Fraudclosures: A Signer’s Gain Is A Homeowner’s Loss
Posted by Michelle Moquin on October 19th, 2010
Good morning!
This was on the home page of the Huff Po last night. I’m sure that many of you have seen it but because of the sensitivity of the topic I just had to post it just in case you didn’t. I blogged about fraudulent foreclosures last week. Now I’m reading about people who were actually given gifts to speed up the foreclosure paperwork.
Can you imagine? Employees were given gifts…lavish gifts. While they are busily signing someone’s well-being away…someone’s livelihood, knowing someone is going to lose their home, from their simple signature (Oh the power they must have felt!) they themselves in return are getting their mortgage paid for by the company that employs them. And some were even gifted a new house! An easy thing to do when you are foreclosing on so many homes – why not hand out a few?
Who are these people that are accepting these generous gifts, all the while knowing that they are taking homes away from people fraudulently? Where is the compassion? Where is the humanity? What kind of self-serving creatures are living on this planet? When I read something like this, I can’t help but think that there is some grossly flawed gene that is running rampant…and growing.
‘Foreclosure Mill’ Employees Got Gifts For Altering Documents, Witness Says
At a large Florida “foreclosure mill,” a manager signed up to 1,000 documents a day without reading them and employees were given gifts to speed up foreclosure paperwork, according to depositions released today by the Florida Attorney General’s Office.
The news, also reported by Tampa Online, comes as Bank of America, the nation’s largest bank by assets, announcement that it would resume more than 100,000 foreclosures in 23 states after an internal investigation of its practices.
Florida authorities are investigating the law offices of David J. Stern over how it handled foreclosure paperwork. As the AP notes, Cheryl Salmons, an office manager at the law offices of David Stern, “would sign 500 files in the morning and another 500 files in the afternoon without reviewing them and with no witnesses,” according to Kelly Scott, a former assistant at the firm.
The perks for good performance were considerable, according to Scott’s statement. Tampa Online notes office employees were lavished with gifts:
“As a perk of Samons’ [sic.] job, Stern’s office would routinely pay her personal mortgage, a car payment, her electric bills and her cell phone bill, according to Scott, who told investigators Stern also bought Samons [sic.] a new BMW sport utility vehicle every year and gave her and other employees jewelry. Additionally, Stern purchased employee David Vargas a house, a car and a cell phone, Scott claims in her statement.”
According to Kelly Scott’s statement, Cheryl Ramos’s marathon document signing sessions took place in an office conference room and would leave her wearied. From Scott’s deposition:
They would [be] stacked amongst each other, side by side, and Cheryl would come twice a day, in the morning and mid-afternoon, around two or three o’clock and she would sign all of them, every single one of them…
Cheryl would give certain paralegals rights to sign her name, because most of the time she was very tired exhausted from signing her name numerous times per day. You had to understand it was more than five hundred files that she’s signing morning and afternoon.
David Stern had an especially close relationship with the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Scott said in her statement. The lenders were “considered his babies,” Scott said and employees would change codes to hide files when their representatives visited the office.
????????
Hey everyone…I have been a tad quiet lately, lots on my mind…and plate – but who doesn’t these days? However, I will say that I have been loving reading all of the comments, not to mention they’ve inspired a chuckle or two. Especially those in honor of Zen Lill’s birthday. It’s always nice to be recognized.
Hi ZL: It sounds like you had the time of your life! :) You certainly had that sweet as the day is long guy that spoiled you. Good for you! Oh..and “laying some pipe” is an oldie – you haven’t been around builders or you would’ve heard it for sure. It still cracks me up too! Doug loves laying that one on me. :) Let’s talk..it has been way too long.
Robert: Of course. I should’ve guessed.
I used to pretend. Before I became so “involved” for lack of a better word, I thought that if I didn’t give things “energy” and “attention” and focused only on the “good”, I could bring on more “good” and the “evil” would dissipate. How naive of me, and quite the cop-out. Looking forward to tomorrow.
And on that note, I have nothing left to say but goodbye…Oh…but of course the blog is open. Chat on…carry on…do what you will….
PEACin’ OUT this quite glorious morning.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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October 19th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
Hi Mischa, that above scheissa is just criminal, how low can you be??
…and it has been waaaayyyy too long – yes, let’s talk, how ’bout towards the weekend, Im still retrieving my life after the computer/wallet debacle last week. I’m glad you got your chuckles while I got my bday greetings : ) have fun getting your pile driven : ) (is that correct usage? ahahaha….!)
Luv, Zen Lill
October 19th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
Michelle
You need not feel depressed over your present unwanted conditions. I am ready to guide anyone who is ready to learn how to develop “mean-dar. (md)”
Let’s first agree on a definition of cruelty. The author’s will do fine. Cruelty is any inner or outer act that hurts another person in any way.”
I will henceforth refer to a cruel woman or man as a Cmf. A small C is just as good if the act is small.
As the author reminds us “Other people are glad to get you into trouble, but you have to get out of it on your own. Can you see how often this has happened to you in past experiences?
If you can, keep it in mind as we progress. The author says “Let its(sic) remembrance shock you awake, let it destroy all fantasies about the niceness of people.
A chief cause of shock and sorrow in this world is simply the inability of one human being to see thru the evil disguises of another human being. To make it worse those who do not see do not know that they do not see.
Stop and think for a moment. How would your life be different if you could read the minds of everyone you meet? How valuable would it be if you could see past their surface personality and know what they are really thinking? Well, you can. This superior wisdom is guaranteed by solid scientific laws that explain human behavior.
Here is an area where your clear mind can avoid annoying involvements with relatives and friends, Notice how quickly people chug their minds. Friendly and helpful one minute, they are cold and evasive the next. Make use of this fact of frequent fickleness. Then you won’t make arrangements with people that would have turned out costly and tiring.
Ever feel that those who are supposed to protect you are your worst enemies? Don’t be dismayed. Dare to see thru human weakness posing as strength. Don’t hesitate to realize that your present sources of help are no help at all.
By bravely seeing weakness in both others and yourself you will finally win great inner strength. So don’t be like a man leaning against a telephone pole that is about to fall. You can learn to stand all alone. Just let Truth be your teacher.”
TOMORROW: We begin with the definition of a cruel act.
Robert
October 19th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
And then there was the rather homely one-night-stand girl named Dee. Her dates’ collective motto seemed to be: Hump Dee, Dump Dee.
October 19th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Robet
Hello.
I like this from Erica Jong – “And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.”
What’s your answer?
Ruth
October 19th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Ruth:
Hello
I like –
“What I aspired to be,
And was not, comforts me.
R. Browning
October 19th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
Can I play?
“When I am pushing myself, testing myself, that’s when I’m happiest. That’s when the rewards are greatest.” Sissy Spacek
October 19th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
I LOVE THIS WOMAN
An elderly lady was standing at the railing of the cruise ship
holding her hat tight so that it would not blow away in the wind.
A gentleman approached her and said,
“Pardon me, madam..
I do not intend to be forward but did you know that your dress
is blowing up in this high wind?”
“Yes, I know,” said the lady.
“I need both my hands
to hold onto this hat.”
“But madam, you must know that you are not wearing any panties
and your privates are exposed!” said the gentleman in earnest.
The woman looked down, then back up at the man
and replied, “Sir, anything you see down there is 75 years old.
I just bought this hat yesterday!”
October 19th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
Sir:
Shall I give you PA, WA, CT and IL ?
Sir
Madaline
October 19th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
If I may play.
“Tis a lesson you should heed:
Try, try, try, again
If at first you don’t succeed,
Try, try, try, again.
- W.E. Hickson
October 19th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
“Taint no use to sit and whine
‘Cause the fish ain’t own your line;
Bait your hook, an’ keep on tryin’
Keep a-goin’!
Frank L. Stanton
October 19th, 2010 at 6:49 pm
Obscene Phone call – aural sex
October 19th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Another scam;
From: Washovia Bank
Subject: Update Your Washovia Information!!
Date: October 19, 2010 6:39:33 PM PDT
Reply-To: NoReplyWashovia.ComAccount Status Notification (October 2010)
We are contacting you to remind you that our Account Review Team identified some unusual activity in your aol account. In accordance with Wachovia Bank User Agreement and to ensure that your account has not been activated, access to your account has been limited. Your account access will remain limited until this issue has been resolved please log in your account by clicking on my account activity bellow:
=======================
Never respond to this.
Phil
September 22nd, 2014 at 7:35 pm
how to play cribbage
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