Chain of Title (54 page)
Authors: David Dayen
306
the state did pass a law to speed up the foreclosure process:
Drew Harwell, “âFaster Foreclosures' Law Unintentionally Slows Florida Filings,”
Tampa Bay Times
, September 10, 2013.
306
One judge in Broward County closed 786 cases:
Fitzgerald, “Homeowners Steamrolled.”
306
Bondi threw up her hands:
Kimberly Miller, “Attempt to Subpoena Foreclosure Mills Stalls,”
Palm Beach Post
, February 6, 2012.
306
The Florida Bar belatedly disbarred David Stern:
Andy Kroll, “Fallen Foreclosure King David J. Stern Disbarred,”
Mother Jones
, January 13, 2014.
306
Marshall C. Watson agreed to a plea deal:
Law Office of Evan M. Rosen, “Marshall Watson Foreclosure Mill Shut Down After Guilty Plea and Consent to Judgment, Changed Name to Choice Legal Group,” January 9, 2013,
www.evanmrosen.com/2013/01/09/marshall-watson-foreclosure-mill-shut-guilty-plea-consent-judgment-choice-legal
.
306
They've built up significant appellate court case law:
Adolfo Pesquera, “4th DCA Robo-Witnesses Ruling a Win for Former Condo Owners,”
Daily Business Review
, August 29, 2012.
307
Off that deposition, Rosen won the case:
Michael Redman, “Full Deposition of Lona Hunt: Robo-Verifier of Foreclosure Complaints for Seterus/Fannie Mae,”
4closurefraud.org
, November 12, 2014; Michael Redman, “Happy Thanksgiving from Lona HuntâForeclosure Case Dismissed After Taking Depo of Fannie Mae/Seterus Robo-Verifier,”
4closurefraud.org
, November 26, 2014.
307
the state supreme court ruled that voluntary dismissal was fine:
Revised Opinion,
Roman Pino v. Bank of New York
, Supreme Court of Florida, Case No. SC11-697, issued February 7, 2013, available at
www.floridasupremecourt.org/decisions/2013/sc11-697.pdf
.
307
When he succeedsâand he often doesâit's thrilling:
Michael Redman, “Judge Has Enough, Tells Bank Lawyer She Is Referring Him to the Bar in Our Latest Trial Win!”
4closurefraud.org
, February 23, 2015.
308
The case remains in limbo:
US Bank v. Mara Papasoff
, Case No. 50-2012-CA-001698XXXXMB, docket report available at
http://courtcon.co.palm-beach.fl.us/pls/jiwp/ck_public_qry_doct.cp_dktrpt_frames?backto=P&case_id=502009CA005542XXXXMB&begin_date=&end_date=
.
308
The house on Gazetta Way:
US Bank N.A. v. Lisa Epstein
, Case No. 50-2009-CA-005542XXXXMB, docket report at
http://courtcon.co.palm-beach.fl.us/pls/jiwp/ck_public_qry_doct.cp_dktrpt_frames?backto=P&case_id=502009CA005542XXXXMB&begin_date=&end_date=
.
311
the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, “2013 Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (Regulation X) and Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z) Mortgage Servicing Final Rules,” January 17, 2013.
311
the Homeowner's Bill of Rights:
“California Homeowner Bill of Rights Signed into Law,” press release, California Office of the Attorney General, July 11, 2012; Jennifer Bjorhus, “Minnesota to Get Stricter Law on Home Foreclosures,”
Minneapolis Star-Tribune
, May 23, 2013.
311
turn the island into a judicial foreclosure state:
Robert Brown, “Hawaii Adopts Nation's âStrongest' Foreclosure Law,”
Honolulu Civil Beat
, May 4, 2011.
311
But the best estimate is close to six million:
“CoreLogic Reports 38,000 Completed Foreclosures in July 2015,” press release, September 8, 2015. “Since the financial crisis began in September 2008, there have been approximately 5.8 million
completed foreclosures across the country.” Since the housing bubble peaked at the end of 2006, the number of post-bubble foreclosures is much higher.
311
linked high foreclosure rates with increased suicides:
Jason N. Houle and Michael T. Light, “The Home Foreclosure Crisis and Rising Suicide Rates, 2005 to 2010,”
American Journal of Public Health
, April 17, 2014.
311
“an extinction event”:
Zoe Carpenter, “Five Years After Dodd-Frank, âIt's Still a Financial System That Needs Reform,'”
The Nation
, July 23, 2015.
312
Diana Lewis lost 54 percent to 46 percent, becoming just the fourth:
Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, primary election results, August 26, 2014, available at
http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/FL/Palm_Beach/52688/139169/en/summary.html
; Jane Musgrave, “Ticktin Ousts Lewis, Goodman Tops Two Rivals in Palm Beach Judge Races,”
Palm Beach Post
, August 27, 2014.
Abbott, Greg,
241
Abercrombie, Neil,
241
Ace Securities,
201
Adams, Tom,
236
Aderholt, Robert,
225
Akerman Senterfitt,
281â282
,
291â293
Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE),
238
allonge,
139â141
,
157
,
218
,
223
,
243
,
281â282
,
291
Allotey, Liquenda,
214
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU),
223
,
237
,
257
American Home Mortgage Servicing,
137â138
,
140
,
143
,
148
,
171
,
216
,
256
,
297
American Securitization Forum,
223â224
America's Servicing Company,
171
Andelman, Martin,
157
Antar, Sam,
157
Arias, Leticia,
293
Asbury, Carol,
99â100
,
164â165
,
204â205
,
215
,
257â260
,
304
assignments of mortgage:
   Â
“BOGUS” mortgage assignment,
148â154
,
196
   Â
and fabrication by document processing companies,
116
,
124â125
,
142â144
,
161
,
171
,
207
,
216
,
218
,
223
,
228
,
248
,
302â303
   Â
function of,
37
   Â
Ibanez
case assignments,
111
,
238
   Â
Improper/fraudulent assignments,
74
,
77
,
88â90
,
95
,
106
,
109
,
151
,
159
,
166â167
,
169â170
,
199â200
,
202â203
,
214
,
226
,
237
,
243
,
245
,
262â263
,
286
,
297
   Â
Lisa Epstein's assignment,
41â43
,
45
,
65
,
72
,
96
   Â
Lynn Szymoniak's assignment,
132
,
137â139
   Â
Michael Redman's assignment,
70
,
85â86
   Â
9/9/9999 assignment,
178
,
243
   Â
Nye Lavalle's assignment,
54
,
57
   Â
in public records,
71
,
140
,
287
   Â
role of MERS in,
47â49
,
253
,
284
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN),
66
,
238
Aurora Mortgage,
192
Axelrod, David,
230
Bailey, Judge Jennifer,
204â205
Bair, Sheila,
144
,
179
,
230
,
248
,
254
Bakalar, David,
167
Baker Hostetler,
61â62
Banc One,
59
Bank of America,
21
,
33
,
55
,
68
,
86
,
156
,
163
,
191
,
195
,
219â221
,
231â233
,
236
,
239
,
247
,
253
,
266
,
269â271
,
274
,
278
,
295
,
300
Bank of New York Mellon,
125
,
236
,
256
,
266
bankruptcy,
27
,
34
,
37
,
39
,
47â48
,
56
,
67
,
69
,
77
,
110â111
,
115â118
,
122â124
,
236
,
245
,
256
,
299
Barclays Bank,
295
Barr, Michael,
240
Bear Stearns,
12
,
53â55
,
57
,
59
,
170
,
214
Ben-Ezra & Katz (foreclosure mill),
256
Berger, Max,
268
Bermuda Triangle Recovery Services,
264
Bernanke, Ben,
9
Biden, Joe,
296
Bishop's Gate Mortgage Trust,
307
Black Panther Party,
132
BlackRock,
232
Boca Raton Investment Club,
288
Bock, Sharon,
285â290
,
292â293
“BOGUS” documents,
148â154
,
157
,
178
,
193
,
196
,
243
,
248
Bondi, Pam,
232
,
244
,
247
,
260â262
,
275
,
306
Bradbury, Nicolle,
211â213
Brown, Lorraine O'Reilly,
193
,
302â303
Browner-Hamlin, Matt,
268
Brunner, Jennifer,
216â217
,
225â227
Bryn Mawr Trust Company,
133
Bush, George H. W.,
54
Butler, Victoria,
276
Californians for a Fair Settlement,
267
,
274
Campaign for a Fair Settlement,
274
,
277â278
Canady, Charles,
237
Casey, Bob,
225
cash-out refinances,
29
,
101
,
135
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),
155
,
205
chain of title,
34
,
37
,
41
,
45â46
,
50
,
54
,
57
,
70
,
95
,
111
,
160
,
236
,
239
,
241
,
243
,
253â254
,
256
,
295
,
301
,
305
Charney, April,
113â115
,
117â121
,
124
,
126â127
,
186â187
,
199
,
205
,
207
,
212â213
,
237
,
305
Chase Home Finance,
12â17
,
24â25
,
35
,
42
,
45
,
49
,
65
,
72
,
97
,
109
,
188
,
215â217
,
231
Chevy Chase Bank,
69
Church of Scientology,
71
,
237â238
Citigroup,
71
,
86
,
131
,
171
,
216
,
221
,
229
,
232
,
274
,
278
,
300
,
307
Citizen's Commission to Investigate the FBI,
132â133
Citizen Warriors Radio,
258
,
262
,
276
Clark, Greg,
121
Clark, Henry (“Tommy”),
146
,
161
,
263
Clarkson, June,
104
,
174â179
,
202â203
,
214
,
228â229
,
242â244
,
260â262
,
269
,
275â276
,
285
,
306
Clayton Holdings,
31
clerks of courts,
45â47
,
71
,
85
,
148
,
150
,
168
,
203
,
242â243
,
252â253
,
260
,
273
,
285â290
,
292â293
,
302
Coakley, Martha,
252
,
266
,
274
,
284
Codrington, Cirilo,
43â45
collateralized debt obligation (CDO),
30
,
33
collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO),
22â23
Colton, Judge Roger,
308
Commodity Futures Modernization Act,
30
confidential information disclosures (CIDs),
200
,
227
,
242
,
297
congressional oversight panel for TARP,
233
,
239
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,
227
,
279
,
311
Conway, Jack,
266
Cook, Whitney,
39
,
43
,
65
,
72
,
89
,
96â97
,
216
Cordray, Richard,
217
,
220
,
232
,
241
Cottrell, Beth,
72
,
89
,
208
,
215â218
,
225
Countrywide Financial Corporation,
27
,
29
,
33
,
59
,
67
,
174
,
197
,
236â237
,
270
,
280
,
284
county recorders.
See
clerks of courts
Covington & Burling,
235
,
278
,
301
Cox, Thomas,
210â213
,
233â234
,
240â241
,
244
Craine, Marshe,
231
cramdown,
67
credit rating agencies,
23
,
28
,
30
,
32
,
287
Crist, Charlie,
223
Cullaro, Erin,
103â105
,
126â128
,
175â179
,
229
,
261
Cullaro, Lisa,
103
,
126â128
,
175â176
,
178â179
Cullen, Mark,
133â137
,
141
,
143
,
146
,
163
,
169
,
250
,
281â282
,
292
Cullen, Mark Elliot,
134
,
139â140
,
243
,
262
,
281
,
294
,
304
Cullen, Zach,
134â135
,
164
,
290
,
294
Cymrot, Mark,
61
Dako, Dhurata,
237
Dall, Robert,
21
Davidson, Howard,
156â157
Delany, Andrew (“Ace”),
26â27
,
34
,
69
,
76
,
158â159
,
223
delinquency letter (paragraph
22
defense),
113
,
124
,
305
Denninger, Karl,
90â91
,
105
,
152
,
157
Department of Homeland Security,
205
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),
43
,
173
,
199
,
266
,
279
,
283
,
298â299
Depository Institution Deregulation and Monetary Control Act (DIDMCA),
28
de Soto, Hernando,
46
Dettelbach, Steve,
217
Deutsche Bank,
71
,
125
,
136â137
,
139â141
,
147
,
160
,
163
,
191
,
199
,
250
,
262
,
266
,
268
,
278
,
281
,
291
,
293â294