think or do things right mindset of the mortgage industry is to blame for a lot of the problems we’re facing today, and that same mindset seems to be controlling the actions of the Attorneys General right now.  Tom Miller, the Iowa Attorney General leading the talks, told us just last week, “We’re going to move as fast as we can.”

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ARE YOU KIDDING? Fed Investigation Can’t Find 1 Homeowner Wrongfully Foreclosed Upon

ARE YOU KIDDING? Fed Investigation Can’t Find 1 Homeowner Wrongfully Foreclosed Upon


Fed Report Finds No Wrongful Foreclosures By Banks, Consumer Advocates Slam Methodology

Shahien Nasiripour
Shahien Nasiripour HuffPost Reporting shahien@huffingtonpost.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A months-long investigation into abusive mortgage practices by the Federal Reserve found no wrongful foreclosures, members of the Fed’s Consumer Advisory Council said Thursday.

During a public meeting attended by Fed chairman Ben Bernanke and other regulators, consumer advocates on the panel criticized federal bank regulators for narrowly defining what constitutes a “wrongful foreclosure.” At least one member of the panel voiced concerns that the public would not take the Fed’s findings of improper practices seriously, since the wide-ranging review did not find a single homeowner who was wrongfully foreclosed upon.

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Silence Is NOT Always Golden, Negotiating A ‘Foreclosure Fraud’ Settlement

Silence Is NOT Always Golden, Negotiating A ‘Foreclosure Fraud’ Settlement


Bizarre is the first thing that comes to mind. What many of us find disturbing is what exactly is playing part behind closed doors. The following information should have been in place years ago…

Take for instance the latest from The Wall Street Journal:

The document also spells out steps for banks to verify the accuracy of amounts owed, people familiar with the proposal said. Banks will face limits on fees that they can impose on delinquent borrowers. The document also includes a list of directives to improve tracking of mortgage notes and the chain of title, and to boost oversight of foreclosure law firms and third-party vendors, these people said.

The code of conduct references the Mortgage Electronic Registration System, or MERS, an electronic lien-registry system designed to facilitate the recording of mortgages. It says details clarifying the use of MERS may be spelled out later.

Banks said they are studying the document. “We are analyzing what was shared with us yesterday,” said a spokeswoman for Wells Fargo. A spokesman for Citigroup said, “Our discussions with government officials are confidential.” Bank of America declined to comment.

Negotiating fraud should not be an option. Why keep this information from the public?


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GA Foreclosure Fraud Bill Passes Out of House Committee

GA Foreclosure Fraud Bill Passes Out of House Committee


HB 237, introduced by Representative Rich Golick, would prohibit misstatements with the intent to defraud during the foreclosure process. The bill would also give law enforcement, including the Attorney General, sufficient authority to investigate and prosecute violations.

Georgia Seal

PRESS ADVISORY

Monday, February 28, 2011

Foreclosure Fraud Bill Passes Out of House Committee; Attorney General Unveils Mortgage and Foreclosure Webpage

Attorney General Sam Olens applauded today’s action by the House Judiciary (Non-Civil) Committee to recommend “Do Pass” on HB 237. HB 237, introduced by Representative Rich Golick, would prohibit misstatements with the intent to defraud during the foreclosure process. The bill would also give law enforcement, including the Attorney General, sufficient authority to investigate and prosecute violations. Attorney General Olens, who testified before the Committee last Friday in support of the bill, is dedicated to protecting consumers from fraud during the foreclosure process and is asking the General Assembly to expand the State of Georgia’s current mortgage fraud law to cover fraud during the entire lending process, including foreclosures.

“Georgia’s real estate market has been hit hard during the financial crisis due in part to unscrupulous individuals involved in the process,” said Attorney General Sam Olens. “As the state’s attorney, it is appropriate that my office investigate foreclosure fraud and prosecute individuals who scam the system. I thank Representative Rich Golick and the other sponsors for their leadership on this important issue and encourage the General Assembly to protect Georgia citizens by expeditiously passing HB 237 into law.”

Attorney General Sam Olens also unveiled today the new “Mortgage and Foreclosure Information” page on the Department of Law’s website to assist consumers seeking information about the mortgage and foreclosure processes. The webpage includes frequently asked questions and provides links and contact information to other helpful resources.

“The Department of Law receives numerous calls each day from consumers inquiring about mortgages and foreclosures,” said Attorney General Sam Olens. “We saw a need for an easily accessible consumer resource, and developed the webpage by researching the issues most commonly raised in citizen calls and letters. I remain committed to assisting consumers by making more information available on our website.”

The webpage can be found on the Department of Law website under “Key Issues” or by clicking here.

source: Georgia.gov

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DailyFinance | Will Florida Finally Punish Banks and Lawyers for Foreclosure Document Fraud?

DailyFinance | Will Florida Finally Punish Banks and Lawyers for Foreclosure Document Fraud?


Abigail- knocks this OUT THE BALL PARK! Outstanding!!


Posted 11:30 AM 02/08/11

Foreclosure proceedings in courts nationwide have exposed a swamp of fraudulent documents, and in some cases — though perhaps far too few — those bad docs have sunk attempts by banks to take people’s homes.

Some of Florida’s courts, however,particularly courts in Lee County — have come under fire for compounding the documentation problems by ignoring the rule of law in order to rush through foreclosures. And a new rule put in place by the Florida Supreme Court to ensure that documents being used in foreclosures are properly certified hasn’t worked well, thanks to a new type of robo-signing that has sprung up to get around it.

In a reflection of how bad things have gotten, lenders are asking judges to “ratify” foreclosures done with robo-signed documents, the Palm Beach Post reported on Saturday. While such “ratification” would not, as a matter of law, mean much, the Post says, it might discourage people from challenging the foreclosures.

With luck, two recent developments may help really clean up the fraud in the Sunshine State. First, an appeals court has asked the Florida Supreme Court to clarify judges’ power to address the fraud, and second, the Florida Bar Association is finally taking a stand.

Asking for Power to Punish Foreclosure Fraud


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DailyFinance | Lawyers’ Carelessness Was Key To Mortgage Mess

DailyFinance | Lawyers’ Carelessness Was Key To Mortgage Mess


Posted 10:20 AM 02/01/11

Two of my biggest concerns about the mortgage mess involve the conduct of lawyers at every stage, from creating the toxic securities to foreclosing on homes, and that so far the major players haven’t been held accountable for their actions in creating the crisis. Both concerns are neatly encapsulated by an enforcement action taken by the Securities and Exchange Commission at the end of last week.

On Friday, the SEC announced it is taking administrative action against David M. Tamman, a partner at Greenberg Traurig, a major international law firm. (Or at least, he was a partner: His page on the firm’s website has been removed.) The SEC is going after Tamman because it says he falsified a document that described securities he helped a client sell. That is, when the SEC asked Tamman for copies, it says he altered the real document and gave the SEC the fake.

While that conduct is egregious — and kudos to the SEC for going after him — it’s not that different than the ways many, many lawyers have behaved throughout this documentation debacle. For example, attorneys for multiple banks have been giving courts fraudulent documents in order to speed foreclosures, in many cases “robo-signing” the documents themselves. And consider the magnitude of the carelessness — it seems at least like malpractice to me — employed by the big firms involved in the securitization deals.

How Did Thousands of Lawyers Miss the Problems?

The Ibanez decision in Massachusetts exposed the fact that the standard securitization deal violated a century of Massachusetts real estate law, and recently filed lawsuits against JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Bank of America (BAC) hint at how far astray the big law firms went. And not just one firm — the scale of the problems alleged in those cases suggest the problem was systemic.

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Florida Bar says foreclosure lawyers must report fraud to court

Florida Bar says foreclosure lawyers must report fraud to court


By Christine Stapleton and Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Updated: 7:22 p.m. Monday, Jan. 31, 2011
Posted: 11:51 a.m. Monday, Jan. 31, 2011

In an opinion that could have unfathomable consequences in countless foreclosure cases, The Florida Bar says attorneys must notify a judge about potential fraud — including robo-signed affidavits and forged notary stamps — even if a foreclosure case is closed and the home has been sold at auction.

The direction was published in an article in today’s issue of The Florida Bar Journal as part of an outline in a new free online foreclosure class offered by The Bar. The class is in response to problems that led several major lenders to temporarily freeze foreclosures last fall.

No one knows how many cases could be affected or what judges will do when they are notified. About 1.2 million foreclosures have been filed in Florida since January 2007, according to RealtyTrac. Investigators for the Florida Attorney General’s Office have found tens of thousands of forged signatures, backdated documents and other problem paperwork at four law firms, so-called “foreclosure mills” currently under investigation.

“There has never been a problem like this before or this kind of wholesale misrepresentation,” said Margery Golant, a Boca Raton-based attorney who teaches a portion of the Bar’s four-hour online course, which instructs lawyers to report fraud. “No one knows how this is going to turn out or what the right things to do are.”


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NYTIMES | Mortgage Giants Leave Legal Bills to the Taxpayers

NYTIMES | Mortgage Giants Leave Legal Bills to the Taxpayers


By GRETCHEN MORGENSON
Published: January 24, 2011

Since the government took over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, taxpayers have spent more than $160 million defending the mortgage finance companies and their former top executives in civil lawsuits accusing them of fraud. The cost was a closely guarded secret until last week, when the companies and their regulator produced an accounting at the request of Congress.

The bulk of those expenditures — $132 million — went to defend Fannie Mae and its officials in various securities suits and government investigations into accounting irregularities that occurred years before the subprime lending crisis erupted. The legal payments show no sign of abating.

Documents reviewed by The New York Times indicate that taxpayers have paid $24.2 million to law firms defending three of Fannie’s former top executives: Franklin D. Raines, its former chief executive; Timothy Howard, its former chief financial officer; and Leanne Spencer, the former controller.

[ipaper docId=47461391 access_key=key-10pwg3bnkex5q73neer6 height=600 width=600 /]

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HUNDREDS OF FORECLOSURE CASES DISMISSED IN LEE COUNTY FLORIDA

HUNDREDS OF FORECLOSURE CASES DISMISSED IN LEE COUNTY FLORIDA


Banks drop foreclosures in Southwest Florida

Hundreds of lawsuits dismissed

By DICK HOGAN • dhogan@news-press.com • January 19, 2011

1:10 A.M. — Banks in recent weeks have been dropping hundreds of their Southwest Florida foreclosure lawsuits instead of facing defendants at trial, according to local attorneys and court records.

Opinions varied sharply on whether that means banks are just taking a breather before refiling with stronger evidence – or giving up for good on hopelessly flawed cases.

Some foreclosures at large law firms were never actually read by the attorneys who filed them here and elsewhere, and some of the mortgages that ended up in mortgage-backed securities sold to investors were never legally transferred by the banks, defense attorneys have alleged.


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NYTimes| Judges Berate Bank Lawyers in Foreclosures

NYTimes| Judges Berate Bank Lawyers in Foreclosures


“You want to call it God, you can call it God,” Mr. Eng said. “You want to call it luck, you can call it luck. We just followed the system, and thank God the system worked.”

By JOHN SCHWARTZ
Published: January 10, 2011

With judges looking ever more critically at home foreclosures, they are reaching beyond the bankers to heap some of their most scorching criticism on the lawyers.

In numerous opinions, judges have accused lawyers of processing shoddy or even fabricated paperwork in foreclosure actions when representing the banks.

Judge Arthur M. Schack of New York State Supreme Court in Brooklyn has taken aim at an upstate lawyer, Steven J. Baum, referring to one filing as “incredible, outrageous, ludicrous and disingenuous.”

But New York judges are also trying to take the lead in fixing the mortgage mess by leaning on the lawyers. In November, a judge ordered Mr. Baum’s firm to pay nearly $20,000 in fines and costs related to papers that he said contained numerous “falsities.” The judge, Scott Fairgrieve of Nassau County District Court, wrote that “swearing to false statements reflects poorly on the profession as a whole.”

More broadly, the courts in New York State, along with Florida, have begun requiring that lawyers in foreclosure cases vouch for the accuracy of the documents they present, which prompted a protest from the New York bar. The requirement, which is being considered by courts in other states, could open lawyers to disciplinary actions that could harm or even end careers.

Below you will find  an archive of these cases PLUS many more…


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