Foreclosure Fraud
Zalathiel Aguila, sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a wire fraud conspiracy that preyed on homeowners close to foreclosure, waived his right to appeal a restitution order the Ninth Circuit ruled.
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Foreclosure Speech
The Third Circuit vacated a $750,000 damages award given to a man placed in a chokehold and hit with a stun gun for publicly announcing to bidders at a sheriff’s foreclosure sale that he and his wife had an unrecorded interest in a property being auctioned. The City’s policy prohibiting public announcements during foreclosure sales is a reasonable restriction on speech.
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Emergency Bans on Foreclosures and Evictions Repealed in California
By a vote of 19-1 on Thursday, the Judicial Council repealed emergency orders suspending foreclosure and unlawful detainer actions in California’s courts, leaving lawmakers just a few weeks to enact legal protections to avert an impending flood of evictions for unpaid rent when the moratorium is officially lifted on Sept. 1.
Read moreVirus Class Action
A federal class action seeks an injunction to keep Bank of America from foreclosing on homebuyers during the coronavirus epidemic.
Read moreLoan Servicing
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a contempt sanction against Ocwen Loan Servicing in a case brought by debtors who claim they suffered severe emotional distress by receiving letters and phone calls from the company about the home they had abandoned to foreclosure before filing for bankruptcy. A bankruptcy court had concluded the company violated the debtors’ discharge injunction.
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Squabble Over Lost Property Tax Pits Wells Fargo, Oakland at Ninth Circuit
The city of Oakland should not be allowed to sue Wells Fargo under the Fair Housing Act over lost property tax revenue from the foreclosures it attributes to the bank’s discriminatory mortgage lending practices, an attorney for the bank told the Ninth Circuit on Monday.
Read moreWells Fargo Bank
A federal class action in Pittsburgh claims that Wells Fargo Bank’s failure to properly calculate borrowers’ attorneys’ fees in the Home Affordable Modification Program resulted in at least 625 improper foreclosures.
Read moreNewsom Ready to Offer $331M in Homeowner & Renter Assistance
Under a proposal announced Wednesday by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the state will fund loan assistance programs for homeowners facing foreclosure and legal aid for renters facing eviction.
Read moreCity Fights $750K Verdict Tied to Violent Sheriff’s Auction
Hit with a $750,000 verdict in favor of a man whom officers tackled and Tasered at a sheriff’s sale, Philadelphia fought at the Third Circuit on Monday for a reversal.
Read moreLawyers Duck Debt-Collector Liability at Supreme Court
A law firm that carried out a nonjudicial foreclosure against a homeowner who defaulted on his loan does not qualify as a debt collector, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.
Read moreForeclosure Scam
Advocate Law Groups of Florida; its lawyer-president and his wife “deliberately targeted” Latinos in “unfair and predatory loan modifications and foreclosure rescue services,” the United States claims in a federal complaint.
Read moreMortgage Crisis
Deutsche Bank National Trust claims Countrywide Home Loans nka Bank of America owes it $253.5 million for breach of contract and warranties on pooled mortgage loans during the financial crisis, in L.A. Superior Court.
Read moreElderly Widow Says Imminent Eviction Violates HUD Policy
An 85-year-old whose late husband took out a reverse mortgage on their home claims in a federal complaint that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is trying to evict her.
Read moreForeclosure Mill
Pennsylvania’s attorney general asked the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas to shut down The Foreclosure Law Center, Mark Goldstein, GMK Solutions, et al., for running a bogus, deceptive and unfair foreclosure mill.
Read moreDistressed Detroit Homeowners Settle Tax-Foreclosure Lawsuit
A judge signed off on a settlement Tuesday that lets distressed Michiganders pay $1,000 to stay in their homes and seek exemption from property taxes.
Read moreCity’s Lawsuit Accusing Wells Fargo of Racist Lending Advances
A lawsuit accusing Wells Fargo of violating the Fair Housing Act by offering predatory loans to minority homebuyers will advance, a federal judge ruled Friday.
Read moreExperian
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal Tuesday of a class action against Experian Information Solutions, which did not willfully report short sales of homes as foreclosures.
Read moreAppeals Court Grapples With Florida Foreclosure Battle
The 11th Circuit showed impatience Tuesday for both Wells Fargo and the homeowners suing the bank over an unsuccessful foreclosure action that they say caused them emotional distress.
Read moreStates Settle With Mortgage Servicer PHH for $45M
Accused of hurting borrowers in the 2008 financial crisis, PHH Mortgage reached a $45 million federal settlement Wednesday with 49 states and the District of Columbia.
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