A Slap on the Wrist for Mortgage Servicers

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  April 15th at 01:50 PM  | 

Amid allegations of unsafe and unsound practices in the processing of foreclosures, enforcement action has been taken against bank servicers: Ally Financial, Aurora Bank, Bank of America, Citibank, Citigroup, EverBank, HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, MetLife Bank, OneWest Bank, PNC, Sovereign Bank, SunTrust Bank, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo and third-party servicers: Lender Processing Services Inc. (LPS), and MERSCORP also known as Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. (MERS).

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Foreclosure fraud: AG releases critical report

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  April 15th at 08:55 AM  | 

One day after a reported settlement between Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Ally Financial with attorneys general across the U.S. in the foreclosure epidemic, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi released a highly critical presentation detailing legal issues surrounding the crisis. The presentation, titled “Unfair, Deceptive and Unconscionable Acts in Foreclosure Cases,” was provided by the attorney general’s economic crimes division | Read More »

Driver’s License Renewal and the REAL ID Act

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  April 15th at 08:49 AM  | 

Barely a year into Florida’s enforcement of the federal Real ID Act of 2005, an act that requires multiple pieces of identification to renew or obtain an original driver’s license or state identification card, the law continues to confuse people. In response to the 9-11 terrorist attacks that killed more than 5,000 people at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in | Read More »

Food Stamp Eligibility in Florida

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  April 14th at 06:19 AM  | 

As of November, 43.6 million Americans, or more than 14 percent of the population, collected food stamps to purchase groceries as tough economic times continued. The number of recipients was up 0.9 percent from October, according to a recent report of the US Department of Agriculture. Compared to a year ago, the number of people receiving food stamps was up 14.2 percent. Formerly known as | Read More »

Fund to help hardest-hit Floridians

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  April 10th at 11:40 AM  | 

Are you unemployed or underemployed and unable to pay your mortgage on time? The Florida Housing Finance Corporation announced last week that Floridians having difficulties making their mortgage can apply for financial assistance from the Hardest-Hit Fund (HHF) beginning next Monday.

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FTC Sues Florida Loan Modification Firm

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  April 8th at 03:03 PM  | 

The FTC recently issued the Mortgage Assistance Relief Services Rule, that prohibits mortgage foreclosure and loan modification services from collecting fees until homeowners have a written offer from their lender that they personally find acceptable.

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Tax Masters and JK Harris Face AG Inquiry

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  April 7th at 02:29 PM  | 

With the April 18th tax deadline just weeks away, tax relief companies have increased late night advertising and Internet promotions promising to settle delinquent IRS debt for pennies on the dollar. Several of these companies are under investigation for deceptive practices.

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The Evolving Nation of Facebook

By: William E. Lewis Jr. (Diary)  |  April 7th at 10:18 AM  | 

Change” is once again occurring at the social media utility as Facebook has released a cleaver and convenient way for users to convert non-personal profiles into business pages all without losing the social presence previously established. A key difference between the two features is the fact that users can “like” a page while they must “friend” a profile. Facebook believes that a page is a much better solution for businesses and public figures.

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