Loan Modification Scam
Complaint
Bobby Braddy
Country: United States
In May we contacted Consumer First Legal Group or Network (They called themselves both Group and Network) in May of 2012 for help with our mortgage. We had a telephone interview, gave all of our information, and were told that Consumer First Legal could definitely help modify our mortgage and drop our payment significantly. We were told that we had to put down $1330.00 and were told that it would be $600.00 per month for no more than three months to process all of the paperwork to get the loan modification. We were sent a list of papers to send, which we did send. This process repeated itself several times with weeks going by without returned calls, answered emails only to finally be told that things were being held up because they were still waiting on paperwork, which had been faxed over as soon as it was requested and sometimes multiple times!!!! We were told that we were not to have any contact with our Mortgage Company. We were told from the beginning to send any correspondence from our Mortgage Company right away, which we did. We started getting letters from foreclosure lawyers representing our Mortgage Company. We sent those letters and tried to get in contact with someone at Consumer First Legal to express our concerns with no success. For several weeks we tried to get in touch with Luisa Martinez and Ana Gomes, whom we were told we needed to talk to. Through this whole process we have been treated unprofessionally, have been given the run around, have seen no progress and were lied too. We were told a few weeks ago by Consumer First Legal that they were in negotiations with our Mortgage Company, Wells Fargo, and that “the package” was being submitted.
The final red flag was raised when we were contacted by Ana Gomes stating that she still needed some papers. We therefore called Wells Fargo and found out that Consumer First Legal Network or Legal Group (which sometimes they called themselves one and sometimes the other; very confusing!), has never contacted them. We were told that our home was in foreclosure and they were getting ready to set a sale date! We told Wells Fargo about the paperwork that Consumer First Legal Network had sent us to fill out. The representative at Wells Fargo told us that the paperwork was bogus. We were sent by Consumer First Legal Network paperwork to fill out for Making Homes Affordable which Wells Fargo told us that those were easily printed off of the internet, and that program a consumer would first have to qualify for. We are now trying to get something worked out with our mortgage company on our own now that we have been wasting time and money with the fraud that Consumer First Legal has committed. We are not the only ones that have fallen victim. We have found many other cases on the internet with the exact same circumstances. Because of what they have done we our out of $3130 in money drafted out of our account paid to Consumer First Legal, and we are $10,000 behind in our mortgage. We want our money back from Harold E. Stafford, Consumer First Legal Network, 8253 May Drive, Suite 309, Madison, Wisconsin 53719. Telephone number 561-494-0208. They took advantage of our hardship and we do not want anyone else falling victim to this scam.
The final red flag was raised when we were contacted by Ana Gomes stating that she still needed some papers. We therefore called Wells Fargo and found out that Consumer First Legal Network or Legal Group (which sometimes they called themselves one and sometimes the other; very confusing!), has never contacted them. We were told that our home was in foreclosure and they were getting ready to set a sale date! We told Wells Fargo about the paperwork that Consumer First Legal Network had sent us to fill out. The representative at Wells Fargo told us that the paperwork was bogus. We were sent by Consumer First Legal Network paperwork to fill out for Making Homes Affordable which Wells Fargo told us that those were easily printed off of the internet, and that program a consumer would first have to qualify for. We are now trying to get something worked out with our mortgage company on our own now that we have been wasting time and money with the fraud that Consumer First Legal has committed. We are not the only ones that have fallen victim. We have found many other cases on the internet with the exact same circumstances. Because of what they have done we our out of $3130 in money drafted out of our account paid to Consumer First Legal, and we are $10,000 behind in our mortgage. We want our money back from Harold E. Stafford, Consumer First Legal Network, 8253 May Drive, Suite 309, Madison, Wisconsin 53719. Telephone number 561-494-0208. They took advantage of our hardship and we do not want anyone else falling victim to this scam.
Comments
Im contactingthe Media....BACON LAW FIRM OF MYRTLE BEACH CAROLINA ARE LIARS & A SCAM!
To: guzmanidalia@hotmail.com
From: jenniea@firstlegalnet.com
Subject: Your Loan Modification; Please contact me with any questions 843-548-4118
Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 09:56:20 -0700
Hello Idalia,
My Name is Jennie, Your file for your Loan Modification has been assigned to me. Please contact me so I can review your information and determine what programs you are eligible for with your lender.
Recently you went online and completed some information for assistance on a loan modification. I have tried to reach you by phone and have been unable to do so. I'm following up via email to inform you that currently there are new programs available that can help you get caught up and back on track with your lender if you have fallen behind and/or lower your interest rate and monthly mortgage payment.
It is your right as an American citizen to expect full disclosure of this important information (not being made available to you by your lender) according to Supplemental Directive 12-05. This vital information should be afforded to you and I will provide it to you at no charge.
THESE NEW GUIDELINES ARE MEANT TO HELP YOU!
Due to our high volume of loan modification requests we respectfully ask that you reply to this email to inform us if you're still interested in modifying your loan. We complete many modifications every month now and as I'm sure you can understand its imperative we put the majority of our efforts on the cases that have a definite interest in saving their home.
Please call with any questions, concerns or thoughts so we can help you in your attempt to find relief from your current situation with your mortgage company.
I understand your time is limited to speak on the phone. To help speed up the process of reviewing your file to determine if you will meet your lenders guidelines. Please fill out the following information and I will run the numbers to find the best program available for you.
Borrower's Name:
Co-Borrowers's Name:
Property Address:
Home Phone #:
Cell Phone #:
Household Gross Monthly Income:
Household Net Monthly Income:
Income From Rental Properties:
Any Other Income:
Description of Additional Income:
Money Saved Towards Mortgage:
MORTGAGE INFORMATION
Lender of 1st Mortgage:
Principal Balance:
Monthly Mortgage Payment:
Monthly Escrow:
Is That Included in Payment or Seperate:
What Type of Loan(FHA, VA, CONV, FMAE, FMAC):
Interest Rate:
Fixed or Adjustable:
Home Value:
Year Purchased:
Loan Term(30?):
Years Left on Loan:
Have You Ever Filed For Bankruptcy(If So What Year):
Have You Ever Refinanced(Year):
Have You Gotten Any Loan Modifications(Year):
Are You Behind(If So How Many Months)
Have You Received a Default Notice:
Arrearages:
Are You In Foreclosure:
Sale Date:
2nd Mortgage Lender:
2nd Principal:
2nd Monthly Payment:
2nd Interest Rate:
2nd Loan Term:
Behind on 2nd:
Expenses(Monthly)
Child Care:
Child Support:
Home Phone/Cable/Internet:
Cell Phone:
Gas/Oil(In Home):
Electric:
Garbage:
Water:
HOA:
Groceries:
Car Insurance:
Car Payments:
Medications:
Gasoline for Car:
Doctors Visits:
Hospital Bills:
Life Insurance:
Tuition:
Rent:
Credit Cards(If so then the min monthly payment):
Clothes:
HELOC:
To review our credentials, I am including a link to our web page. At the bottom of our web page are links to the Better Business Bureau rating on our firm, and our status with the South Carolina Bar Association. Also, there is a link to a free, informative, and resourceful website that we sponsor with powerful news articles, videos, and the ability to communicate with others in similar situations as yourself, on topics such as bankruptcy, foreclosure, and the truth and myths about mortgage modification. That link is: http://firstlegalnet.com
Best Regards,
Jennie Armstrong
Intake Department
First Legal Network Center
Direct 843-548-4118
Fax 843-548-4118
jenniea@firstlegalnet.com
http://firstlegaln
Ida,
Based on the information you gave me, it looks like you have a strong case but I do need to speak with you. Your interest rate is extremely high, I would love to get that lowered for you and save you a tremendous amount of money. When are you available to talk on the phone? Do you have a lunch break? I am in the office Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm EST.
I look forward to speaking with you!
Thanks,
Jennie Armstrong
First Legal Network
ph: 843-548-4118
fax:843-548-4118
jenniea@firstlegalnet.com
Loan Modification Attorney
Using a Loan Modification Attorney is the Choice You Want To Make
Across America, loan modifications are helping thousands of people save their homes. If you are currently at risk for losing your home to foreclosure, now is the time to consider modifying your home loan with a loan modification attorney. When you contact Bacon Law PA., you can be assured that we will work hard to accomplish your goal of getting a loan modification. However, there are stronger reasons why using a loan modification attorney is a valuable decision.
I have attached an article on what homeowners experience when attempting to modify their home loan on their own. It just attests to what you hear on the news and in the media on a regular basis. Without the assistance of someone extremely well educated in the industry, the likelihood of obtaining a permanent modification is virtually little to none.
Peace of Mind
Our number one goal is to give you the peace of mind you need to move forward. By picking up the phone or completing the Preliminary HAMP Application, homeowners have given themselves the best chance to move on and start regaining control of their financial life.
Here are the four main benefits to using Bacon Law PA, as your loan modification attorney service:
Fixed Rate Mortgage - Our team will work to end rising interest rate payments & modify your mortgage into a low fixed rate.
Debt forgiveness - We will attempt to have past due payments forgiven.
Get a plan that is right for you - We negotiate on your behalf with the goal that you don't end up with unreasonable and costly repayment plans.
Principal reductions ARE possible - We can make the case for your mortgage principal balance to be reduced.
Can I Do It Myself?
Unfortunately, when it comes to modifying your mortgage by yourself, the lender maintains full control over the process. The lender is of course a business, and is going to look at your case for modification as a business decision. Most businesses are not quick to make a decision to lose out on thousands of dollars of potential profit, and that is exactly what loan modifications do from the lenders viewpoint. You will find many people complaining about customer service because you are forced to deal with offshore customer service representatives who are ill equipped to answer your questions. In fact they are trained to delay and discourage homeowners from following through with the modification process.
Most lenders also make proving you cannot afford your current mortgage very difficult. Your lender will constantly request the same documentation over and over and yet you will be the one who can be denied if it is not in on time. Lenders also ask the same questions repeatedly, partially due to the lack of adequate note taking, and in part to see if they can get you to give conflicting information. And yes, many times, lenders will lose your paperwork. This has led to many people finding the difficulties and hurdles too much to bear and they give up. Many choose to hire a loan modification attorney and end up having great success.
The Process in a Nutshell
An intake specialist and underwriter will assess your eligibility based on homeowners debt-to-income ratio and the validity of hardship.
Initial required documents are collected (An extremely important step that is primarily up to the homeowner to expedite).
Processing of retainer fee into the neutral-trust account (Lawpay holds funds until the work has been completed on your case).
Your file is analyzed and prepared by our dedicated processing department, (preparation time varies with complexity of case, and proper file preparation is vital to being you being accepted into most modification programs).
Q&A done is done with the lender to establish what their exact position is regarding the note (there is the possibility of the homeowner participating in a conference call upon request).
Submission of the finalized file to the lender (submitted with a 3rd party authorization so that we can deal directly with your lender in matters regarding your mortgage).
Your lender usually has 10-14 business days to respond and acknowledge receipt (letting us know that your case has been put into active review)
A negotiator is assigned to your case (timeline varies depending on case and specifics).
Regular updates with your lender to make sure the process stays on track (including collecting and updating supporting documents).
New terms or special conditions negotiated with the lender (this varies based on your case, need, and specifics, but remember we are protecting your home and we will always treat it with the respect it deserves).
Your solution is reached or your file will be resubmitted until one is (THE ONLY CASE THAT IS HOPELESS IS THE ONE THAT ISN'T FOUGHT) case is resolved
Let Us Shoulder the Burden
Getting a loan modification is not guaranteed if you attempt it yourself, or even if you hire an attorney, but by hiring an attorney, you can have some piece of mind knowing that a professional is working for you. We will be on your side working towards your financial goals. We take great pride in our work and take our cases very seriously. This is your home and deserves to be treated as such.
Given the stakes and the resources involved, it makes perfect sense to hire a loan modification attorney. Contact Bacon Law PA to get the loan modification process started.
Learn more about our loan modification legal services today.
Best Regards,
Jennie Armstrong
Intake Department
First Legal Network Center
Direct 843-548-4118
Fax 843-548-4118
jenniferj@firstlegalnet.com
http://firstlegalnet.