Posts Tagged ‘ Foreclosure ’

Occupy Movement Alive & Well beside Ben & The Boss in Philly

April 19th, 2012. By AbiK

It’s hard to put into words the feeling you get as you walk through Independence Mall in the heart of Philadelphia and reflect upon the fact that you’re not only walking past Ben Franklin’s grave, but also across the very ground that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton and so many others once trod. All in the name of independence. It’s beyond breathtaking—no matter how many times you make the trek.

Right now, however, that hallowed ground holds even more meaning—particularly as 2012 marks the 225th anniversary of the US Constitution and celebratory exhibits fill the National Constitution Center, which sits just opposite Independence Hall where both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were originally signed. Special exhibits in the Center currently include one with personal artifacts from The Boss, himself: “From Asbury Park to the Promised Land – The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen”. Independence Mall, however, is also where Occupy Philly is stationed. Still. And the significance is surely not lost on anyone.

Most people probably think Occupy Philly, along with all the other Occupiers, simply rolled up their sleeping bags and headed for working toilets at home. Sure, there’d be the die-hards whipping out their MSR Reactor Stove Systems for yet another ramen noodle-based dinner, but the rest of them? Gone, right?

Well, yes—but no.

Turns out the Occupiers don’t like freezing their tails off. Valley Forge this is not, after all. And so after moving to remote locales and continuing to stoke the fires of discontent, they’re back.

As with the pre-winter Occupy movement, it’s hard to find the bullseye issue—sure, it’s about corporate greed, corporate involvement in politics, the mortgage crisis and foreclosures, predatory lending, racial inequality, the economy, unemployment, disproportionate tax burdens—collectively summed up by the symbolic moniker of the masses: the 99%.

But any one of those issues could stand on its own as a cause celebre. And that’s been the challenge for the Occupy movement from the get-go—which issue is so central, so quintessential, that it could serve as the key rallying cry? It’s more or less the philosophical version of “jack of all trades, master of none”. And yet, in its ambiguity, there is indeed clarity—that something is very wrong in this country right now.

On the day that I visited Independence Mall (and Hall), there were only a few Occupiers out on the lawn—that’s them in the picture above (see more pics on our Facebook page). Their main focus: Wells-Fargo, the bank that’s surely seen its name in print a few times on LawyersandSettlements.com. Their primary beef: Wells-Fargo outpaces any other Philadelphia bank when it comes to foreclosures—this, after getting bailed out by the government to the tune of $25 billion.

The group, PHARE (Philadelphians Allied for a Responsible Economy) —from #OccupyPhilly—has flyers circulating that invite you to “Join us in taking Wells Fargo to Trial”: June 13, 2012 at 9:00 a.m., Municipal Court, 1301 Filbert Street” in Philly. If you’re in town, you might want to stop by.

So Occupy Philly is indeed back—along with the peonies and clematis. And much like those perennials, the movement appears ready to keep coming back. But after all, when freedom is calling, don’t we all come back to it?

Tags: #Occupy, #OccupyPhilly, Corporate Greed, Foreclosure, Founding Fathers, Independence Hall, Independence Mall, Occupy Movement, Occupy Philly, PHARE, Philadelphia, Predatory Lending, US Constitution, Wells Fargo
Posted in Consumer Fraud, Court of Public Opinion, Emerging Issues, Personal Injury | No Comments »

Brooklyn Lawyer Jaime Lathrop Pitches In to Help Foreclosure Victims

January 25th, 2011. By BrendaC

Lawyers Giving Back looks at a side of lawyers you don’t hear too much about—the side that gives back…pays it forward..and shares the love. We’ve found quite a number of attorneys who log non-billable hours helping others—simply because they believe it’s the right thing to do. Their stories are inspiring, and hey, who knew lawyers were so…good? If you’ve got a story to share about an attorney who’s doing the right thing, let us know—we’d love to let others know, too. Today, we’re talking with “The Park Slope Attorney”, Jaime Lathrop…

Attorney Jaime Lathrop: “…left unchecked [the legal system] will always favor the interests of the few over the many.”

It is a big job, but somebody’s got to do it. Thousands and thousands of people in the New York area are facing foreclosure, many without the money to pay a lawyer to help them save their homes.

“We have no shortage of clients,” says attorney Jaime Lathrop, a private practice attorney from the Park Slope neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY, who is the Director of the Foreclosure Intervention Program.

Since March 2009, working with the Brooklyn Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) and a grant from City of New York’s housing division, Lathrop has gathered together a group of 80 lawyers to do pro bono work for homeowners who are staring down the barrel of foreclosure. “I recruit, train and assign volunteer lawyers who represent homeowners in settlement conferences, negotiate workouts and help with mortgage modifications for Brooklyn homeowners in foreclosure.”

About 80 lawyers are now working on foreclosure issues for homeowners.

Lathrop, who is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School, clearly feels for homeowners who were often steam-rolled into a precarious financial situation as a result of the subprime mortgage crisis.

And he also feels a true obligation to help. “We have a system of law in the United States that left unchecked will always favor the interests of the few over the interests of many,” says Lathrop. “It is important for attorneys to see that everyone gets equal protection under the law.”

The Huffington Post recently posted a story about the Brooklyn Volunteer Lawyers Project calling it a “lifeline for people trying to avoid foreclosure”.

In addition to its work for homeowners in foreclosure crisis, the Brooklyn Volunteer Lawyers Project has been providing pro bono civil legal assistance to Brooklyn residents who need it most since 1990. It matches up volunteer attorneys from private practice with people in need of critical legal services.

Its mission is to “help people regain dignity and control over their lives”.

VLP receives funding from the New York Bar Association as well as private donors.

Jaime Lathrop is in private practice in Brooklyn, NY. His practice is focused on real estate law, family law, criminal law, bankruptcy and elder law. He has also been selected as a featured speaker at today’s New York State Bar Association’s General Practice Section’s Annual Meeting at the Hilton New York. 

Tags: banks-foreclosure-proceedings-class-action-bank, Brooklyn NY, Foreclosure, Jaime Lathrop, Jimmie Lathrop, Lawyers Giving Back, Mortgage
Posted in Lawyers Giving Back | 5 Comments »

Homeowners Latest Grind: Foreclosure Mills

October 28th, 2010. By LucyC

It seems that the banks just can’t stay out of the news these days—for all the wrong reasons. In addition to claims that they charge excessive fees and suspect overdraft charges, several banks are now facing lawsuits filed by emboldened homeowners, presumably with nothing left to lose, over their foreclosure procedures. And it looks like the homeowners may just have grounds.

Case in point, Bank of America (BoFA) was hit with a class action lawsuit in New Jersey last week by homeowners who allege the lender disregarded foreclosure process rules. Earlier this month BoFA imposed a nationwide moratorium on foreclosures and the sale of foreclosed homes after a government agency told BoFA it was worried about documentation problems.

Documentation problems? Read on…

It seems the banks have been hiring so-called “robo signers” or “affidavit slaves”—employees who literally sign hundreds of foreclosure documents a day, according to the Wall Street Journal, without carefully reviewing their contents. The Washington Post recently ran a story on a man who has signed as many as 10,000 foreclosure documents in one month. And, the suit brought against BoFA cites a statement made by a bank official in a Massachusetts foreclosure case who admitted signing thousands of foreclosure complaints without reviewing them.

Keep in mind that these people’s signatures—robo signers’ signatures—act as witness to the Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: BAC Home Loans Servicing, Bank of America, Foreclosure, GMAC, HAMP, LaSalle Bank, SunTrust
Posted in Class Action, Consumer Fraud, Emerging Issues, Financial | 4 Comments »