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Plymouth County, Iowa sues MERSCORP, MERS over mortgage recording practices

Plymouth County, Iowa sues MERSCORP, MERS over mortgage recording practices


SJ-

Plymouth County has filed a class-action lawsuit against a national electronic mortgage registry company it says has enabled banks to avoid paying Iowa mortgage recording fees.

Plymouth County Attorney Darin Raymond filed the suit on behalf of all 99 Iowa counties against MERSCORP Holdings Inc. and Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc., known as MERS, which tracks mortgages sold and traded among banks that subscribe to the company’s service. The suit also names several of the nation’s largest banks and mortgage companies.

In the lawsuit, Raymond said MERS has allowed banks to skirt Iowa’s public information and recording laws by trading mortgages through an electronic registry that lists MERS as the mortgage holder, even though the banks are buying and selling the mortgages.

Read more: [SIOUX CITY JOURNAL]

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COMPLAINT | Plymouth County, IOWA vs MERSCORP, MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS INC.,

COMPLAINT | Plymouth County, IOWA vs MERSCORP, MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS INC.,


IN THE IOWA DISTRICT COURT OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY

[ipaper docId=86341686 access_key=key-2j7qgr12u2i7czc9ppwn height=600 width=600 /]

 

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



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RE-POST: Misbehavior and Mistake in Bankruptcy Mortgage Claims – by Katherine M. Porter

RE-POST: Misbehavior and Mistake in Bankruptcy Mortgage Claims – by Katherine M. Porter


Originally posted on 9/12/2010

Katherine M. Porter
College of Law, University of Iowa

Abstract

The greatest fear of many families in serious financial trouble is that they will lose their homes. Bankruptcy offers a last chance for families save their houses by halting a foreclosure and by repaying any default on their mortgage loans over a period of years. Mortgage companies participate in bankruptcy by filing proofs of claims with the court for the amount of the mortgage debt. In turn, bankruptcy debtors pay these claims to retain their homes. This process is well established and, until now, uncontroversial. The assumption is that the protective elements of the federal bankruptcy shield vulnerable homeowners from harm.

This Article examines the actual behavior of mortgage companies in consumer bankruptcy cases. Using original data from 1700 recent Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases, I conclude that mortgage servicers frequently do not comply with bankruptcy law. A majority of mortgage claims are missing one or more of the required pieces of documentation for a bankruptcy claims. Fees and charges on claims often are poorly identified and do not appear to be reasonable. The bankruptcy data reinforce concerns about the overall reliability of the mortgage service industry to charge homeowners only the correct and legal amount of the debt and to comply with applicable consumer protection laws. Mistakes or misbehavior by mortgage servicers can have grave consequences. Bloated claims can jeopardize a family’s ability to save their home in bankruptcy. On a system level, mistakes or misbehavior by mortgage servicers undermine America’s homeownership policies for all families trying to buy a home.

The data also reinforce concerns about whether consumers can trust financial institutions to adhere to applicable laws. The findings are a chilling reminder of the limits of formal law to protect consumers. Imposing unambiguous legal rules does not ensure that a system will actually function to safeguard the rights of parties. Observing the reality that laws can under perform or even misfire has crucial implications for designing legal systems that produce acceptable and just behavior. *

[ipaper docId=37127499 access_key=key-1py1ywgn8bbgdaroowup height=600 width=600 /]

 

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Iowa Class Action Against CitiMortgage “agressively and falsely advertised its commitment to help homeowners obtain affordable loan modifications.”

Iowa Class Action Against CitiMortgage “agressively and falsely advertised its commitment to help homeowners obtain affordable loan modifications.”


H/T   Adam Belz

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF IOWA
CENTRAL DIVISION

KEITH GOODYK, on behalf of himself and all
others similarly situated,
Plaintiff,

V.

CITIMORTGAGE, INC.,
Defendant.

[ipaper docId=66714314 access_key=key-ubxfb2g3pval653h78z height=600 width=600 /]

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Nevada AG puts Bank of America on notice over Foreclosure Fraud

Nevada AG puts Bank of America on notice over Foreclosure Fraud


Vegas Inc

Call it Nevada’s version of David versus Goliath.

As foreclosures continue and homeowners cry foul against lenders in their bids to stay in their homes, Nevada’s Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto is taking on Bank of America in federal court. And the issue is going to heat up as Cortez Masto’s office investigates BofA and other parties in the foreclosure process. She says criminal charges are likely coming to the industry soon, which could provide more ammunition for her foreclosure fraud case.

[VEGAS INC]

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Memo: BofA to Sell Correspondent Mortgage Business

Memo: BofA to Sell Correspondent Mortgage Business


WSJ-

From: Home Loan News Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 4:19am Subject: Important Message From Barbara DeSoer

To All IMS Associates

I wanted to provide this team with information about a strategic announcement our Home Loans business will make today that is consistent with our ongoing efforts to align the business to the bank’s customer-driven strategy.

Earlier this year, when we split out the Legacy Asset Servicing business, we did so in order for our team to focus on the future of the home loans business. We have made significant progress over the past several months and are taking steps to further position our business to serve the needs of the bank’s 58 million households and attract new mortgage customers with the potential to support growth across the franchise.

[WALL STREET JOURNAL]

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BREAKING: Bank of America to Exit Mortgage Business

BREAKING: Bank of America to Exit Mortgage Business


It’s going to tank!

WSJ-

Bank of America Corp. intends to sell its correspondent mortgage business, as the troubled lender looks to narrow its focus and bolster its financial strength, said people familiar with the situation.

Employees could be notified as soon as Wednesday that the lender has decided to exit the correspondent channel because it no longer fits with the long-term strategy for its mortgage unit. The company decided to get out roughly four to six weeks ago, following a review led by mortgage chief Barbara Desoer. The business employs more than 1,000 people.

[WALL STREET JOURNAL]

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The Countrywide settlement that NV AG Masto says BofA is flagrantly violating was also signed by… Tom Miller.

The Countrywide settlement that NV AG Masto says BofA is flagrantly violating was also signed by… Tom Miller.


H/T David Dayen

SURE DID!

.

For immediate release — Monday, October 6, 2008.
Contact Bob Brammer – 515-281-6699.

Miller: AGs Reach Agreement with Countrywide Financial that Will Help Almost 400,000 Borrowers Facing Foreclosure

The Iowa Attorney General says the settlement will offer mortgage loan modifications to more than 1,100 Iowans that will help many avoid foreclosure and loss of their homes.

Des Moines. Attorney General Tom Miller said Monday that mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp. has agreed to provide loan modifications to up to 397,000 borrowers nationwide under a settlement with Iowa and other states. Permanent relief to borrowers could equal about $8 billion nationwide, the company estimated.

The agreement was reached late Friday by several states with Bank of America, which acquired Countrywide Financial on July 1, 2008. Miller was a lead negotiator of the agreement.

“Over 1,100 Iowans will be offered mortgage loan modifications that will help many people avoid foreclosure and losing their homes,” Miller said. He said the potential economic relief to borrowers in Iowa from the modifications is estimated to be about $11 million. About one-fourth to one-half of all Countrywide subprime loans in Iowa are delinquent, depending on the type of loan.

“This large, systematic, streamlined modification program is a break-through,” Miller said. “We urge other servicers to adopt this approach to aiding borrowers facing foreclosure. This is the approach we need across this industry to stop the flood of foreclosures, which is at the heart of the problem of falling home prices and the liquidity crisis,” he said.

Under the agreement, eligible subprime borrowers will be able to modify the terms of their loans to make monthly payments more affordable. Modified loan terms will vary according to the circumstances of the borrower, but they may include an automatic freeze or reduction in interest rates, conversion to fixed-term loans, or reduction of principal owed.

First-year payments of principal, interest, taxes and insurance (PITI) will be targeted under the modifications to equate to 34 percent of the borrower’s income (or 25 percent of income for borrowers for whom taxes and insurance are not escrowed.)

Countrywide said the loan modification program will be ready for implementation by December 1, 2008, and that the company would engage in proactive outreach to eligible customers by then. Countrywide also noted that foreclosure sales will not be initiated or advanced for borrowers likely to qualify until Countrywide has made an affirmative decision on a borrower’s eligibility.

The toll-free number for Countrywide subprime customers who want more information is 800-669-6607. There also will be information soon at Countrywide’s web site, www.countrywide.com.

The settlement resolves allegations that Countrywide used unfair and deceptive tactics in its loan-origination and servicing activities – and that borrowers often were put in structurally unfair and unaffordable loans. Countrywide is the largest provider of subprime mortgages in the U.S.

Bank of America / Countrywide also will pay $150 million to states nationwide in a Foreclosure Relief Program for eligible Countrywide customers. The states may use up to half of those funds for programs aimed at preventing foreclosures. Bank of America / Countrywide also will pay up to $70 million nationwide in payments for relocation assistance to borrowers unable to retain their homes, and will waive up to $60-$80 million in prepayment penalties and default fees.

A report issued last week by the State Foreclosure Prevention Working Group led by Miller concluded that industry measures to keep homeowners out of foreclosure had slipped since the Working Group’s previous report in April, and that nearly eight out of ten seriously delinquent homeowners are not on track for any loss mitigation outcome. The group of state Attorneys General and banking departments concluded: “The mortgage industry’s failure to develop systematic approaches to prevent foreclosures has only spurred declines in property values and further increased expected losses on mortgage loan portfolios.” [Go to Foreclosure Prevention Working Group Report, 9-29-08.]

Miller said the Countrywide agreement’s program of loan modifications to prevent foreclosures is a win for all parties. “Foreclosure is the enemy. Most important, loan modifications can help homeowners avoid foreclosures and keep their homes. Avoiding foreclosures also helps the companies, helps communities and neighborhoods, and helps our overall economy by stabilizing the housing market,” he said.

“This is what we have been looking for. This agreement provides for the kind of systematic and streamlined loan modification program that is critical right now,” Miller said. “I strongly urge other servicers to undertake similar aggressive programs to prevent foreclosures.”

– 30 –

More details and background:

Miller urged Countrywide customers in Iowa to call the Countrywide toll-free number, 800-669-6607, for more information, including what records they will need to assemble to determine if they qualify for the loan modification program. Miller also urged any OTHER Iowans facing difficulty making their mortgage payments to call the Iowa Mortgage Help Hotline at 877-622-4866.

Countrywide said the loan modification program was designed to achieve affordable and sustainable mortgage payments for borrowers who financed their homes with subprime loans or pay option adjustable rate mortgages serviced by Countrywide that were originated prior to Dec. 31, 2007, and who are seriously delinquent or are likely to become seriously delinquent as a result of loan features, such as interest rate resets or payment recasts.

Under the settlement, which does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing, Bank of America / Countrywide also agreed to: stop offering pay option ARMs and significantly curtail offering “low-documentation” and “no-documentation” loans; initiate an early identification and contact program for people who have trouble making their payments; and continue working with non-profits, federal agencies, and state Attorneys General on ways to use REO (real estate owned) and other properties for community development.

The Bank of America / Countrywide settlement resolved investigations into Countrywide’s lending practices by Arizona, Iowa, Ohio, Texas and Washington. The settlement also resolved lawsuits against Countrywide initiated by Illinois, California and Florida. Other states also are participating in the settlement.

Miller said he and his colleagues from Arizona, Ohio, Texas and Washington were especially insistent and focused on the loan modification program during extensive negotiations with Bank of America, and making the modification programs available quickly and nationwide.

– END –

NEVADA vs. BANK OF AMERICA CORP. | Second Amended Complaint “The Breach, Trusts Never Became Holders of These Mortgages””

[ipaper docId=63614235 access_key=key-1w4o8733ipo19ki3pfxf height=600 width=600 /]

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



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John O’Brien MA Registry of Deeds: AG Tom Miller Should Step Down

John O’Brien MA Registry of Deeds: AG Tom Miller Should Step Down


Richard Zombeck-

John O’Brien, Registry of Deeds for Southern Essex County in Massachusetts is asking that Tom Miller, Iowa Attorney General, step down. Miller is the lead AG in the controversial settlement with the big banks on mortgage servicing fraud.

In his most recent obscene act Miller kicked Attorney General Eric Schneiderman off of the 50-state task force probing foreclosure abuses and negotiating a possible settlement agreement with the mortgage firms.

[HUFFINGTON POST]

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



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BLOOMBERG: 50 State AG’s Ready To Settle Foreclosure Fraud, Not Criminal

BLOOMBERG: 50 State AG’s Ready To Settle Foreclosure Fraud, Not Criminal


Foreclosure Deals to Start With Big Lenders, Iowa Says

By Margaret Cronin Fisk and Prashant Gopal – Jan 3, 2011 6:08 PM ET

The 50 state attorneys general probing U.S. foreclosure practices will first settle with the five largest loan servicers, including Bank of America Corp. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said.

No settlements have been reached yet, Miller said in a telephone interview today. The other three are Citigroup Inc., Wells Fargo & Co. and Ally Financial Inc., said Miller, the leader of the 50-state investigation. The five have 59 percent of the market, Miller said.

“What we’re looking at is five separate agreements with the five largest servicers,” Miller said. “We’re still a ways away” from reaching agreements, he said. “We’re working very hard to figure out what should be in the settlement.”

All 50 U.S. states are investigating whether banks and loan servicers used false documents and signatures to justify hundreds of thousands of foreclosures. The probe, announced Oct. 13, came after JPMorgan and Ally Financial’s GMAC mortgage unit said they would stop repossessions in 23 states where courts supervise home seizures, and Bank of America, the largest U.S. lender, froze foreclosures nationwide.


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IA APPEALS COURT |”Sheriff’s Sale Null and Void, Returning Legal Title to Owner” BANK OF NEW YORK v SMITH

IA APPEALS COURT |”Sheriff’s Sale Null and Void, Returning Legal Title to Owner” BANK OF NEW YORK v SMITH


IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF IOWA
No. 0-407 / 09-1816

FFMLT 04-FF10, BANK OF NEW YORK,
as Successor in Interest to JP MORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A., as Trustee,
Plaintiff-Appellee,

vs.
BARBRA J. SMITH,
Defendant-Appellant.

Excerpt:

Bank of New York also contends any issue concerning the validity of the foreclosure judgment is moot because it already bought the property at the sheriff’s sale. We find this claim without merit because we have the power to declare a judgment null and void, even if the judgment has previously been executed. See Hell, 238 Iowa at 513-14, 28 N.W.2d at 2-3 (holding the two-year statute of limitations had run, rendering the judgment null and void even though a levy had been made on the property and the debtor’s credits had already been garnished). “A void judgment ordinarily cannot be made valid and operative by . . . a sale on execution held under it.” Halverson v. Hageman, 249 Iowa 1381, 1390, 92 N.W.2d 569, 575 (1958) (citation omitted). The fact that an execution sale has occurred does not moot the issue presented.

V. Conclusion.
We conclude the legislature did not intend a demand to delay sale obtained pursuant to Iowa Code section 654.21 to toll the two-year statute of limitations in section 615.1. Therefore, the July 24, 2009 special execution of the July 5, 2007 foreclosure judgment came nineteen days too late, rendering the judgment null and void.

We reverse the decision of the district court and remand for entry of a decree declaring the sheriff’s sale null and void, returning legal title to Smith, and declaring the July 5, 2007 foreclosure judgment null and void for any purpose other than set off or counterclaim. Costs are assessed to the Bank of New York.

REVERSED AND REMANDED WITH DIRECTIONS.

BANK OF NEW YORK v SMITH

[ipaper docId=43923692 access_key=key-rjo9jgwfo4tmv8rhss height=600 width=600 /]

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



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Full Deposition of Residential Funding/GMAC JUDY FABER: US BANK v. Cook

Full Deposition of Residential Funding/GMAC JUDY FABER: US BANK v. Cook


Make sure you read this carefully…This is a transcript of an employee of Residential Funding Company who is in charge of record keeping of original documents. Don’t miss the full deposition down below.

Follow the assets, don’t get lost in the trail…

17 Q. Now, when you said you’re the Director of
18 Records Management for the Minnesota office?

19 A. Uh-huh.

20 Q. Are there other offices of Residential
21 Funding that maintain records that you are
22 not responsible for?

23 A. There are records services sites in Iowa and
24 in Pennsylvania. Those deal mostly with the
25 GMAC mortgage assets.

<snip>

11 Q. And what, if anything, is your responsibility
12 with regard to those records?

13 A. To track the physical paper for those
14 assets — or that asset.

15 Q. Are you what you consider to be the keeper of
16 the records for those documents?

17 A. Sure, yep.

5 Q. Okay. And then when somebody wants to view
6 specific records from your system, is that
7 something that you’re responsible for
8 obtaining as part of your day-to-day
9 responsibilities?

10 A. The people that report to me, yes, or the
11 vendor that — that we have retained to do
12 those functions, yes. I don’t do that
13 myself.

14 Q. Who’s the vendor that you retain to do that?

15 A. A company called ACS.

16 Q. ACS?

17 A. Yep.

18 Q. And what does ACS do with regard to the
19 records?

20 A. They fulfill the request. So if somebody
21 needs a credit folder or a legal folder, they
22 research where those documents are, obtain
23 the documents and then provide that requestor
24 with either the paper documents or images.

<snip>

21 Q. There’s a file folder that shows it came from
22 the outside vendor?

23 A. Yes. Their sticker is affixed to the front
24 of the folder, so I know it came from them.

25 Q. Okay. And then is there anything on the
1 documents themselves that show where they
2 came from?

3 A. No.

4 Q. And by the outside vendor, do you mean ACS?

5 A. No. Actually, the vendor that stores the
6 actual folder is Iron Mountain.

7 Q. So there’s a sticker on that file that shows
8 it came from Iron Mountain?

9 A. Correct, yes.

10 Q. Does Iron Mountain maintain your system or do
11 they just maintain hard copies of documents?

12 A. They maintain the hard copies of the
13 documents.

14 Q. Not any records on your computer system,
15 correct?

16 A. No.

17 Q. Is that correct?

18 A. Correct.

<snip>

18 Q. What’s the relationship between Residential
19 Funding Company, LLC and U.S. Bank National
20 Association?

21 A. In — in this instance, U.S. Bank is the
22 trustee on the security that this loan is in.
23 And RFC was the issuer of the security that
24 was created.

25 Q. Who was the issuer of the security?

1 A. RFC was the issuer of the security.

2 Q. Oh, RFC is what you call Residential Funding
3 Company?

4 A. Yes.

5 Q. So RFC issued the security?

6 A. Right.

7 Q. Can you explain to me what that means?

8 A. No, I can’t.

9 Q. Okay. How do you know RFC issued the
10 security?

11 A. It’s the normal course of business as to how
12 our — our business works. RFC is in the
13 business of acquiring assets and putting them
14 together into securities to sell in the — in
15 the market.

16 MR. SHAW: I would like to
17 register a general objection to this line of
18 questioning. There’s not been a foundation
19 laid for Judy Faber being competent to reach
20 some of these conclusions that are being
21 stated on the record.

22 BY MR. HOLLANDER:
23 Q. So in this particular instance, do you have
24 any personal knowledge of the relationship
25 between RFC and U.S. Bank National
1 Association as trustee?

2 A. No.

3 Q. For whom is U.S. Bank National Association
4 acting as the trustee?

5 A. I believe it would be for the investors of
6 the — that have bought the securities.

7 Q. I’m sorry. Something happened with the phone
8 and I didn’t hear your answer. I’m sorry.

9 A. I believe it would be for the different
10 investors who have bought pieces of that
11 security that was issued.

12 Q. Are there different investors that have
13 purchased the Peter Cook note?

14 A. I don’t think I’m qualified to answer that.
15 You know, I can tell you from what my basic
16 understanding is from the process, but I’m
17 not an expert.

18 MR. SHAW: Once again, I’d like to
19 raise a continuing general objection that she
20 being — testifying with respect to what her
21 job is, and I believe you’re getting into
22 areas that is other than what her job is and
23 you’re asking for possibly even legal
24 conclusions here. So I would like to raise
25 that objection again.

[…]

[ipaper docId=39156662 access_key=key-hxfsobk1503f3iza8sn height=600 width=600 /]

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



Posted in assignment of mortgage, bifurcate, conspiracy, deposition, foreclosure, foreclosure fraud, foreclosures, GMAC, mbs, securitization, STOP FORECLOSURE FRAUD, trade secrets, trustee, Trusts, us bankComments (2)

FULL DEPOSITION OF BANK OF AMERICA ROBO SIGNER RENEE D. HERTZLER

FULL DEPOSITION OF BANK OF AMERICA ROBO SIGNER RENEE D. HERTZLER


Be sure to catch the Full Depo of Renee Hertzler below after AP Alan Zibel’s article

Bank of America delays foreclosures in 23 states

By ALAN ZIBEL, AP Real Estate Writer Alan Zibel, Fri Oct 1, 7:46 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Bank of America is delaying foreclosures in 23 states as it examines whether it rushed the foreclosure process for thousands of homeowners without reading the documents.

The move adds the nation’s largest bank to a growing list of mortgage companies whose employees signed documents in foreclosure cases without verifying the information in them.

Bank of America isn’t able to estimate how many homeowners’ cases will be affected, Dan Frahm, a spokesman for the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank, said Friday. He said the bank plans to resubmit corrected documents within several weeks.

Two other companies, Ally Financial Inc.’s GMAC Mortgage unit and JPMorgan Chase, have halted tens of thousands of foreclosure cases after similar problems became public.

The document problems could cause thousands of homeowners to contest foreclosures that are in the works or have been completed. If the problems turn up at other lenders, a foreclosure crisis that’s already likely to drag on for several more years could persist even longer. Analysts caution that most homeowners facing foreclosure are still likely to lose their homes.

State attorneys general, who enforce foreclosure laws, are stepping up pressure on the industry.

On Friday, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal asked a state court to freeze all home foreclosures for 60 days. Doing so “should stop a foreclosure steamroller based on defective documents,” he said.

And California Attorney General Jerry Brown called on JPMorgan to suspend foreclosures unless it could show it complied with a state consumer protection law. The law requires lenders to contact borrowers at risk of foreclosure to determine whether they qualify for mortgage assistance.

In Florida, the state attorney general is investigating four law firms, two with ties to GMAC, for allegedly providing fraudulent documents in foreclosure cases .The Ohio attorney general this week asked judges to review GMAC foreclosure cases.

Mark Paustenbach, a Treasury Department spokesman, said the Treasury has asked federal regulators “to look into these troubling developments.”

A document obtained Friday by the Associated Press showed a Bank of America official acknowledging in a legal proceeding that she signed up to 8,000 foreclosure documents a month and typically didn’t read them.

The official, Renee Hertzler, said in a February deposition that she signed 7,000 to 8,000 foreclosure documents a month.

“I typically don’t read them because of the volume that we sign,” Hertzler said.

She also acknowledged identifying herself as a representative of a different bank, Bank of New York Mellon, that she didn’t work for. Bank of New York Mellon served as a trustee for the investors holding the homeowner’s loan.

Hertzler could not be reached for comment.


CONTINUE READING…..YAHOO

.

FULL DEPOSITION OF RENEE HERTZLER BELOW:

[ipaper docId=38902529 access_key=key-1iju4izmwpbrhvru9u14 height=600 width=600 /]

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



Posted in assignment of mortgage, bank of america, bank of new york, bogus, chain in title, CONTROL FRAUD, deposition, foreclosure, foreclosure fraud, foreclosure mills, foreclosures, investigation, robo signers, stopforeclosurefraud.comComments (4)

Lord Have ‘MERScy’, Lenders Brace Yourselves

Lord Have ‘MERScy’, Lenders Brace Yourselves


JPMorgan, Bank of America Face `Hydra’ of State Foreclosure Investigations

By Margaret Cronin Fisk – Oct 6, 2010 12:01 AM ET

JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp. and Ally Financial Inc., defending allegations of fraudulent home foreclosures from customers and Congress, may face the most financial peril from investigations by state attorneys general.

Authorities in at least seven states are probing whether lenders used false documents and signatures to justify hundreds of thousands of foreclosures, and the number of these inquiries will grow, according to state officials and legal experts.

“You’re going to see a tremendous amount of activity with all the AGs in the U.S.,” Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray said in an interview. “We have a high degree of skepticism that the corners that were cut are truly legal.”

JPMorgan, Bank of America and Ally have curtailed foreclosures or evictions in 23 states where courts have jurisdiction over home seizures.

While homeowners in those states and elsewhere must usually show damages to win a lawsuit, “attorneys general can just sue over deceptive sales practices and get penalties,” said Christopher Peterson, a University of Utah law professor who specializes in commercial and contract law.

In Ohio, penalties include fines up to $25,000 per violation, with each false affidavit or document considered a violation, according to state law enforcement officials. In Iowa, fines rise to a maximum of $40,000 for each violation.

Foreclosure Freeze

This penalty would apply to “every instance of an affidavit that was filed improperly or every time facts were attested to that weren’t true,” said Cordray. His counterpart in Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal, has called for a freeze on foreclosures and said the submissions are a “possible fraud on the court.”

Officials in Ohio and Connecticut, along with Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Iowa and Illinois, said they are investigating mortgage foreclosure practices.

Continue reading …BLOOMBERG

.

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



Posted in assignment of mortgage, foreclosure, foreclosure fraud, foreclosure mills, foreclosures, forgery, MERS, MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS INC., STOP FORECLOSURE FRAUDComments (3)

Misbehavior and Mistake in Bankruptcy Mortgage Claims

Misbehavior and Mistake in Bankruptcy Mortgage Claims


Katherine M. Porter
College of Law, University of Iowa

Abstract

The greatest fear of many families in serious financial trouble is that they will lose their homes. Bankruptcy offers a last chance for families save their houses by halting a foreclosure and by repaying any default on their mortgage loans over a period of years. Mortgage companies participate in bankruptcy by filing proofs of claims with the court for the amount of the mortgage debt. In turn, bankruptcy debtors pay these claims to retain their homes. This process is well established and, until now, uncontroversial. The assumption is that the protective elements of the federal bankruptcy shield vulnerable homeowners from harm.

This Article examines the actual behavior of mortgage companies in consumer bankruptcy cases. Using original data from 1700 recent Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases, I conclude that mortgage servicers frequently do not comply with bankruptcy law. A majority of mortgage claims are missing one or more of the required pieces of documentation for a bankruptcy claims. Fees and charges on claims often are poorly identified and do not appear to be reasonable. The bankruptcy data reinforce concerns about the overall reliability of the mortgage service industry to charge homeowners only the correct and legal amount of the debt and to comply with applicable consumer protection laws. Mistakes or misbehavior by mortgage servicers can have grave consequences. Bloated claims can jeopardize a family’s ability to save their home in bankruptcy. On a system level, mistakes or misbehavior by mortgage servicers undermine America’s homeownership policies for all families trying to buy a home.

The data also reinforce concerns about whether consumers can trust financial institutions to adhere to applicable laws. The findings are a chilling reminder of the limits of formal law to protect consumers. Imposing unambiguous legal rules does not ensure that a system will actually function to safeguard the rights of parties. Observing the reality that laws can under perform or even misfire has crucial implications for designing legal systems that produce acceptable and just behavior. *

[ipaper docId=37127499 access_key=key-1py1ywgn8bbgdaroowup height=600 width=600 /]

© 2010-19 FORECLOSURE FRAUD | by DinSFLA. All rights reserved.



Posted in bankruptcy, deed of trust, Economy, foreclosure, foreclosures, investigation, mortgage, note, Real Estate, universityComments (1)


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