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
Attorney exemption
Attorneys are generally exempt from the rule if they meet three conditions: they are engaged in the practice of law, they are licensed in the state where the consumer or the dwelling is located, and they are complying with state laws and regulations governing attorney conduct related to the rule. To be exempt from the advance fee ban, attorneys must meet a fourth requirement – they must place any fees they collect in a client trust account and abide by state laws and regulations covering such accounts.
*THEY USE LAWPAY.COM WHICH IS ALL LEGIT. LOOK IT UP. THE TRUST ACCOUNT MAKES SURE THEY GET PAID WHEN THEY DO THE WORK JUST LIKE WHEN YOU GO TO WORK YOU WANT YOUR PAYCHECK RIGHT? ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO TAKE THE WORD OF THE HOMEOWNER WHO HASNT PAID THEIR MORTGAGE IN UPTEEN MONTHS? "I PROMISE ILL PAY YOU AT THE END" YEAH OK YOUR TRACK RECORD IS AWESOME
Commission on Lawyer Conduct
1015 Sumter Street, Suite 305
Columbia, SC 29201
Cindy Coker
Public Services Director
S.C. Bar
P.O. Box 608
Columbia, SC 29202
803-799-6653
803-799-2750 – fax
cindy.coker@scbar.org
www.scbar.org
FIND AN ACGENCY THAT IS REGISTER WITH YOU STATE . CALL 1 800 GET HOPE. THEY ARE FREE AND ARE REGISTERED THRU THE GOVERMENT.
Low life predators taking advantage of those in a vulnerable state. This ordeal only made me FIGHTING MAD!! They danced their last dance because they just danced with the devil! It will not stop until I get my money back.