A court action has been filed to stop foreclosure fraud. Attorney General Pam Bondi filed the action to stop a group of non-lawyers from operating an illegitimate foreclosure defense and loan modification law firm.
“Florida homeowners facing the stress of foreclosure should not have to worry about scammers posing as lawyers and making false promises of relief to get what little money the homeowners may have. Thanks to the great work and dedication of my Consumer Protection Division, we will continue to fight foreclosure rescue fraud and protect homeowners,” said Attorney General Bondi.
The attorney general’s office alleges three men- Adam Forman, Joseph Hilton (a.k.a – Joseph Starr), and Victor Spagnuolo operated eight firms that were used to scam homeowners into paying large upfront fees for legal services. Another problem, not one of them was an attorney.
The named firms are Asset Protection Law Firm, Heritage Law Group, Liberty Law Group, Consumer Legal Resources, Consumer Legal Advocates, Legal Referral Services, Galler Lehman Law and Selective Housing Solutions.
According to the office, the men also face possible criminal charges for the unlicensed practice of law from the Coral Springs Police Department, Boca Raton Police Department, the Broward County State Attorney’s Office and the United States Secret Service.
There were 37 complaints received from consumers about the defendants’ “deceptive and unfair practices.” Some of the allegations included misleading representations regarding the law firms’ expert legal services, charging unlawful up-front fees prior to the services being completed, failing to protect the consumers’ homes from foreclosure and failing to obtain loan modifications as promised.
Full restitution is being demanded for consumers who have been affected by the crime. The complaint also seeks an injunction that will prevent the defendants from engaging in future loan modification, foreclosure defense and legal services.
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Choosing the right attorney can make the difference between whether or not you can keep your home. A well-qualified Miami foreclosure defense attorney will not only help you keep your home, but they will be able to negotiate a loan that has payments you can afford. Miami foreclosure defense attorney Timothy Kingcade has helped many facing foreclosure alleviate their stress by letting them stay in their homes for at least another year, allowing them to re-organize their lives. If you have any questions on the topic of foreclosure please feel free to contact me at (305) 285-9100. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.