Class Says Foreclosure Lawyers Doctored Docs

CHICAGO (CN) - A federal class action claims the Fisher and Shapiro law firm used such "false, deceptive and unfair foreclosure litigation tactics" that the Cook County Chancery Court ordered it to reopen 1,700 foreclosure lawsuits.

Lead plaintiff Stacy Hill, who says she was among those 1,700, claims that Fisher and Shapiro, of Chicago, removed the signature page from at least 1,700 foreclosure affidavits and reattached them to other documents, which included fees for Fisher and Shapiro.

Citing the Chancery Court's General Administrative Order No. 2011-01, Hill's complaint states: "The Order provides alarming detail: that 'affidavits filed in pending mortgage foreclosure cases by the law firm of Fisher and Shapiro were altered without the affiants' knowledge. The affidavits were altered in such a way that included changing the content of the original affidavit by removing the signature page and reattaching the signature page by the affiant to the altered content. The alteration of the contents in the affidavits included, but were not limited to, adding attorneys' fees and costs, adding insurance costs, inspection costs, preservation costs, and/or taxes incurred on the property."

Hill says Fisher and Shapiro filed a foreclosure suit against her in 2009 and altered an affidavit after it had been notarized by Deutsche Bank National Trust Company.

She claims the phony affidavits resulted in invalid foreclosure judgments and wrecked credit ratings.

She seeks an injunction and class damages for violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, consumer fraud and deceptive trade. She is represented by Anita Dellaria with the Progressive Law Group.

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