PB Post: Termina el Programa de Mediación para Ejecuciones Hipotecarias de Florida

Admitting failure, Florida Supreme Court ends foreclosure mediation program

By JEFF OSTROWSKI

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Posted: 5:40 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19, 2011

Florida's foreclosure crisis lives on, but a statewide mediation program for troubled borrowers is dead.

Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles T. Canady issued an order Monday ending the effort to encourage lenders and borrowers to avoid foreclosure.

The program was a flop. Only 3.6 percent of cases referred to mediation statewide yielded a written agreement between the lender and homeowner. In Palm Beach County, which began its program in July 2010, a mere 1.6 percent of the 4,632 cases sent to mediation resulted in a written agreement.

Often, lenders couldn't even reach borrowers to propose mediation. Of 78,076 cases referred to mediation statewide, lenders managed to get in touch with just 42 percent of borrowers.

"The court has reviewed the reports on the program and determined it cannot justify continuation of the program," Canady wrote.

Lenders and borrowers can continue to haggle over loans already in the mediation program, but it will take on no new cases, he said.

Lenders blamed economic reality for the program's failure. Home prices have plummeted and jobless rates have soared since the real estate bubble burst, creating financial obstacles that were just too great for many to overcome, said Anthony DiMarco, executive vice president of government affairs at the Florida Bankers Association.

Propietarios en apuros se benefician con fallo de la corte en Florida

Struggling homeowners gain favor in key ruling

By KIMBERLY MILLER

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Updated: 9:10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011

Posted: 9:08 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011

Home­owners in foreclosure may have a better chance of getting a true trial, instead of a quickie judgment, following a 4th District Court of Appeal decision that requires banks to prove ownership of the note at the time they file for repossession.

The ruling Wednesday in Palm Beach County was heralded by foreclosure defense attorneys who said it may even force banks to dismiss some cases and start over with new paperwork.

Tom Ice, founder of the Royal Palm Beach-based foreclosure defense firm Ice Legal, called the decision a "sea change" in the way courts are looking at foreclosure cases and the importance of assignments of mortgage.

"No longer can banks just walk in and have their attorney wave around a piece of paper saying this is the note," Ice said. "The good news for homeowners is now they have an opportunity to prove their case and get a trial on its merits."

The 4th DCA ruling follows a rare Florida Supreme Court decision last week to take up an already settled Greenacres foreclosure case that involved an allegedly backdated assignment of mortgage that the bank used to show ownership. The court said it wanted to rule on the case, in which the homeowner was defended by Ice's firm, because its opinion could have an impact on the "mortgage foreclosure crisis throughout the state."

Wednesday's ruling was on the case of Robert McLean vs. JPMorgan Chase, and involved a 2009 Broward County foreclosure.

Gov. Scott's plan to speed foreclosure process draws mixed reactions

By TOM KNOX, Business Writer

Local foreclosure activity at a glance:

Number of properties in some stage of foreclosure:

Florida :

August*: 23,569

July: 22,377

August 2010: 56,877

Volusia County:

August: 486

July: 626

August 2010: 1,734

Flagler County:

August: 142

July: 89

August 2010: 193

*Most recent data available

SOURCE: RealtyTrac

DAYTONA BEACH -- Gov. Rick Scott wants to improve the state's housing market by removing the courts from the foreclosure process, a move supporters say will help prevent long delays.

Critics say removing the courts from the process would give too much power to lenders and removes protection needed by homeowners. Plus, courts would lose more than half of their funding received from foreclosure fees.

Scott and Republican leaders in the House and Senate have expressed interest in changing the process this year, although specifics have yet to be determined.

State lawmakers last year did not pass a bill to change the process.

"Right now it takes more than 600 days to get through a foreclosure," said Lane Wright, Scott's press secretary, in an email. "That's just too long. When foreclosures take that long, fewer people want to lend money to homebuyers and the market can't recover."

Judge Allows South Florida Homeowner to Sue Investors In Lawsuit Charging Financial Institutions With Mortgage Appraisal and Origination Fraud

Wells Fargo, Greenpoint Mortgage Funding, and Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. adjustable rate mortgage trust named as defendants.

MIAMI, FL, October 04, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge has granted Coral Gables, Fla. homeowner Pelayo Duran permission to include investors in his lawsuit charging Wells Fargo, Greenpoint Mortgage Funding and others with mortgage appraisal and origination fraud (Case #09-03703-CA). This development comes days after the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, sued 17 large banks and financial institutions over losses on about $200 billion of subprime bonds, as well as, AIG's lawsuit against the Bank of America claiming that it lost $10 billion in a "massive fraud."

"It's believed the defendants, just like in the other high-profile cases, fraudulently induced others to invest in mortgage-backed securities supported by scores of defective loans," said Duran. "Basically the defendants generated or acquired any loan, no matter how risky, that could be sold to third party investors. I was an unsuspecting victim who applied for a loan, but was duped into something else."
Duran alleges in his lawsuit that the fraud began when he tried to refinance his primary residence in 2005. He purchased the home in 2004 with an initial down payment of $100,000. Shortly after the purchase, Duran needed to access some of the down payment money to pay for a few personal and business obligations. Duran alleges that the Wells Fargo mortgage broker baited and switched him into a subprime home mortgage with Greenpoint.

The Florida Foreclosure Rescue Fraud Prevention Act

The Law

Beginning in 2010, any individual or company that provides loan modification services must have an active license from the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. This new provision further enhances the Foreclosure Rescue Fraud Prevention Act, which prohibits individuals and businesses from collecting up-front fees for loan modification services related to foreclosures.

In 2008, the Legislature enacted the original Foreclosure Rescue Fraud Prevention Act to specifically address foreclosure rescue businesses and their potentially abusive practices. The Foreclosure Rescue Fraud Prevention Act prohibits businesses or individuals from collecting up-front fees from the homeowner prior to completing all services contained in the contract. This includes foreclosure rescue services or loan modification services related to foreclosures.

Bloomberg: Procurador de California niega propuesta de acuerdo de BoA y JPMorgan

BofA, JPMorgan Proposed Accord Rejected by California’s Harris

By David McLaughlin - Oct 1, 2011

A proposed nationwide settlement with banks including Bank of America Corp. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. is being rejected by California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who will pursue her own mortgage investigation in the state that had the second-highest foreclosure rate in August.

The proposed agreement is “inadequate” and would allow too few California homeowners to stay in their homes, Harris said in a letter yesterday obtained by Bloomberg News.

“After much consideration, I have concluded that this is not the deal California homeowners have been waiting for,” Harris, a Democrat who took office in January, said in the letter to the U.S. Justice Department and the Iowa attorney general, who is leading talks for the states.

All 50 state attorneys general last year announced they were investigating bank foreclosure procedures following complaints that the companies were using faulty documents in seizing homes.

State attorneys general and federal agencies have been negotiating a settlement with the five largest mortgage servicers, including Charlotte, North Carolina-based Bank of America and New York-based JPMorgan. They have sought a settlement that would fund loan modifications and set requirements for how the banks conduct foreclosures and interact with borrowers. Harris’s office has been negotiating directly with the banks on behalf of the states. One in every 226 California housing units had a foreclosure filing during August, more than twice the national average and second only to Nevada, according to a RealtyTrac Inc. report. Harris said 2.2 million Californians are underwater in their mortgages.

JPMorgan fue demandado por Sealink por hipotecas compradas entre 2005 y 2007

Bank of America’s Countrywide Sued by Sealink Funding

By Chris Dolmetsch and David McLaughlin - Sep 30, 2011

Bank of America Corp. (BAC)’s Countrywide unit was sued by Sealink Funding Ltd. in New York over $1.6 billion of residential mortgage-backed securities the fund purchased between 2005 and 2007.

Sealink filed the suit against Countrywide in New York State Supreme Court yesterday, seeking unspecified compensatory, rescissory and punitive damages. Sealink is a fund created to manage Landesbank Sachsen AG’s riskiest assets after the German lender almost collapsed.

“Countrywide was an entity driven by only one purpose --to originate and securitize as many mortgage loans as possible into” mortgage-backed securities “to generate profits for the Countrywide defendants, without regard to the investors that relied on the critical, false information provided to them with respect to the related certificates,” lawyers for Sealink said in the lawsuit.

Sealink filed a similar suit yesterday in the same court against JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) over $2.4 billion worth of residential mortgage-backed securities purchased between 2005 and 2007.

“This appears to be another sophisticated investor looking for someone to blame for investment losses suffered due to a downturn in the economy,” Lawrence Grayson, a spokesman for Bank of America, said in an e-mail. “We will vigorously defend this lawsuit.”

Despiden a dos investigadores de la oficina del Procurador General

Two investigators forced out by Attorney General Palm Bondi

Lawyers fought corruption, then lost their jobs

September 29, 2011|Scott Maxwell, TAKING NAMES

When last we checked on Attorney General Pam Bondi, she was being investigated for forcing out two of her top-producing investigators, and legislators had asked her to produce records to justify her actions.

Well, the investigation is still going, and state officials are tight-lipped about when it might be complete.

PB Post: Corte Suprema de Florida revisa programa de Mediación para ejecuciones hipotecarias

Florida Supreme Court reconsidering foreclosure mediation program

By KIMBERLY MILLER

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Updated: 6:13 p.m. Monday, Sept. 26, 2011

Posted: 6:11 p.m. Monday, Sept. 26, 2011

The Florida Supreme Court ordered a review Monday of its landmark foreclosure mediation program which has shown limited success in finding alternatives for struggling homeowners.

The mandatory program for all homesteaded properties was ordered by the court in Dec. 2009 in an effort to reduce judicial caseloads and help borrowers avoid foreclosure with options that can include a loan modification, deed-in-lieu of foreclosure or a short sale.

Limpiar el atolladero de ejecuciones hipotecarias en las cortes, ayudará a revivir la economía del FL?

Will clearing foreclosure logjam revive Florida's economy?

By KIMBERLY MILLER

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Updated: 9:41 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011

Posted: 7:17 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011

With hundreds of thousands of foreclosure cases clogging Florida's courts and more defaulted loans in the pipeline, Moody's economists now predict South Florida home prices won't hit bottom until late 2012 or early 2013.

But whether clearing the logjam through an expedited foreclosure process will equal a shortcut to economic recovery is still up for debate. The current timeline to foreclosure in Florida is 676 days -- nearly two years -- the third-longest wait time in the country.

Fannie Mae ignoró abusos de "robo-firmas" en ejecuciones hipotecarias de FL

Fannie Mae ignored robo-signing abuses in Florida foreclosures, investigation finds

By KIMBERLY MILLER

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Updated: 9:39 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, 2011

Posted: 9:37 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, 2011

Federal mortgage giant Fannie Mae was told in 2006 about faulty court documents filed by Florida foreclosure attorneys acting on its behalf but did nothing to correct the practices, an inspector general found.

A report issued Friday by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General said an outside law firm Fannie Mae hired to investigate allegations of wrongdoing confirmed "unlawful" practices and stated that foreclosure attorneys were sacrificing accuracy for speed by filing false documents.

Según expertos, 10 millones de préstamos hipotecarios entraran en default

10 million more mortgages set to default, expert says

Posted By JON PRIOR On September 20, 2011 @ 10:39 am | 2 Comments

Roughly 10.4 million mortgages, or one in five outstanding home loans in the U.S., will likely default if Congress refuses to implement new policy changes to prevent and sell more foreclosures, according to analyst Laurie Goodman from Amherst Securities Group.

At the end of the second quarter, more than 2.7 million long-delinquent loans, others in foreclosure and REO properties sat in the shadow inventory, more than double what it was in the first quarter of 2010. With the market averaging roughly 90,000 loan liquidations per month, it would take 32 months, nearly three years, to move through the overhang.

And that number is contingent on no other loans going into default.

"Many analysts looking at the housing problem mistakenly assume it is limited to loans that are currently non-performing (or 60-plus days past due). Such borrowers have a high probability of eventually losing their homes. However, the problem also includes loans with a compromised pay history; these are re-defaulting at a rapid rate," Goodman told ^[1] a Senate subcommittee Tuesday.

Under a reasonable estimate, which is calculated with more conservative market conditions than what is currently being experienced, Goodman found nearly 2 million re-performing mortgages would default again and another 3.6 million already troubled loans to default as well.

The rest of the 10.4 million estimate is made of always-performing loans at various stages of negative equity. Of the 2.5 million always-performing mortgages with loan-to-value ratios above 120%, nearly half will default. Even 5% of the always-performing mortgages that have some equity left will default, as well, Goodman said.

Participación de Faction Capital Assists en la compra de mas de $500 millones en prestamos "morosos"

NEWS

Faction Capital Assists in Acquisitions of over $500 Million Dollars in Distressed Loans


Miami, Florida - Friday, September 16, 2011 – Faction Capital, LLC, www.factioncapital.com, announced the second closing of a distressed loan portfolio with a major national lender and its client US Debt Ventures in the past 6 months.

On the first transaction, Faction Capital acted as consultant and introducing party for US Debt Ventures in its purchase of a pool of 7000 residential non-performing mortgages with a balance of $500MM from a large financial institution.

In August, Faction Capital assisted US Debt Ventures in sourcing another sizeable portfolio purchase. In addition to sourcing the loan portfolios, Faction Capital’s team of Logan Breen, James Daly, IV and Aaron Resnick assisted US Debt Ventures in obtaining servicing for a portion of the loan portfolios that were purchased.

Logan Breen, Managing Director of Faction Capital, commented "[o]ur experienced consulting team, relationships and background helped us add value to our clients’ investment strategies. We are proud of our working relationship with US Debt Ventures and hope to assist it in many more distressed opportunities in the future." Aaron Resnick, a partner/principal at the firm and a South Florida attorney articulated that Faction Capital’s work in assisting its client in these loan portfolio opportunities demonstrated the "Faction Capital’s ability to help its clients obtain unique off market distressed opportunities both statewide and nationally."

Source: http://www.factioncapital.com/index.php/news

Doce arrestos en relación a fraude hipotecario en Miami-Dade

Attorney General Pam Bondi News Release

September 14, 2011
Media Contact: Jennifer Krell Davis
Phone: (850) 245-0150

La Oficina de la procuradora general Bondi y el Departamento de Policía de Miami-Dade arrestaron a 12 personas por fraude hipotecario por $16 millones

TALLAHASSEE (Fla) – La procuradora general Pam Bondi y el director del Departamento de Policía de Miami-Dade, James Loftus, anunciaron hoy que arrestaron a 12 personas acusadas de supuesta participación en una maniobra importante de fraude por un total de más de $16 millones. Los acusados arrestados integraban una empresa de delincuentes que entregaban documentación falsificada de préstamos hipotecarios a compañías hipotecarias en todo el área del sur de Florida. Entregaron 10 solicitudes de préstamos hipotecarios que se financiaron y valuaron colectivamente en más de $16 millones. Los acusados serán procesados por la Fiscalía de Estado de la Procuradora General en el Tribunal de Circuito de Miami-Dade.

Agencia de ayuda legal en Ohio analiza posibilidad de demanda "anti-forclosure"

Source URL

SEO Legal Services weighs in on big anti-foreclosure lawsuit

By Jim Phillips

An attorney with a local legal aid agency has signed onto a "friend of the court" brief filed with the Ohio Supreme Court in a case that could have a big impact on home foreclosures in the state.

The brief, in U.S. Bank National Association v. Antoine Duvall, was submitted Aug. 16 by Peggy P. Lee of Southeastern Ohio Legal Services, along with representatives of many other legal aid agencies and activist groups around Ohio. SEOLS and others who signed onto the amicus curiae brief have been involved in the Save the Dream Ohio project, a statewide foreclosure intervention initiative, and they report that since 2008, they collectively have represented more than 12,000 homeowners in various foreclosure-related actions.

The Duvall case is complex, but essentially addresses a growing legal issue that could seriously impact home foreclosures in Ohio: the issue of whether a foreclosing bank can actually prove that it owns the mortgage.

Palabras de quien predijo el final de la burbuja hipotecaria

Posted on Sun, Aug. 28, 2011 Words of wisdom from someone who predicted end of housing boom By TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA tolorunnipa@MiamiHerald.com

Seven years ago, while South Florida developers were still staging high-flying condo parties and speculators lined up to put down deposits on new units, housing analyst Jack McCabe saw dangerous signs and began to warn that a downturn was imminent.


As one of the few voices that predicted a housing bust during the fast-money days of the housing boom, McCabe’s insights became more and more valuable when his predictions began to play out. His profile has grown as the housing market has plunged into recession and uncertainty, as analysts and reporters seek insight about where the market is headed next.

Arrestan a dueños de Best Value Homes por fraude en modificación de hipotecas

Attorney General Pam Bondi News Release

August 17, 2011
Media Contact: Jennifer Krell Davis
Phone: (850) 245-0150

Arresto de propietarios de compañía de servicios falsos de modificación del préstamo del sur de Florida

TALLAHASSEE (Fla) –La procuradora general Pam Bondi anunció hoy el arresto de los propietarios de Best Value Homes, Inc. por asociación ilícita para cometer violaciones a la ley RICO (la ley de Organizaciones corruptas y extorsionadoras) y fraude organizado. Best Value Homes, Inc., presentaba servicios falsos al prometer modificar las hipotecas de sus clientes y tomar su dinero sin cumplir con los servicios prometidos. La Oficina del Fiscal Estatal de la Procuradora General de Florida, la Fiscalía Estatal del 11.º Circuito Judicial y la Fuerza Especial contra el Fraude Hipotecario del Departamento de Policía de Miami-Dade colaboraron en el arresto y acusación de los acusados. La pérdida total se estima en $750,000 para 500 víctimas. Si se los declara culpables de todos los cargos, los acusados podrían recibir condenas a prisión de hasta sesenta años.

PR Newswire: USDV anuncia nuevas compras de préstamos "morosos"

US Debt Ventures Announces New Distressed Loan Portfolio Purchases FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug. 15, 2011/PRNewswire-iReach/ -- US Debt Ventures, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida- based private equity firm, today announced two portfolio purchases over the past 30 days totaling approximately $12MM, acquiring 171 distressed loans.  The first acquisition is comprised of first lien non-performing loans and REO's and was bought from a national banking institution with Florida-based underlying collateral. The average unpaid principal balance in this portfolio is $266,000.  The second, more recent investment was in a second lien performing loan portfolio from a national banking institution with collateral assets located throughout the United States. Kwame Jackson, President of US Debt Ventures stated, "Our purpose is clear- we intend to maximize returns by pursuing the best risk-adjusted work-out strategy on a loan by loan basis on behalf of our investors.  We have a growing number of sophisticated tools, third party data sources, and internal feedback loops that aid in our strategy optimization and execution efforts."

La FTC reintegra $108 millones a propietarios sobrecargados por Countrywide

Para Su Difusión: 07/20/2011

La FTC reintegra aproximadamente $108 millones de dólares a 450,000 propietarios de vivienda que fueron sujetos de sobrecargos por servicios de administración de préstamo de parte de Countrywide

La Comisión Federal de Comercio (Federal Trade Commission, FTC) está enviando por correo 450,177 cheques de reintegro por un valor total aproximado de $108 millones de dólares a los propietarios de vivienda que fueron sujetos de sobrecargos aplicados por la compañía Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. Como parte de los esfuerzos de la FTC para proteger a los propietarios de vivienda que atraviesan dificultades financieras, el año pasado la FTC estableció un acuerdo resolutorio con Countrywide para resolver las alegaciones que le imputaban cargos excesivos a los prestatarios que estaban luchando por conservar sus casas.

The Allonge- Billions of Dollars in Commerce Hangs on A Single Scrap of Paper

July 2nd, 2011 |  Author: Matthew D. Weidner, Esq.

Forget about The Constitution, forget about The Bill of Rights, a far more important document exists in this country and it’s called….The Allonge!

Those other old and forgotten documents are just, well, old and forgotten.  Relics. Memories.  Pesky annoyances that get in the way of the real thing of today and that is…The Efficient Flow of Commerce.  The allonge is actually an old, old thing…older in fact than those other two old things that we should all stop talking so much about....

The one widely circulated bit of scholarship on the subject is Getting Attached. Do your legal search and research high and low, all across the country and the above document is about all you’re gonna find.  Not many opinions and those that do exist all head back to the same place…Black’s Law Dictionary…and the definition of allonge.

The key part, the essential element of the magical power of the allonge is that it was only ‘sposed to be used when there was no space on the note to make an endorsement….but that has not stopped the Sorcerers of Securitization from just totally ignoring this essential element of the Allonge and conjuring up one page hanging allonges and just dropping them in court files all over this country.

AMO de JPMorgan a USDV-RVC WH 4, LLC

Este es el mas reciente "Assignment of Mortgage" (AMO) registrado en los records públicos de Miami-Dade.
El "Assignor" es JP Morgan Mortgage Acquisition Corp. y el "Assignee" es USDV-RVC WH 4, LLC (US Debt Ventures) cuya dirección aparece como 4644 Coral Ridge Drive, Coral Springs, FL 33076.
Buscando por la dirección, encontre que Veriloquent Wealth Advisors, teléfono (954) 755-9319 y (888) 684-2199,  sitio web www.vwallc.com esta localizado en la misma dirección, Todd Billins es el CEO. Pero esta es toda la información que he podido encontrar hasta el momento.
El AMO fue firmado y notarizado el 30 de Junio del 2011 y registrado el 18 de Julio del mismo año.
Los testigos fueron Seth Fenton y Jonathan Davis.
La ejecutiva de JPMorgan que firma es Helaine Hebble como Director Ejecutivo.
El documento fué notarizado por Migdalia Dereyayla, notaria del estado de New York.

La ACLU reclama reforma inmediata a las cortes que procesan ejecuciones hipotecarias "rapidas"

ACLU Calls for Immediate Reform of High-Speed Florida Foreclosure Courts

June 27, 2011

State Appellate Court Denies ACLU Request for Lee County Resident’s Foreclosure Case to be Heard by General Civil Division

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org
CAPE CORAL, Fla. – The American Civil Liberties Union today called on trial courts across the state of Florida to reform their systems for deciding foreclosure cases after a state appellate court denied an ACLU request to have the foreclosure case of a Lee County resident re-assigned from a special “mass foreclosure docket” that threatened to violate her due process rights under the U.S. and Florida constitutions.

PR Newswire: USDV anuncia compra de $28MM en préstamos "morosos"

US Debt Ventures Announces $28MM Non-Performing Loan Portfolio Purchase FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 23, 2011/PRNewswire-iReach/ -- US Debt Ventures, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida- based private equity firm, today announced the purchase of a $28MM residential first lien loan portfolio from a regional financial institution.  The portfolio purchase, which includes 87 loans with collateral property located throughout the state of Florida , represents the inception of US Debt Ventures Fund, L.P.  The average unpaid mortgage balance is approximately $325,000. Todd Billings, CEO of US Debt Ventures stated, "With our in-house analytics and sophisticated management tools, US Debt Ventures fuels its growth through disciplined, quality portfolio acquisitions and creative workout arrangements.  We have focused our investments on debt portfolios which we believe are priced well below par and are perhaps being managed inefficiently, so that the purchase provides a unique opportunity for returns to our investors." US Debt Ventures purchases bulk mortgage portfolios from most the major U.S. financial institutions, as well as many loan servicers and various other owners of distressed loan and REO portfolios.  So far in 2011, the US Debt Ventures group has purchased more than 7,000 distressed loans through multiple acquisitions. About US Debt Ventures: US Debt Ventures is a private-equity firm based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida led by Todd Billings and sponsored by a group of high net worth investors.  The company focuses on acquisitions of distressed whole loan and REO acquisitions and is an active player in the distressed debt market. For more information please contact 800.716.2370 or visit www.usdebtventures.com Media Contact: Joanne Polin Profile Marketing & Public Relations, 561-350-8784, jpolin@profilemarkpr.com SOURCE US Debt Ventures

Find this article at:  http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-debt-ventures-announces-28mm-non-performing-loan-portfolio-purchase-124422188.html

Demandan a tres compañias por cobrar anticipos en modificación de préstamos

Attorney General Pam Bondi News Release

May 2, 2011
Media Contact: Jennifer Krell Davis
Phone: (850) 245-0150

Bondi inicia demanda contra tres compañías de Florida del Sur por fraude en rescate de ejecuciones hipotecarias

TALLAHASSEE (Fla)- La procuradora general, Pam Bondi, anunció hoy que su oficina inició una demanda contra tres compañías del Sur de la Florida que, supuestamente, cobran anticipos por servicios de modificación del préstamo a los propietarios que enfrentan ejecuciones hipotecarias. Conforme a la F.S. 501.1377, cobrar sumas anticipadas por estos servicios es ilegal. Home Owner Protection Economics, Inc., DC Financial Group, Deleverage America, Inc. y los propietarios Dennis Fischer y Christopher S. Godfrey cobraron miles de dólares mensuales, a sabiendas, anticipos por servicios de modificación de préstamos que nunca proveyeron. Como consecuencia de la demanda iniciada por la Oficina de la Procuradora General, el Tribunal de Circuito del condado de Palm Beach ordenó que se congelen los activos de los acusados y que se les prohíba operar hasta un nuevo fallo del tribunal.

Demandan compañia de modificación de prestamos por cobrar anticipo

Attorney General Pam Bondi News Release

April 11, 2011
Media Contact: Jennifer Krell Davis
Phone: (850) 245-0150

Procuradora general Bondi advierte a los consumidores sobre estafas en la modificación de préstamos hipotecarios

Tallahassee (Fla) – Hoy la procuradora general, Pam Bondi, presentó una demanda contra una compañía de modificación de préstamos hipotecarios porque, al parecer, solicitaban a los consumidores que paguen una suma como anticipo por sus servicios. Según reveló una investigación de la Oficina de la Procuradora General, supuestamente, U.S. Mitigators, LLC, compañía que provee servicios de modificación de préstamos para la vivienda, les solicitaba a los consumidores que pagaran un anticipo de $2,100 antes de prestar sus servicios. Muchos consumidores denunciaron haber pagado la suma de $2,100 además de un arancel por solicitud de $399 por servicios que nunca recibieron. La demanda de la Procuradora General contra la compañía busca obtener más de $48,000 de restitución para los consumidores.

SFL Biz Journals: USDV atrapa préstamos problemáticos

U.S. Debt Ventures snaps up problem loans

Premium content from South Florida Business Journal by Brian Bandell

Date: Friday, April 29, 2011, 6:00am EDT

Todd Billings and Jamie Zambrana have gone from being wealth advisers to controlling delinquent mortgages for thousands of homeowners.


Billings and Zambrana, who met 15 years ago when they were Nasdaq traders on Wall Street, now run Veriloquent Wealth Advisors and U.S. Debt Ventures in Coral Springs. The latter company recently purchased $500 million in nonperforming residential mortgages from a major bank at a significant discount. Billings said he plans to work with borrowers, even discounting principal, to keep them in their homes when it makes sense.

“If I know it would make more sense to keep you in the house, paying a mortgage you can afford, versus going in foreclosure and having you rip out the electronics and appliances, I would work out the loan,” Billings said.

So, how did a new company with 11 employees acquire such a large portfolio? Billings said it started at the Fort Lauderdale office of U.S. Trust, where he was a wealth adviser working with many high-net-worth families. In November 2008, he and Zambrana formed Veriloquent – and took many of his clients with him.

DS News: USDV adquiere $500 millones en prestamos "morosos"

US Debt Ventures Acquires $500M Non-Performing Loan Pool

By: Heather Hill Cernoch 04/20/2011

US Debt Ventures, a Florida-based private equity firm, recently purchased a pool of non-performing mortgages valued at $500 million from a large financial institution.


Consisting of approximately 7,000 first, second, and third liens from across the nation, the purchase is part of the company’s strategy to acquire and work out large portfolios of distressed mortgages.

“US Debt Ventures’ primary focus is to optimize returns for investors while helping borrowers to clean up their negative credit situation through realistic yet creative solutions,” said Todd Billings, the company’s CEO.

He continued, “We have taken on the role of a dedicated and stable mortgage solutions provider in today’s volatile real estate market. As a private equity firm with strong financial backing, we can fill the capital void needed in today’s distressed marketplace.”

According to Jamie Zambrana, US Debt Ventures’ director of acquisitions and analytics, the purchase is a precursor for more bulk buys in 2011 and 2012.

“Our in-house analyses and underwriting capabilities as an experienced distressed debt buyer will lead us to successfully deploying several hundred million dollars in the next few years,” Zambrana said.

©2012 DS News. All Rights Reserved.

Corte de apelaciones de la Florida ordena responder a demanda de la ACLU

ACLU: Florida Appellate Court Orders Lee County Officials To Respond To Lawsuit

April 19, 2011

Lawsuit Charges That “Mass Foreclosure Docket” Ignores Procedural Safeguards In Rush To Clear Cases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org
LAKELAND, FL – Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal today ordered the state’s 20th Judicial Circuit to respond within 20 days to claims in an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit that a special foreclosure court system systematically denies homeowners a fair chance at defending their homes against foreclosure.

Acuerdo con abogado Marshall C. Watson por ejecuciones hipotecarias indebidas

Attorney General Pam Bondi News Release

March 25, 2011
Media Contact: Jennifer Krell Davis
Phone: (850) 245-0150

La procuradora general de Florida, Pam Bondi, llega a un arreglo en investigación contra una de las mayores firmas de ejecuciones hipotecarias del estado

TALLAHASSEE (FL) – La procuradora general de Florida, Pam Bondi, anunció hoy un arreglo histórico en una demanda contra el abogado Marshall C. Watson y su bufete, una de las mayores firmas de Florida dedicada a las ejecuciones hipotecarias, por supuestas acciones indebidas en el procesamiento de causas por ejecuciones hipotecarias en toda Florida. Este acuerdo, que exige el pago de $2 millones y la imposición de determinados requisitos para ejercer la profesión, es el primero que surge de numerosas investigaciones de bufetes dedicados a ejecuciones hipotecarias en Florida.

Federal Trade Commission
Facts for Consumers


High-Rate, High-Fee Loans (HOEPA/Section 32 Mortgages)

If you’re refinancing your mortgage or applying for a home equity installment loan, you should know about the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act of 1994 (HOEPA). The law addresses certain deceptive and unfair practices in home equity lending. It amends the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and establishes requirements for certain loans with high rates and/or high fees. The rules for these loans are contained in Section 32 of Regulation Z, which implements the TILA, so the loans also are called “Section 32 Mortgages.” Here’s what loans are covered, the law’s disclosure requirements, prohibited features, and actions you can take against a lender who is violating the law.

What Loans Are Covered?