For those of you that missed the first airing of the explosive program on Fraudclosuregate that ran on 60 Minutes a few months ago, it’s going to run again this Sunday. The first airing attracted millions of viewers and advanced the cause by making the issues known by millions of people.
But despite all this exposure, in many ways things are still the same. Or worse. Now the problems are front and center and it can no longer be denied, ignored or minimized. The fact that fraudclosures go on unchecked is a terrifying commentary on the state of affairs in our country.
FROM LYNN:
I approach the reairing this Sunday of the foreclosure fraud episode on 60 Minutes with mixed feelings.
Before the initial showing, I would have asked ” How can we get judges, prosecutors and legislators to watch this?”
Now, I am asking, ” How can we get judges, prosecutors and legislators to care about this?” Judges have watched the episode and have said ” I don’t care that the notary wrote her name upside-down.” Others said, ” I can’t let a TV show into evidence.”
I was floored by this. Why would so many people be so determined to trivialize these crimes by banks?
I was contacted by several thousand people after the show ““ many were losing their court cases to documents ” signed” by Linda Green. Lender Processing Services refused to step forward and disclose to courts that these documents were fraudulent; the mortgage servicing companies continued to press as many foreclosures as possible using these documents or similarly forged and fraudulent documents.
By far the most disturbing development was the firing of the two Florida Assistant Attorney Generals, June Clarkson and Theresa Edwards, who were leading the investigation of LPS. One of the reasons was that they had been too aggressive with the lawyers representing LPS. Then one of the highest ranking members of the Attorney General’s office joined LPS as a Senior VP of government affairs. Then the press began reporting about campaign contributions made by LPS and LPS officers to the Florida Attorney General.
No matter how egregious and well-documented the wrongs, there are no consequences for the banks.
By far, my overwhelming feeling four months later is anger ““ mixed with renewed determination to speak the truth. I am very disturbed by the power of banks. Before I was somewhat aware that banks had gained tremendous power and influence. Now, I am aware almost every moment of every day that money controls our politics and banks control our money.
The most encouraging development has been the reaction of county recorders. I flew to North Carolina to meet Guilford County Recorder Jeff Thigpen. Jeff is not the sort of individual who watches TV and says, ” Someone should do something about that.” Jeff and his co-workers really went to work immediately and have been working ever since to expose the corruption of our land records nationwide. In Massachusetts, John O’Brien
even commissioned a study and has spoken out about the massive problem caused by MERS and corrupt mortgage servicers. In Michigan, it was Curtis Hertel, Jr. who dared to speak the truth.
In Florida, almost nothing has changed. The state attorney and the clerk of the court here have NOT accepted my request to meet with them. The Florida Attorney General’s office may be hard at work investigating my complaints, but if so they sure have not contacted me. Once June & Theresa were removed, all communication ceased.
Deutsche Bank and its lawyers have become much more aggressive in my own case, even adding my son as a defendant (though we were able to get that dismissed).
If the extent of this fraud is ever exposed and addressed, it will be because people like these country recorders and bulldog legislators like Elijah Cummings of Maryland were not intimidated by the banks and their service companies.
My regret is that I may have held out false hope to many desperate people.
If journalists had not told this story ““ and the truth about crimes by banks ““ then the banks’ version of history would prevail: ” Millions of Americans woke up one morning and decided to be irresponsible deadbeats. More, faster foreclosures will save the economy.”
I admire the hell out of you and 60 Minutes for running this story. I sure did expect more courage from prosecutors and legislators ““ but I am finally, at age 62, cured of my naivete.
I look forward to the story about the banks being brought to justice.
Best Regards,
Lynn Szymoniak
I have had to fend for myself. Fortunately I found Niel Garfields site. And when Chip Parker posted a video on assignments of mortgage, I started really looking at mine, and investigating the signors of the assignment of mortgage Korell Harp and Tawanna Thomas of DOCX of Alpharetta GA, owned by LPS of Jacksonville FL, and I retrieved off the Internet and blogging for copies of assignments and other documents prepared by DOCX and signed by the signors of my assignment. I reported my discovery of the multiple job titles held by the pair on Livinglies and how sometimes they signed differently as witnesses. Shortly after Lynn Szymoink at her website Fraud Digest put out the call for DOCX assignments, and I was the first to respond. After swapping the few files we had, it was clear to see the fraud. We exchanged hundreds of e-mails, as she continued to gather evidence, thousands after getting access to various courthouses,and swearing to put DOCX outta business. She did of course, and she was nice enough to provide a affidavit in my case. She wrote letters, and contacted people in the FBI and federal prosecutors she knew, I felt that the feds always go to slow, and because of being a former Deputy Sheriff, I spent my time contacting the Fulton County District Attorneys office exposing what was going on at DOCX to the DA, and his white collar crime unit ” one person” and including the Alpharetta Police Dept, a process and a story that I intend to present to the Atlanta Constitution, if their interested on what these people do when someone tries to expose corruption of bankers and fraud mills.
I presented the Fulton County DA with enough evidence, to go before a grand jury, and get indictments, and put DOCX out of business. Instead through the state government the evidence I had presented was reported to LPS on the sly, and they shut it down before law enforcement could, or would act.
Lynn did not fair any better with her efforts with the FBI, and federal prosecutors.
I told Lynn that if it was exposed, because of the vastness of the crime, they would avoid doing anything about it.
I felt it would be better, just to use the evidence in our cases, before the judge’s learned to look away.
She did not hold out hope to desperate people, she held out the truth.
Matt,
Thank you for posting this.
Lynn, thank you for helping to expose this.
Seeing this once again is important for me. Hopefully more people will watch and benefit.
I still feel anger and incredulity that these schemes were created and that they continue despite “promises” to eradicate fraudulent filings.
The monetary damages are incalculable; the undermining of the justice system can not be undone.