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17 de septiembre de 2010

Titulos usados por Jeffrey Stephan de GMAC


FORECLOSURE FRAUD – TITLES USED BY JEFFREY STEPHAN OF GMAC




Jeffrey Stephan,  who actually works for GMAC Mortgage Corp. in Montgomery County, PA, signs thousands of Mortgage Assignments each month as an officer of other banks and mortgage companies in order to transfer mortgages TO GMAC.
In Florida, the law firms that regularly present documents signed by Jeffrey Stephans as “proof” that GMAC has standing to foreclose include The Law Offices of Marshall Watson, The Law Offices of David Stern and Florida Default Law Group.
Stephan has admitted in depositions that he has no personal knowledge of the facts of documents he signs, does not verify the facts, and often does not sign in front of a notary (though the documents are eventually notarized).
Titles used by Jeffrey Stephan include the following:

4 de septiembre de 2010

NYT: Florida tiene una respuesta rápida al desastre hipotecario

The New York Times

September 4, 2010

Florida’s High-Speed Answer to a Foreclosure Mess


TEN days from now, a four-bedroom house on a cul-de-sac in Middleburg, Fla., is scheduled to be auctioned off at the Clay County courthouse, 25 miles south of Jacksonville.
A judge who recently took over their foreclosure case has ordered Rodney Waters; his fiancée, Terri Reese; and their four children to leave the home they bought in 2006.
Mr. Waters, a supervisor at a local packaging company and the family’s sole breadwinner, fell behind on his mortgage two years ago after his property taxes jumped unexpectedly. He now owes $264,000 on the house; a similar home down the street sold for $138,500 in February.
The predicament of the Waters-Reese family is common in Florida today. The state routinely sets new records for foreclosures — in the second quarter, 20.13 percent of its mortgages were delinquent or in foreclosure, a national high, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. And with housing prices still in a free fall, almost half of all borrowers in Florida owe more on their mortgages than their properties are worth, says CoreLogic, a data firm.

10 de agosto de 2010

Investigan bufetes de abogados de ejecuciones hipotecarias

Attorney General Bill McCollum News Release

August 10, 2010
Media Contact: Jennifer Krell Davis
Phone: (850) 245-0150


TALLAHASSEE (FL) – El Procurador General, Bill McCollum, anunció hoy que su oficina inició tres investigaciones nuevas sobre las imputaciones de acciones desleales y engañosas por parte de bufetes de Florida que manejaban casos de ejecución hipotecaria. La División de Delitos Económicos del Procurador General está investigando si se presentó documentación inadecuada ante los tribunales de Florida para acelerar los procesos de ejecución hipotecaria, posiblemente sin el consentimiento de los propietarios.

Las investigaciones nuevas nombran a Law Offices of Marshall C. Watson, P.A.; Shapiro & Fishman, LLP; y a Law Offices of David J. Stern, P.A. Los bufetes fueron contratados por prestamistas para iniciar el proceso de ejecución hipotecaria cuando los consumidores estuvieran atrasados en el pago de sus hipotecas.

Continuar leyendo aquí:
http://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsreleases/2BAC1AF2A61BBA398525777B0051BB30?Open&LN=SP

1 de junio de 2010

Cuales son tus derechos cuando la deuda es vendida o tranferida

Esta información fue obtenida del sitio en internet de la Federal Trade Commission (FTC) y esta relacionada a los derechos del propietario en relación a la venta o transferencia del servidor de la deuda hipotecaria y de la Nota o préstamo hipotecario:

. . . .

Transfer of Loan Ownership

The ownership and servicing rights of your loan may be handled by one company or two. If ownership of your loan is transferred, the new owner must give you a notice that includes:
  • the name, address and telephone number of the new owner of the loan
  • the date the new owner takes possession of the loan
  • the person who is authorized to receive legal notices and can resolve issues about loan payments
  • where the transfer of ownership is recorded.
The new owner must give you this notice within 30 days of taking possession of the loan. It is in addition to any notices you may get about the transfer of the servicing rights for your loan.

Inquiries and Disputes


Under federal law, your mortgage servicer must respond promptly to written inquiries, known as “qualified written requests” (see Sample Complaint Letter). If you believe you’ve been charged a penalty, late fee or some other fee by mistake, or if you have other problems with the servicing of your loan, write to your servicer. Include your account number and explain why you believe your account is incorrect. Send your correspondence to the address the servicer specifies for qualified written requests.
Source:

28 de mayo de 2010

Finding Pooling and Servicing Agreements is Key to Killing Your Foreclosure Case!

May 28th, 2010 | Author: Matthew D. Weidner, Esq.

If you’re being sued by any entity acting as a trustee, i.e. “US BANK as trustee for the HP Series 2006-c Certificate Holders”, you need to be aware of a variety of issues that may be helpful in your case. I will start another series of video blog posts on the “Capacity Argument”, because this argument works in nearly every case, but it is particularly appropriate in cases where Plaintiff is an exotic, alphabet soup Foreclosure Frankenstein.

Individual mortgages originated by lenders like New Century and Argent were pooled into groups of approximately 8,000 mortgages from around the country to form a Mortgage Trust which held mortgages which had (on paper at least) cumulative values of between 10-12 million dollars. These mortgages that were grouped together and given a name like “HSI ASSETT SECURITIZATION CORPORATION TRUST 2006-OPT2″. Interests in these mortgage trusts were then sold to teachers unions, investment funds and other institutional sources around the world. Before selling the interests in these trusts, the institutional investors were required to prepare the contract that would govern the rights between the depositor of the mortgages, trustee of the new trust and the company that would be responsible for collecting payments from homeowners and sending those payments out to those who had invested in the trust. This contract is called the Pooling and Servicing Agreement. The important thing about the Pooling and Servicing Agreement is you will find in virtually every case that all of the parties who are involved violate nearly every provision of their own Pooling and Servicing Agreement. This has important consequences that we will talk more about later, but the Securities and Exchange Commission rules requires these trusts to provide important other reporting information that was widely ignored or worse, falsified by the entities in control of these trusts. Finding such information can be a key to defending your case.

7 de abril de 2010

Geenspan, Bancos, y el Congreso parte del "Con Job"


Dylan Ratigan Explains 'Con Job': Greenspan, Banks, Congress To Blame

First Posted: 04- 7-10 06:16 PM   |   Updated: 04- 8-10 02:06 AM


Dylan Ratigan sought to explain the causes and scope of the of the financial crisis Wednesday. Calling it a "con job," Ratigan identified former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan as a godfather-like figure at the helm of the alleged scam. Ratigan argued that Greenspan's decisions to keep interest rates at low levels benefitted banks who used the low borrowning rates to lure Americans into taking out more and more loans. Banks didn't maintain enough capital, but that didn't matter, Ratigan said, because--thanks to the government's support of too-big-to-fail banks--the system was rigged and they stood to gain no matter what happened to the loans that they made. Ratigan blamed Congress for "feeding the money" to banks and not looking out for Americans.



4 de febrero de 2010

Demandan compañia de servicios de modificación de hipotecas

Attorney General Bill McCollum News Release

February 4, 2010
Media Contact: Jennifer Krell Davis
Phone: (850) 245-0150


TALLAHASSEE (FL) – El Procurador General, Bill McCollum, anunció hoy que su oficina ha presentado una demanda contra una compañía de California que brindaba servicios de modificación de préstamo a los propietarios de viviendas en riesgo de ejecución hipotecaria. Según la demanda presentada hoy en el condado de Orange, 21st Century Legal Services, Inc. les cobra honorarios anticipados a los consumidores, lo cual viola la Ley de Prevención de Fraudes en el Rescate de Ejecuciones Hipotecarias de Florida.

Según la demanda del Procurador General la compañía ofrecía servicios de modificación de préstamo a los propietarios de viviendas de Florida por teléfono, por correo postal y por Internet. Una investigación realizada por la División de Delitos Económicos del Procurador General reveló que 21st Century Legal Services cobra honorarios anticipados que ascienden a $2,500 a los propietarios de viviendas que buscan servicios de modificación del préstamo. Además, los consumidores se han quejado de que la compañía no brindó los servicios prometidos y que los consumidores no pueden obtener la devolución de su dinero.

Continuar leyendo aquí:
http://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsreleases/665BF6A02C812CFE852576C0005E5CFB?Open&LN=SP

22 de diciembre de 2009

Demandan por estafa a tres empresas de modificación de hipotecas

Attorney General Bill McCollum News Release

December 22, 2009
Media Contact: Jennifer Krell Davis
Phone: (850) 245-0150


TALLAHASSEE (FL) – El Procurador General, Bill McCollum, anunció hoy que ha iniciado una demanda contra tres empresas que operan en el condado de Miami-Dade, y sus directivos y abogados, sobre imputaciones de prácticas desleales y engañosas respecto de su participación en una estafa en rescates de ejecuciones hipotecarias que afectó a dueños de viviendas en toda la nación. La División de Delitos Económicos del Procurador General comenzó a investigar a Kirkland YOUNG LLC, en julio, luego de recibir numerosas quejas de los consumidores de Florida contra la compañía. Durante la investigación, se descubrió que Attorney Aid LLC y ABK Consultants estaban afiliadas con Kirkland Young LLC.


Continuar leyendo aquí:
http://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsreleases/EB874D2C60EE900D85257694004E3A77?Open&LN=SP

17 de noviembre de 2009

Procurador General de Florida se reúne con ejecutivos de bancos

Attorney General Bill McCollum News Release

November 17, 2009
Media Contact: Jennifer Krell Davis
Phone: (850) 245-0150


TALLAHASSEE (FL) – El Procurador General McCollum envió hoy una carta a los ejecutivos de los bancos Bank of America, JP Morgan/Chase, Wells Fargo y Wachovia en Florida, en la cual los invita a que ofrezcan un proceso justo y eficiente de modificación del préstamo a los propietarios de viviendas. El Procurador General también les solicita a los ejecutivos una reunión con él con el fin de tratar la responsabilidad de los bancos para ayudar a solucionar la crisis en el sector de la vivienda.

“Como Procurador General de Florida, me he enterado de que son centenares los propietarios en todo nuestro estado que están desesperados por obtener la reducción de sus pagos mensuales o la modificación de las condiciones de su hipoteca para salvar sus hogares”, escribió el Procurador General. “”Los propietarios que tuvieron la oportunidad de recibir un servicio excelente de atención al consumidor por parte de sus bancos en el momento de obtener sus préstamos se sienten ahora frustrados y desilusionados ante la falta de respuesta y de colaboración que recibieron".

Una copia de las cartas se encuentra disponible en línea en http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/MRAY-7XVHX4/$file/BankofAmericaLetter.pdf.

9 de noviembre de 2009

Demandan dos compañias por cobrar por adelantado en rescates de ejecuciones hipotecarias

Attorney General Bill McCollum News Release

November 9, 2009
Media Contact: Jennifer Krell Davis
Phone: (850) 245-0150


TALLAHASSEE (FL) –El Procurador General, Bill McCollum, anunció hoy que su oficina ha iniciado una demanda contra dos compañías de Florida Central y su propietario por acusaciones de que cobraban sumas por adelantado para proveer servicios relacionados con el rescate de ejecuciones hipotecarias. Se supone que National Payment Modification Company y The Bostonian Group, LLC, que opera con el nombre People’s First, cobraron hasta $2,500 en anticipos de honorarios a los dueños que trataban de rescatar sus viviendas de la ejecución hipotecaria.

En la demanda, también se menciona a William Rodriguez, quien es el dueño de ambas compañías y también es el propietario fundador de Wineberg, Lopez, & Rodriguez Company. La Oficina del Procurador General demandó a esta última compañía en marzo y obtuvo una medida cautelar de emergencia que prohíbe a la compañía cobrar honorarios anticipados a los propietarios por servicios de rescate de ejecuciones hipotecarias. Esa causa está aún pendiente en el Tribunal de Circuito del condado de Orange.

Continuar leyendo aquí:
http://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsreleases/7DDB8E6095C0EE4585257669005BD027?Open&LN=SP

29 de septiembre de 2009

Ejecución Hipotecaria? No empaque todavía

Facing foreclosure? Don't pack just yet

Banks are starting foreclosures and then walking away. It may sound like a gift, but you've got to know how to protect yourself from the legal fallout.

By Marilyn Lewis of MSN Real Estate

Across the country, banks are starting to foreclose on homeowners and then, often with no word or explanation, failing to take possession of the home. From Ohio to Indiana, from New York to Florida and Missouri, these abandoned foreclosures have become common enough that real-estate professionals have coined a name: "bank walkaways."
For homeowners, this can sound like great news: The bank goes away, you get your house back without a mortgage and life goes happily on, you might think. But of course nothing is that simple.
"I know several people who are thrilled by their situation," says Judith Fox, a consumer law expert at the Notre Dame Law School. "But I don't think they should be that thrilled. I think they have inherited a legal nightmare."
But Fox says her advice on when to move out has changed in recent years: "I used to tell people when they got the notice for the sheriff's sale, 'Move!' But I am not telling people to do this now."
She has several clients who moved out after getting foreclosure notices. Their banks, however, failed to finish the foreclosures. The homeowners, who thought they'd lost their homes, were sued by their cities for failing to maintain the abandoned properties, which were still in their names.


Continuar leyendo aquí:
http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=21782888&page=2

3 de septiembre de 2009

Asignan $700K en subsidios a organizaciones de defensa contra ejecuciones hipotecarias

Attorney General Bill McCollum

September 3, 2009
Media Contact: Jennifer Krell Davis
Phone: (850) 245-0150


TALLAHASSEE (FL) – El Procurador General, Bill McCollum, y la Fundación del Colegio de Abogados de Florida asignaron hoy aproximadamente $700,000 en subsidios a varias organizaciones sin fines de lucro del sur de Florida para financiar el trabajo gratuito de defensa legal de las ejecuciones hipotecarias. Durante dos años, se contará con un total de $4 millones en todo el estado para contratar abogados y asistentes legales que brinden asistencia gratuita a dueños de viviendas que enfrentan ejecuciones hipotecarias. Los subsidios se financiaron a través del acuerdo del Procurador General con Countrywide Financial en octubre pasado.

“Muchos ciudadanos del sur de Florida tienen una necesidad apremiante de asistencia para salvar sus casas de la ejecución”, dijo el Procurador General McCollum. “Confío en que los abogados contratados con estos subsidios cambiarán mucho la situación de las familias que ayuden”.

Legal Aid Service of Broward County, Inc. recibirá $340,000 en subsidios; la Asociación de Abogados Cubano Estadounidenses, Spanish American League Against Discrimination, Inc. (Liga Hispanoamericana contra la Discriminación) y Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. en colaboración con la Asociación de Abogados Haitianos recibirán, cada una, $85,000; Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. recibirá también otros $104,700 de financiación.

Continuar leyendo aquí:
http://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsreleases/D54B214AC8AC3BFC8525762600630D9E?Open&LN=SP

31 de agosto de 2009

Asignan $85K a fundación para la defensa contra ejecuciones hipotecarias

Attorney General Bill McCollum News Release

August 31, 2009
Media Contact: Jennifer Krell Davis
Phone: (850) 245-0150


TALLAHASSEE (FL) – El Procurador General, Bill McCollum, y la Fundación del Colegio de Abogados de Florida entregaron hoy $85,000 a la Sociedad de Ayuda Legal de la Asociación de Abogados del condado de Orange para destinarlos al nuevo programa de asistencia en la defensa contra ejecuciones hipotecarias. El programa está financiado con dinero obtenido por el Procurador General a través un acuerdo con Countrywide Financial. Durante dos años, se contará con un total de $4 millones para financiar otros puestos de abogados y asistentes legales que se dediquen a brindar asistencia gratuita a dueños de viviendas que enfrentan ejecuciones hipotecarias y no pueden pagar servicios de defensa legal.

“Estos fondos nos permitirán proveer asistencia legal directa a los propietarios de Florida Central que intenten salvar sus viviendas”, dijo el Procurador General McCollum.

Continuar leyendo aquí:
http://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsreleases/E422A430E21118BF85257623004DB8D7?Open&LN=SP

21 de agosto de 2009

Demandan compañia de rescate de ejecuciones hipotecarias

Attorney General Bill McCollum News Release

August 21, 2009
Media Contact: Jennifer Krell Davis
Phone: (850) 245-0150


~ Se supone que la compañía dirigió una estafa en rescates de ejecuciones hipotecarias a la comunidad hispana ~

TALLAHASSEE (FL) – El Procurador General, Bill McCollum, inició hoy una demanda contra una compañía de Kissimmee por acusaciones de que ésta dirigió una maniobra de fraude en el rescate de ejecuciones hipotecarias contra los hispanos. Supuestamente, JPB Consulting Inc. y su presidente, Juan P. Bordali, cobraban sumas por adelantado de más de $1,000 por cliente a los propietarios que estaban a punto de perder sus casas, pero nunca proveía sus servicios. Cobrar anticipos antes de completar los servicios de rescate de ejecuciones hipotecarias es una violación directa a la Ley de Florida de Prevención del Fraude en Rescates de Ejecuciones Hipotecarias.

“Abusar de las personas que están por perder sus casas y engañarlas para que crean que se les está ofreciendo una ayuda auténtica constituye un atropello”, dijo el Procurador General McCollum.

Continuar leyendo aquí:
http://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsreleases/766727F7FAD8DADE8525761900528380?Open&LN=SP

15 de julio de 2009

Agencias Federales y Estatales se Enfocan en Estafas de Rescate de Ejecución Hipotecaria y Modificación de Préstamos


Para Su Difusión: 07/15/2009

La FTC Lidera la ‘Operación Mentiras de Préstamo’ para Detener el


Fraude y Ayudar a los Propietarios de Vivienda Preocupados


El Chairman de la Comisión Federal de Comercio (Federal Trade Commission, FTC), Jon Leibowitz, se unió hoy al Fiscal General de California Jerry Brown para anunciar la ‘Operación Mentiras de Préstamo, un esfuerzo coordinado de cumplimiento de ley para parar fraudes relacionados a modificación de préstamos.  El operativo envuelve 189 acciones de ley tomadas por 25 agencias federales y estatales contra demandados que falsamente mercadeaban servicios de rescate de ejecución hipotecaria y modificación de préstamo.  Las acciones de la FTC, las cuales afectan a consumidores de toda la nación, están siendo anunciadas en el sur de California, donde se originan los fraudes.
El Chairman de la FTC Jon Leibowitz dijo al respecto: “Estos estafadores ven los altos índices de ejecuciones hipotecarias como una oportunidad para aprovecharse de las personas en problemas.  Prometen rescatar a los dueños de casa que estén ahogados en deudas, pero después de que toman su dinero le tiran un ancla en lugar de una soga para salvarlos”.
Con las cuatro demandas judiciales de la FTC anunciadas en el día de hoy,  la cantidad de casos de rescate de ejecución hipotecaria y modificación de préstamo entablados por la Comisión desde abril se eleva a 14.  Veinte y tres fiscales generales estatales y otras agencias están anunciando acciones contra 178 compañías comprometidas en estos tipos de fraude.  Además, la FTC anuncio un acuerdo resolutorio de un caso radicado en noviembre.
Coninuar leyendo aquíhttp://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/loanlies_sp.shtm

8 de mayo de 2009

Demandan compañia de modificación de hipotecas en Orlando, FL

Attorney General Bill McCollum

May 8, 2009
Media Contact: Jennifer Krell Davis
Phone: (850) 245-0150


TALLAHASSEE (FL) – El Procurador General, Bill McCollum, anunció hoy que su oficina ha iniciado una demanda contra una compañía de modificación de préstamos de Orlando en la que sostiene que la compañía estaba cometiendo fraude en rescates de ejecuciones hipotecarias. La demanda iniciada hoy en el Tribunal de Circuito del condado de Seminole menciona a la compañía Three Angels Community Action Network y a su presidente, Sherrard A. Haugabrooks. En ella se afirma, específicamente, que se cometieron violaciones a la Ley 501.1377 de Florida sobre Rescates de Ejecuciones Hipotecarias.

Los miembros de la División de Delitos Económicos del Procurador General, que integran la Fuerza Especial contra el Fraude Hipotecario del Procurador General, comenzaron a investigar a Three Angels Community Action Network en febrero de 2009. Supuestamente, la compañía, antes de brindar los servicios de modificación del préstamo, cobraba a los propietarios un anticipo que equivalía, por lo general, al pago mensual de la hipoteca. La demanda establece, además, que los contratos de la compañía con sus clientes no contenían la debida información sobre las disposiciones contractuales que exige la Ley de Rescate de Ejecuciones Hipotecarias de Florida, prioridad legislativa del Procurador General en 2008.

Continuar leyendo aquí:
http://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsreleases/CEEA8535C3924E9D852575B0005E7D7B?Open&LN=SP

30 de abril de 2009

Countrywide CEO debe responder ante demanda presentada por Procurador General de FL

Attorney General Bill McCollum News Release

April 30, 2009
Media Contact: Jennifer Krell Davis
Phone: (850) 245-0150


TALLAHASSEE (FL) – El Procurador General, Bill McCollum, anunció hoy que su oficina obtuvo una orden del tribunal federal que devuelve la demanda del Procurador General contra el ex CEO y presidente del directorio de Countrywide, Angelo R. Mozilo, al Tribunal de Circuito del condado de Broward. La demanda, presentada en el mes de junio pasado, se refiere a prácticas comerciales desleales relacionadas con la supuesta práctica de Countrywide de ubicar a los consumidores en préstamos que no podían pagar o que tenían tazas falsas o confusas. En la demanda se nombró a Mozilo como acusado.

“Angelo Mozilo debe, sin lugar a dudas, presentarse frente al tribunal de Florida y ante sus ciudadanos para responder por sus prácticas comerciales, en especial por las que afectaron a los dueños de viviendas de Florida”, dijo el Procurador General McCollum. “Me complace que el Tribunal Federal enviara la causa de regreso a nuestro tribunal estatal. Mi oficina continuará procesando la causa contra el Sr. Mozilo de manera enérgica".

Continuar leyendo aqui: http://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsreleases/B5AA6258BE341A9E852575A8006977FF?Open&LN=SP

27 de marzo de 2009

Florida crea el "Task Force on Residential Mortgage Cases"

La corte suprema de la Florida presentó hoy una orden administrativa en la cual informa sobre la creación de Task Force on Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Cases.

La orden puede ser vista en este link.

3 de enero de 2009

Wall Street Journal: Culpe a la televisión for la burbuja inmobiliaria


Blame Television for the Bubble

Opinion JANUARY 3 2009

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

By JIM SOLLISC

The real housing villain is on cable.




So now we know what happens when too many people who have too few assets buy too much house with the help of too many risky mortgage products and too little oversight. And while there's plenty of blame to go around -- unethical mortgage brokers, greedy bankers and irresponsible homeowners -- one culprit continues to get off scot-free: HGTV.



That's right. The cable network HGTV is the real villain of the economic meltdown. As the viewership reached a critical mass over the past decade -- HGTV is now broadcast into 91 million homes -- homeowners began experiencing deep angst. Suddenly no one but the most slovenly and unambitious were satisfied with their houses. It didn't matter if you lived in an apartment or a gated community, one episode of "House Hunters" or "What's My House Worth?" and you were convinced you needed more. More square feet. More granite. More stainless steel appliances. More landscaping. More media rooms. More style. You deserved it.


If you had any doubts about your ability to afford such luxuries, all you had to do was look at the 20-something couple in the latest episode choosing between three houses. Should they go for the fixer-upper, priced at $425,000? Or the one with the pool for $550,000? What about the one with room to grow for $675,000?

Continuar leyendo aquí: 
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123094453377450603.html?mod=todays_us_opinion#printMode

9 de diciembre de 2008

El escandalo MERS expuesto y explicado


Posted on December 9, 2008 by Neil Garfield


Kevin Lamson Said,


So can anyone guess the name of “organization” that was formed by Countrywide’s, Anthony Mazillo and Fannie Mae’s, James Johnson ten years ago, it start with an M? No not the Mafia. It’s Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. commonly referred to as MERS. Yes that’s right Countrywide and Fannie Mae were the lead organizers of MERS and are shareholders and “members” of MERS.


Here are excerpts from an investigative report on MERS I have been working on for the last several months. This may help shed some much needed light on MERS and the cozy relationships many of its so-called ‘members” have between each other and with our congress. It may also explain why no one in congress has bothered to investigate MERS and it crazy “paperless” system that these greedy mortgage executives invented so they could line their pockets by originating and flipping phony mortgage loans into so-called mortgage backed security trusts and then selling trillions of dollars of bonds to investors around the world. By reporting false profits from these sales Fannie Mae’s and Countrywide’s executives were able to make hundreds of millions of dollars in “bonuses”.


Given the extremely close relationship that MERS, its many corporate members have with the politicians who run our state and federal governments, it is not surprising that MERS and it members were able to pull off this gigantic global financial scheme without raising the brow of a State or Federal law enforcement or regulators. Only now are a few politicians and regulators paying lip service to what they refer to as the “Mortgage Meltdown”. What no politician or regulator ever seems to mention is that a millions of the mortgages that “melted down” have the name Mortgage Electronic Registration System Inc. on them.

19 de noviembre de 2008

Businessweek: Prestamos FHA: el nuevo robo

COVER STORY November 19, 2008, 6:24PM EST
FHA-Backed Loans: The New Subprime

The same people whose reckless practices triggered the global financial crisis are onto a similar scheme that could cost taxpayers tons more.

“Don’t let the makeover fool you.”
As if they haven't done enough damage. Thousands of subprime mortgage lenders and brokers—many of them the very sorts of firms that helped create the current financial crisis—are going strong. Their new strategy: taking advantage of a long-standing federal program designed to encourage homeownership by insuring mortgages for buyers of modest means.

You read that correctly. Some of the same people who propelled us toward the housing market calamity are now seeking to profit by exploiting billions in federally insured mortgages. Washington, meanwhile, has vastly expanded the availability of such taxpayer-backed loans as part of the emergency campaign to rescue the country's swooning economy.

For generations, these loans, backed by the Federal Housing Administration, have offered working-class families a legitimate means to purchase their own homes. But now there's a severe danger that aggressive lenders and brokers schooled in the rash ways of the subprime industry will overwhelm the FHA with loans for people unlikely to make their payments. Exacerbating matters, FHA officials seem oblivious to what's happening—or incapable of stopping it. They're giving mortgage firms licenses to dole out 100%-insured loans despite lender records blotted by state sanctions, bankruptcy filings, civil lawsuits, and even criminal convictions.

9 de octubre de 2008

Bloomber Businessweek: La Administración Bush y la industria financiera frustaron advertencias de prestamos predatorios


BusinessWeek Logo

IN DEPTH October 9, 2008, 5:00PM EST

They Warned Us About the Mortgage Crisis.

"It was pure greed, based on exploitation." Frank Jackson, Mayor of Cleveland
Ethan Hill

State whistleblowers tried to curtail greedy lending—and were thwarted by the Bush Administration and the financial industry.


More than five years ago, in April 2003, the attorneys general of two small states traveled to Washington with a stern warning for the nation's top bank regulator. Sitting in the spacious Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, with its panoramic view of the capital, the AGs from North Carolina and Iowa said lenders were pushing increasingly risky mortgages. Their host, John D. Hawke Jr., expressed skepticism.
Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Tom Miller of Iowa headed a committee of state officials concerned about new forms of "predatory" lending. They urged Hawke to give states more latitude to limit exorbitant interest rates and fine-print fees. "People out there are struggling with oppressive loans," Cooper recalls saying.
Roy Cooper, North Carolina AGEthan Hill
Hawke, a veteran banking industry lawyer appointed to head the OCC by President Bill Clinton in 1998, wouldn't budge. He said he would reinforce federal policies that hindered states from reining in lenders. The AGs left the tense hour-long meeting realizing that Washington had become a foe in the nascent fight against reckless real estate finance. The OCC "took 50 sheriffs off the job during the time the mortgage lending industry was becoming the Wild West," Cooper says.
This was but one of many instances of state posses sounding early alarms about the irresponsible lending at the heart of the current financial crisis. Federal officials brushed aside their concerns. The OCC and its sister agency, the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), instead sided with lenders. The beneficiaries ranged from now-defunct subprime factories, such as First Franklin Financial, to a savings and loan owned by Lehman Brothers, the collapsed investment bank.

14 de febrero de 2008

Washington Post: Eliot Spitzer describe como el gobierno y los bancos son socios criminales


Predatory Lenders' Partner in Crime


By Eliot Spitzer
The Washington Post
Thursday, February 14, 2008

Several years ago, state attorneys general and others involved in consumer protection began to notice a marked increase in a range of predatory lending practices by mortgage lenders. Some were misrepresenting the terms of loans, making loans without regard to consumers' ability to repay, making loans with deceptive "teaser" rates that later ballooned astronomically, packing loans with undisclosed charges and fees, or even paying illegal kickbacks. These and other practices, we noticed, were having a devastating effect on home buyers. In addition, the widespread nature of these practices, if left unchecked, threatened our financial markets.

Even though predatory lending was becoming a national problem, the Bush administration looked the other way and did nothing to protect American homeowners. In fact, the government chose instead to align itself with the banks that were victimizing consumers.

Predatory lending was widely understood to present a looming national crisis. This threat was so clear that as New York attorney general, I joined with colleagues in the other 49 states in attempting to fill the void left by the federal government. Individually, and together, state attorneys general of both parties brought litigation or entered into settlements with many subprime lenders that were engaged in predatory lending practices. Several state legislatures, including New York's, enacted laws aimed at curbing such practices.

15 de enero de 2008

Lo último en fraude hipotecario: el pago "balun"


By Molly Priesmeyer
Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2008
Subprime was voted 2007's word of the year by the American Dialect Society. As 2008 opens, other dubious mortgage loans are surfacing, ripe for nicknames.
One such loan has a familiar name — balloon payment. But this latest version could be called a "blimp payment."
A lawsuit filed in December in Hennepin County District Court details the unfortunate case of South Minneapolis homeowner Stanzer Knox, who discovered that refinancing his house in early 2006 saddled him with, in effect, a 40-year mortgage.

Though he thought he had taken out a 30-year $185,000 loan, Knox and lawyer Mark Ireland eventually found in the fine print that he would have to make 10 years' worth of payments all at once at the end of the 30-year term.

Total amount of the blimp payment? $121,062.58.

Such details of the loan emerged after Knox fell behind on his mortgage payments and was threatened with foreclosure proceedings in May 2007, Ireland says. Knox's lawsuit claims that Homestead Mortgage Co., an Arden Hills-based business described as "inactive," violated a number of provisions in the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, among other statutes. The current loan holder, a Delaware company called Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS), did not return MinnPost's calls for comment.