New Workshop on Motion Practice and Discovery

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Neil Garfield

why-you-should-attend-the-discovery-and-motion-practice-workshop

VISIT LIVINGLIES STORE FOR FREE VIDEOS AND OTHER RESOURCES

START WINNING CASES!!

May 23-24, 2010 2 days. 9am-5pm. Neil F Garfield. CLE credits pending but not promised. Register Now. Seating limited to 18. INCLUDES LUNCH AND EXTENSIVE MANUAL OF FORMS, NARRATIVE AND CASES. An in-depth look at securitized residential mortgages and deeds of trust. Latest cases on standing, nominees, splitting note from security instrument, bankruptcy strategies, expert declarations, forensic analysis reports.

Lawyers, paralegals, experts, forensic analysts will all benefit from this. This workshop includes monthly follow-up teleconferences and continuing on-going support with advance copies of articles, cases and analysis.

  1. STRATEGIC REVIEW: WHY THESE CASES ARE BEING WON AND LOST IN MOTION PRACTICE.
  2. SECURITIZATION REVIEW
  3. USE OF FORENSIC REPORTS AND EXPERT DECLARATIONS
  4. RAISING QUESTIONS OF FACT IN CREDIBLE MANNER
  5. SETTING UP AN EVIDENTIARY HEARING
  6. FOLLOW THE MONEY
  7. OBLIGATION, NOTE, BOND, MORTGAGE, DEED OF TRUST ANALYSIS
  8. TILA, RESPA, QWR, DVL AND RESCISSION — WHY JUDGES DON’T LIKE TILA RESCISSION AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEIR RESISTANCE.
  9. NOTICE OF DEFAULT, TRUSTEE, STANDING, REAL PARTY IN INTEREST EXAMINED AND REVIEWED
  10. INVESTORS, REMICS, TRUSTS, TRUSTEES, BORROWERS, CREDITORS, DEBTORS, HOMEOWNERS
  11. FACT EVIDENCE ON MOTIONS
  12. FORENSIC EVIDENCE ON MOTION
  13. EXPERT EVIDENCE ON MOTION
  14. ORAL ARGUMENT
  15. WHAT TO FILE
  16. WHEN TO FILE
  17. EMERGENCY MOTIONS — MOTION TO LIFT STAY, MOTION TO DISMISS, TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDERS, MOTION TO COMPEL DISCOVERY
  18. DISCOVERY: INTERROGATORIES, WHAT TO ASK FOR, HOW TO ASK FOR IT AND HOW TO ENFORCE IT. REQUESTS TO PRODUCE. REQUESTS FOR ADMISSIONS. DEPOSITIONS UPON WRITTEN QUESTIONS.
  19. FEDERAL PROCEDURE
  20. STATE PROCEDURE
  21. BANKRUPTCY PROCEDURE
  22. ETHICS, BUSINESS PLANS, AND PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Filed under: bubble, CDO, CORRUPTION, currency, Eviction, foreclosure, GTC | Honor, HERS, Investor, Mortgage, securities fraud | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Wall Street Banks Don’t Own Toxic Loans: ABC

Posted on January 3, 2010 by Neil Garfield

NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON/KINDLE!!!

This is why it is critically important that (a) you get help in organizing your information (b) getting a forensic analysis, review or even a TILA Audit (c) that you secure a third party expert declaration that puts the the facts in issue and (d) that you aggressively pursue discovery without trying to convince the Judge that the mortgage, note or obligation is invalid.

see how-to-be-an-expert-witness

Everyone seems to be getting it right — including the New York Times lead editorial this morning — except the main point. It’s been said that there are two kinds of truth — reality and the collective perception of reality whether it is wrong or right. see self-dealing-part-ii-investigations-started
REALITY: The main point missed by nearly everyone is that in the securitization of real estate loans — residential and commercial — the Wall Street Banks do not own the toxic loans and never did. The simple ABC is that the loans were executed by homeowners and then trafficked like illegal drugs through middlemen until they ended up in the hands of investors (pension funds, sovereign wealth funds etc.).
The actual amount and movement of money was kept carefully hidden from investors and homeowners, violating Federal, State, and common law. Much of this money actually belongs in the hands of homeowners, investors, and taxing authorities from Federal State and Local governments.

CONSENSUS FALSEHOOD: The banks made loans that were too risky and “relaxed” their underwriting standards. A slew of defaults occurred causing a danger of a run on the banks. [The truth is that risk never entered the picture: there is no risk in arranging a loan (with investor funds) that you know for sure is guaranteed to fail because it will reset to a payment level that the homeowner could never be able to pay under any conceivable circumstances.]

THE INCONVENIENT TRUTH: Profits piled up off-shore that are being repatriated on a gradual basis showing incredible gains at the Wall Street Banks that supposedly lost hundreds of billions of dollars. The truth is they never lost a dime. The truth is the loan was sold multiple times through multiple intermediaries each of whom in each “sale” were paid fees and profits vastly exceeding any prior compensation to those who arranged or made loans prior to securitization.
Second Hidden Yield Spread Premium: As I have pointed out before the hidden yield spread premium was jaw-dropping (when the loans were packaged by the aggregator and then sold to the Special Purpose Vehicle that issued and sold the mortgage-backed securities. This second YSP was sent off-shore to the Bahamas or the Caymans to Structured Investment Vehicles with their own trustees, who scattered the actual depository accounts all around the world. The beneficiaries were the 100 Club — the main players in the creation, promotions and protection of the scheme through government contacts, plausible deniability, and simple non-disclosure sometimes achieved through the sheer complexity of the arrangements.

Nobody wants to acknowledge this fact because it would be admission that the con game is still on and that government is still part of it. They took many trillions of dollars to “bail out” banks that had arranged the bad loans but never underwrote them.

After centuries of lending in which banks made loans and were the obvious source of funds and the obvious losers if the loans went bad, it seems that there is hardly a soul in media, government, or the judiciary that is willing to come right out and say the banks are by nature intermediaries and that they carried their business of intermediation too far (removing the risk for bad loans).

In the old model, prior to Glass Steagel being repealed, the use of money held on deposit (i.e, your checking, savings or CD account) at a depository institution was the source of funds for the loans, thus putting the bank at risk. A bad loan meant that the payback had to be covered by the bank’s capital reserves that were regulated to make sure there was always enough money on hand to satisfy the demands of depositors who needed the use of the money they had deposited into the bank, for safe-keeping.

In fact, the scheme was built upon the premise that by not actually having any risk and by entering into “hedge (insurance) contracts, they could make far more money arranging bad loans than good loans. Logistically they guaranteed their profit by inserting terms into mortgage backed bond indentures that cut the investor out of the bounty.
The result, as always, was that Wall Street won and everyone else lost. 1 in 50 people now are living strictly on food stamps in this country. And the number is rising. Leading the pack are white-haired white people whose numbers are growing exponentially, followed by blacks and Hispanics. Fifty percent of the securitized loans were refi’s. Yet the misconception is that this crisis only affects people who bought houses they could not afford.
January 3, 2010
New York Times Editorial

Avoiding a Japanese Decade

Thankfully, 2009 ended better than it began. Economists talk about green shoots of recovery taking hold. Consumer confidence has improved. Equity markets have soared. But for all the progress, the American economy remains extremely vulnerable.

To understand those economic risks, it is worth considering Japan’s experience in the 1990s. A bursting housing bubble there sparked a banking crisis that was followed by a decade of economic stagnation.

The Japanese government lacked the resolve to do what was necessary. It failed to fix its banks and stopped its early fiscal stimulus before recovery had taken hold, leaving the economy all too vulnerable to outside shocks, including the Asian currency crisis and the dot-com collapse in 2001. Japan’s annual growth rate — which had averaged 4 percent since 1973 — slowed to less than 1 percent, on average, from 1992 to 2003.

President Obama’s economic advisers have learned from Japan’s experience. But they may not have learned enough. (Certainly Congress has not been paying attention.) If they are not careful, they could end up repeating some of the big mistakes that condemned Japan’s economy to a lost decade.

The green shoots are barely out of the ground and Republicans and conservative Democrats in Congress are already demanding that the administration “do something” to cut the budget gap. We worry that the political drumbeat may be too hard to resist. In 1997, after three years of tepid growth, the Japanese government stopped its stimulus: it raised a consumption tax, ended a temporary income tax cut, increased social security premiums and nipped recovery in the bud.

Japan’s other blunder was its unwillingness to fix its banks. Regulators did not force banks and indebted firms to recognize trillions of yen worth of bad loans. Banks trundled along like zombies, squandering credit to keep insolvent firms on their feet. When the Asian currency crisis hit, many undercapitalized banks toppled over.

The Obama administration has not been quite as forgiving with the banks, but it still has been nowhere near aggressive enough. The regulatory reform meant to curb bankers’ destructive risk-taking is moving at a snail’s pace through Congress. While the Treasury has forced banks to raise capital, many — including some of the largest — remain thinly capitalized and weak.

Banks have been unwilling to sell bad assets and take a loss. They remain stuffed with risky commercial and residential mortgages and consumer debt. Bankers, meanwhile, have made things worse by insisting on paying themselves huge bonuses after profiting so handsomely from the taxpayers’ tolerance and largess.

There are two big problems with that. The bankers’ taste for risk has not been in any way quenched. And the American public is, justifiably, fed up. That means if there is another bank crisis — say when the Federal Reserve takes away the punch bowl of low interest rates — it will be a lot harder to get Congress to approve another bailout, no matter how necessary.

The Obama administration has still done a far better job — up to now — in addressing the crisis than Japan’s governments did. As dismal as 2009 was, it pales when compared with what would have happened without the fiscal stimulus and the Fed’s enormous monetary boost.

The White House is now pushing another mini-stimulus plan for next year. Chances are it will need to do a lot more to push reform and boost the economy. If there is an overarching lesson from Japan’s lost decade, it is that half measures don’t pay.

Filed under: bubble, CDO, CORRUPTION, currency, Eviction, foreclosure, GTC | Honor, Investor, Mortgage, securities fraud | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Foreclosure Defense: A California Lawyer that Gets It

Posted on July 5, 2008 by Neil Garfield

The following is a short article written by a good lawyer from California who understands the advantages and uses of TILA, audits etc. It doesn’t address the forensic analysis of the ledgers of the mortgage servicer or the securitization process, but it does state eloquently the case for knowing what you are doing:

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And the truth (in lending) shall set you free

By Cathy Moran, California Bankruptcy Attorney

In the midst of the mortgage meltdown, I’m searching for every tool that might provide a lever to modify a mortgage.  In every case involving a home, I’m inquiring about when the existing loans were made, since the borrower has three years from the transaction to rescind a loan for violations of the Truth in Lending Act.

The neat things about TILA violations is that they are strict liability causes of action:  the aggrieved borrower doesn’t have to prove they were defrauded or misled, or that they had actual damages.  The fact that the disclosures were defective gives the borrower the right to rescind the loan and deprives the lender of the right to interest on the loan.  Pretty powerful stuff.

Powerful stuff is what we need to keep people in their homes:  tools to bring the lender to the table to revisit the loan and find an alternative to foreclosure.  Because absent some sort of restructuring, a tremendous number of these impossible loans will otherwise be foreclosed.  In the long run, a foreclosure benefits neither party.

My small sample, unscientific sample says that I am finding TILA violations in at least half of the loans I’m reviewing these days.  TILA doesn’t apply  to  financing of investment property, but for me, it’s the family homes that I’m intent on saving.

So, if you have a loan taken out in the past three years, gather all of the documents you got at closing and see a lawyer immediately.  Get the transaction reviewed for Truth in Lending compliance.  Once those three years are past, there is little that TILA can do for you.

Filed under: CDO, Eviction, foreclosure, GTC | Honor, Mortgage | Tagged: , , | 6 Comments »

Foreclosure Defense and Mortgage Meltdown: Worse than you think

Posted on May 22, 2008 by Neil Garfield

Take a look at the article (link below) which highlights the essential issues. It’s a bit choppy in reading but it makes the points you should consider as you plan your strategy for dealing with life over the next 10 years.

Despite assurances from the administration and those on Wall Street who are trying to bolster confidence in U.S. financial markets, the trust level between bankers, the key indicator of our economic future, has never been lower. Even Libor which is the holy grail of indexes has been manipulated during the last 4 years. Moody’s admitted yesterday that a computer “mistake” caused it to miss the “downturn” in the value  and rating of certain securities — the very same ones they overrated in the first place because the analysts were literally given fishing trips and pressured from the top to keep the “client” through “negotiation” of the rating that Moody’s would apply. 

What you have is a picture of obfuscation.

Imagine on the right side,  an opaque cloud of misrepresentations, ratings and false insurance protection on a securities that are so complex the number of variables rose to as high as 125 and it took a modern computer an entire weekend to come up with a price that, like election results from an entirely electronic system, cannot be audited for integrity or credibility.

  • Imagine the AAA ratings that investors believed, because the rating agencies were reasonably trustworthy and accurate in the past. Imagine insurers putting their stamp of approval based upon negotiation and the false credit ratings. 
  • And know that the entire class of securities that are “asset-backed” consists of extremely high risk predatory lending practices including but not limited to originating loans to people with interest only negative amortization for sometimes over a million dollars where the borrower is out of work and disabled.
  • These are the “cash equivalent” securities that unsuspecting managers of pension funds, government funds, mutual funds, hedge funds and others were buying. 
  • Imagine them buying derivatives on derivatives thinking they were hedging their losses when in fact they were multiplying them.
  • And now imagine that investors bought $62 trillion dollars (yes that IS the figure — 4 times our GDP) of this garbage backed by unpayable mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, student loans, and other consumer and small business debt.

Now on the left side imagine the same kind of opaque cloud of misrepresentations, pressure tactics to close, and outright fraudulent misrepresentation of “appraised” value (just like the rating agencies on securities), only less regulated and more decentralized). A subsequent TILA audit reflects the following facts:

  • Imagine a person who speaks no English, or a person who is totally unsophisticated in finance.
  • A builder with a criminal record makes deals with people at the local fronts for bigger players like Countrywide, Barclays, Wells Fargo etc. The people at these front organizations are now in prison, fired or both — a very typical story.
  • The builder finds our unsuspecting buyer and tells them that for only $2,000 per month they can get a 5 acre piece of land and build a $400,000 house on it. 
  • He gets them to pony up all the money they have — $250,000.
  • They even pony up another $150,000 borrowed from the trust fund for their disabled child, injured in an accident. Nobody cares about the personal stories here because they were all out to make a buck.
  • When the prospective borrowers start asking questions about how this could possibly work they are told: “Look, it is true you are not making the whole payment. But the way things work, housing prices always go up and down the road you either refinance and get money out of the house or you can sell at a handsome profit. Housing prices have never been steadier, growth is enormous. The lender has approved this and you know it is their money they are risking and they know a lot more then either of us, so if they are willing to take the risk, why wouldn’t you?”
  • NOT DISCLOSED: (1) the lender had no stake in the outcome of the loan except to close it and collect pass through fees. (2) The mortgage and note and servicing rights were all transferred around to mortgage aggregators, and investment banks who in turn sold derivative securities based upon this garbage loan. (3) Thus the lender was not taking on a risk and neither was anyone who handled this hot potato until it landed in the hands of an unsuspecting investor. (4) And the appraiser, eager to do more appraisals and earn more fees is allowed to know the amount of the mortgage and the contract price and conveniently and always comes in with an appraisal a few percentage points higher than the contract, so it looks good to the borrowers, and even to auditors at least at the beginning of this wild free money lending cycle. Unknown tot he borrower the “bank” is actually an unscrupulous mortgage broker steering the borrower to the worst possible deal because it nets him the highest fees, and submitting falsified income information sometimes without even the knowledge of the borrower, and sometimes with a statement to the borrower (“don’t worry” this is a no-doc loan, nothing will be checked and you won’t get into trouble because everyone wants this loan to close. (the only true statement in the entire affair). 
  • LATER THE LENDER WILL TAKE THE POSITION WITH THE FBI AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT IT WAS DEFRAUDED EVEN THOUGH IT DEFRAUDED ITSELF” BY HAVING ITS OWN AGENTS FALSIFY THE INCOME AND APPRAISAL INFORMATION.

NOW IMAGINE BETWEEN THE OPAQUE CLOUD ON THE LEFT (defrauding the borrower) AND THE OPAQUE CLOUD ON THE RIGHT (defrauding the investor) GOSSAMER THREADS REPRESENTING PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY. All the people that were represented as principals and were in fact just sales people earning a commission on a sale. 

With nobody at risk but the least suspecting people who heard and read representations that were outright lies, misleading or only partial truths, lending standards when down the toilet. Nobody cared or had a stake in the outcome of the loan transaction except the borrower and the investor. The name of the game was “close as many loans as possible” because these investors are being offered just enough yield to be a little higher than other investments and were convinced by fraud that the perceived risk was much lower than the actual risk — after all Moody’s rated it AAA. 

The standard relationship between borrower and lender in which BOTH had  stake in a successful transaction was gone, but the borrower didn’t know it. How many people would have closed on their loans if they had known the truth? How many people would have bought these securities if they had known the truth. The answer is that the mortgage meltdown and general credit crisis would never have happened. Inflation would not be rising out of control.

Confidence in the the U.S. dollar and U.S. financial markets would not have sunk below zero. Borrowers and investors would still have their money and their lives and their credit ratings. Money managers would still have their jobs and the performance of the funds they managed would still be within acceptable bounds. And banks and investment banks would not be threatened with failure.

1,300,000 people would not be in foreclosure and 9 million people would not be “upside down” on the equity-loan ratio of their homes. 

Now  you can read the article I found on op-ed.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/1/opedne_stephen__080522__22immoral_hazard_22.htm

Filed under: bubble, Bush, CDO, community banks, CORRUPTION, credit unions, currency, education, EMS, Eviction, foreclosure, foreign relations, GTC | Honor, inflation, interest rates, Investor, Mortgage, Obama, politics, securities fraud | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Foreclosure Defense: Demand for Documentation Answer to Ohay

Posted on May 13, 2008 by Neil Garfield

Anytime you get an opportunity or can make an opportunity to demand the documentation is a good time to do it. However, like many others, you continue to look for short-cuts, when the system is geared for ONLY those willing to jump through the right hoops at the right time. There is no short-cut.

There are many options to defend your property, your credit, and your money and to go on the offensive as set forth on these pages. BUT you must realize that the lenders, mortgage brokers, payment servicing operations, investment bankers and purchasers of collateralized mortgage obligations have not opened their doors and their hearts to give you money. You must earn that by (a) figuring out what claims you have (b) stating those claims and (c) demanding refunds, damages etc. through the established procedures used in TILA and related claims.

There is no short-cut. But some ways are better than others, in my opinion. If there were a lot of lawyers around who understood these procedures, it would be wise to go directly to them. But the fact is, in my anecdotal experience, there are few of us who know the ropes and even amongst the the lawyers that do understand the process, people who have been making their living from doing bank audits, mortgage audits and related functions for most of their careers, can do more on the front end of things than any lawyer I know, including myself. 

As with all surges of opportunities, there are a lot of people out there on the Internet or otherwise advertising these services. Most of them do not have a clue what they are doing, how to do it and will end up taking actions that ignore or even waive essential rights you may have. While I continue my search for alternatives, thus far the only people I have found who truly know more than I do about the particular and sometimes peculiar procedures are at http://www.repairmyloan.com. 

I can’t guarantee you results and neither can the people at repairyourloan.com. But I have a high degree of confidence that those people know what they are doing, have the right moral compass, and have a long history over decades of dealing with these issues. I can’t claim that and neither can anyone else I have spoken with or who has solicited us for referrals. In fact, the people at repairyourloan did not contact me, I contacted them after they left a comment on the blog.

Filed under: CDO, Eviction, foreclosure, GTC | Honor, interest rates, Mortgage, securities fraud | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

FORECLOSURES: TILA RIGHT OF RESCISSION and CONSEQUENCES

Posted on May 7, 2008 by Neil Garfield

Seminars for Layman (Pro Se Litigants) and For Lawyers

TILA RIGHT OF RESCISSION and CONSEQUENCES

TRUTH IN LENDING

FEDERAL CIVIL COURT, FEDERAL BANKRUPTCY, STATE COURT INFORMATION

THIS POST RELATES ONLY TO RESCISSION UNDER TILA. IT SHOULD BE REMEMBERED THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE GROUNDS FOR RESCISSION AND CANCELLATION OF THESE NOTES AND POSSIBLY TREBLE DAMAGES FOR USURY. SEE HOLDER IN DUE COURSE IN GLOSSARY.

I have been inundated with TILA questions. So I went out hunting to see if anyone had already written about it in terms that a lay person might be able to understand. What I found is shown below. I believe it to be generally correct and the citations are good citations of law. See this site for the entire write-up. It should give most lay people an idea on how to handle this and it will be valuable to your lawyer if he/she is not totally familiar with the TILA context. http://www.rcxloan.com/Civil_Action__BK__Motion_14.htm. As always, we are available to answer questions and direct you to the proper people to get expert help and advice.

MY ANSWER TO OUR READER’S QUESTIONS:

  1. TILA Rescission is self enforcing. It automatically extinguishes the lien and the liability. The time for rescission does not run until you actually knew the full scope of the violation. That is tantamount to it never running out.
  2. YOU CAN ASSERT AND SHOULD ASSERT TILA VIOLATIONS IF YOU CAN BEFORE YOU ARE IN FORECLOSURE OR EVEN IF YOU ARE CURRENT IN YOUR PAYMENTS.
  3. Judge is required to look for authority himself if you are representing yourself without a lawyer (pro se). This provision in effect makes the Judge your lawyer and your Judge. Pretty good combination for you.
  4. Judge has no discretion to deny damages, refunds etc to Borrower once a violation of TILA, no matter how small, is discovered.
  5. TILA Rescission is NOT barred before during or after other proceedings unless those other proceedings specifically mention rescission as an issue to be tried.
  6. Federal Action for injunction against the players to require them to file documents canceling the documents of record and providing judgment for damages and refunds is probably the best action since that is what is contemplated.
  7. If in bankruptcy, it should be pled in an adversary proceeding. But if the bankruptcy is  primarily related to the foreclosure the better practice would be to file in the same Federal Court, Civil Division, a complaint for violation of TILA rescission.
  8. A Quiet TItle Action in State Court would probably also be a good idea before, during or after the Federal action. It clears up any doubt whatsoever about the status of title or the lender’s lien or encumbrances.
  9. THIS IS INFORMATION YOU NEED BECAUSE THE LATEST LENDER STRATEGY SEEMS TO BE FOR THE LENDER TO IGNORE THE RESCISSION NOTICE. THE LENDER IS BETTING YOU WON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
  10. Suggestion: If you are in Court and you have opted or are ordered to settlement, try to get a paragraph in the mediation order that requires all decision-makers to be present, whether they are parties or not. This would include the holders of securities who are the ultimate owners of the mortgage. (You may get a pleasant surprise. We have reports that the lenders sometimes can’t trace them down, in which case, the foreclosure action or sale is dismissed and you have no mortgage).

TILA & Res Judicata

(Analogous to Mr. Pierre R. Augustin, Pro Se’s situation since he had never litigated fully or raised any TILA claims affirmatively or defensively) –

A rescission action may not be barred by prior or subsequent TIL litigation which did not involve rescission (Smith v. Wells Fargo Credit Corp., 713 F. Supp.  354 (D. Ariz. 1989) (state court action involving, inter alia TIL disclosure violations did not bar a subsequent action based on rescission notice violations in conjunction with same transaction which were not alleged or litigated in prior action) (See also In re Laubach, 77 B.R. 483 (Bankr. E.D. Pa. 1987) (doctrine of merger bars raising state and federal law claims arising from a transaction on which a previous successful federal TILA action was based; merger does not bar, however, rescission-based on the same transaction)).

IX.  Timely Notified Lenders/Attorneys of TILA Right of Rescission

Mr. Pierre R. Augustin, Pro Se filed a copy of the notice of rescission letter (See Exhibit 5) in the bankruptcy court notifying the attorneys representing DanversBank, Ameriquest Mortgage, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, New Century Mortgage and Chase Home Finance as well as having certified receipt return of proof of delivery to the Lawyers including are proof of notification according to the Official Staff Commentary, 226.2(a)(22)-2 as authorizing service on attorney.

The Truth-in-Lending law empower Mr. Pierre R. Augustin, Pro Se to exercise his right in writing by notifying creditors of his cancellation by mail to rescind the mortgage loan transactions per (Reg. Z §§ 226.15(a)(2), 226.23(a)(2), Official Staff Commentary § 226.23(a)(2)-1) and 15 U.S.C. § 1635(b).

Equitable Tolling
The filing of Bankruptcy tolls or extends the rescission time as Mr. Pierre R. Augustin, Pro Se had filed for bankruptcy on September 26, 2005 and obtained a discharge on September 26, 2006.

Also, the principle of equitable tolling does apply to TILA 3 years period of rescission since despite due diligence, Mr. Pierre R. Augustin, Pro Se could not have reasonably discovered the concealed fact of TILA violations in-depth and explicitly until September 17, 2006 at about 5 a.m. in reading the Truth-in-Lending book by the National Consumer Law Center.

The equitable tolling principles are to be read into every federal statute of limitations unless Congress expressly provides to the contrary in clear and ambiguous language, (See Rotella v. Wood, 528 U.S. 549, 560-61, 120 S. Ct. 1075, 145 L. Ed. 2d 1047 (2000)). Since TILA does not evidence a contrary Congressional intent, its statute of limitations must be read to be subject to equitable tolling, particularly since the act is to be construed liberally in favor of consumers.

Security Interest is Void
The statute and regulation specify that the security interest, promissory note or lien arising by operation of law on the property becomes automatically void. (15 U.S.C. § 1635(b); Reg. Z §§ 226.15(d)(1), 226.23(d)(1).

As noted by the Official Staff Commentary, the creditor’s interest in the property is “automatically negated regardless of its status and whether or not it was recorded or perfected.” (Official Staff Commentary §§ 226.15(d)(1)-1, 226.23(d)(1)-1.).

Also, the security interest is void and of no legal effect irrespective of whether the creditor makes any affirmative response to the notice. Also, strict construction of Regulation Z would dictate that the voiding be considered absolute and not subject to judicial modification.

This requires DanversBank, Ameriquest Mortgage, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, New Century Mortgage and Chase Home Finance to submit canceling documents creating the security interest and filing release or termination statements in the public record. (Official Staff Commentary §§ 226.15(d)(2)-3, 226.23(d)(2)-3.)

Extended Right of Rescission
The statute and Regulation Z make it clear that, if Mr. Pierre R. Augustin, Pro Se has the extended right and chooses to exercise it, the security interest and obligation to pay charges are automatically voided. (Cf. Semar v. Platte Valley Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass’n, 791 F.2d 699, 704-05 (9th Cir. 1986) (courts do not have equitable discretion to alter substantive provisions of TILA, so cases on equitable modification are irrelevant).

The statute, section 1635(b) states: “When an obligor exercises his right to cancel…, any security interest given by the obligor… becomes void upon such rescission”. Also, it is clear from the statutory language that the court’s modification authority extends only to the procedures specified by section 1625(b).

The voiding of the security interest is not a procedure, in the sense of a step to be followed or an action to be taken.

The statute makes no distinction between the right to rescind in three day or extended in three years for federal and four years under Mass. TILA, as neither cases nor statute give courts equitable discretion to alter TILA’s substantive provisions.

Since the rescission process was intended to be self-enforcing, failure to comply with the rescission obligations subjects DanversBank, Ameriquest Mortgage, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, New Century Mortgage and Chase Home Finance to potential liability.

XIII.  Non-Compliance

Non-compliance is a violation of the act which gives rise to a claim for actual and statutory damages under 15 USC 1640. TIL rescission does not only cancel a security interest in the property but it also cancels any liability for the Mr. Pierre R. Augustin, Pro Se to pay finance and other charges, including accrued interest, points, broker fees, closing costs and that the lender must refund to Mr. Pierre R. Augustin, Pro Se all finance charges and fees paid.

In case DanversBank, Ameriquest Mortgage, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, New Century Mortgage and Chase Home Finance do not respond to this default letter, Mr. Pierre R. Augustin, Pro Se has the option of enforcing the rescission right in the federal, bankruptcy or state court (See S. Rep. No. 368, 96th Cong. 2 Sess. 28 at 32 reprinted in 1980 U.S.C.A.N. 236, 268 (“The bill also makes explicit that a consumer may institute suit under section 130 [15 U.S.C., 1640] to enforce the right of rescission and recover costs and attorney fees”).

TIL rescission does not only cancel a security interest in the property but it also cancels any liability for Mr. Pierre R. Augustin, Pro Se to pay finance and other charges, including accrued interest, points, broker fees, closing costs and the lender must refund to Mr. Pierre R. Augustin, Pro Se all finance charges and fees paid.

Thus, DanversBank, Ameriquest Mortgage, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, New Century Mortgage and Chase Home Finance are obligated to return those charges to Mr. Pierre R. Augustin, Pro Se (Pulphus v. Sullivan, 2003 WL 1964333, at *17 (N.D. Apr. 28, 2003) (citing lender’s duty to return consumer’s money as reason for allowing rescission of refinanced loan); McIntosh v. Irwing Union Bank & Trust Co., 215 F.R.D. 26 (D. Mass. 2003) (citing borrower’s right to be reimbursed for prepayment penalty as reason for allowing rescission of paid-off loan).

XIV.  Sources of Law in Truth in Lending Cases

“These include TILA itself, the Federal Reserve Board’s Regulation Z which implements the Act, the Official Staff Commentary on Regulation Z, and case law.  Except where Congress has explicitly relieved lenders of liability for noncompliance, it is a strict liability statute.  (Truth-In-Lending, 5th Edition, National Consumer Law Center, 1.4.2.3.2, page 11)

XV.  Synopsis of How Rescission Works

The process starts with the consumer’s notice to the creditor that he or she is rescinding the transaction.  As the bare bones nature of the FRB model notice demonstrates, it is not necessary to explain why the consumer is canceling.  The FRB Model Notice simply says: “I WISH TO CANCEL,” followed by a signature and date line (Arnold v. W.D.L. Invs., Inc., 703 F.2d 848, 850 (5th cir. 1983) (clear intention of TILA and Reg. Z is to make sure that the creditor gets notice of the consumer’s intention to rescind)).

The statute and Regulation Z states that if creditor disputes the consumer’s right to rescind, it should file a declaratory judgment action within the twenty days after receiving the rescission notice, before its deadline to return the consumer’s money or property and record the termination of its security interest (15 USC 1625(b)).  Once the lender receives the notice, the statute and Regulation Z mandate 3 steps to be followed.

XVI. Step One of Rescission

First, by operation of law, the security interest and promissory note automatically becomes void and the consumer is relieved of any obligation to pay any finance or other charges (15 USC 1635(b); Reg. Z-226.15(d)(1),226.23(d)(1).  .  See Official Staff Commentary § 226.23(d)(2)-1. (See Willis v. Friedman, Clearinghouse No. 54,564 (Md. Ct. Spec. App. May 2, 2002) (Once the right to rescind is exercised, the security interest in the Mr. Pierre R. Augustin’s property becomes void ab initio).

Thus, the security interest is void and of no legal effect irrespective of whether the creditor makes any affirmative response to the notice. (See Family Financial Services v. Spencer, 677 A.2d 479 (Conn. App. 1996) (all that is required is notification of the intent to rescind, and the agreement is automatically rescinded).

It is clear from the statutory language that the court’s modification authority extends only to the procedures specified by section 1635(b).  The voiding of the security interest is not a procedure, in the sense of a step to be followed or an action to be taken.

The statute makes no distinction between the right to rescind in 3-day or extended as neither cases nor statute give courts equitable discretion to alter TILA’s substantive provisions. Also, after the security interest is voided, secured creditor becomes unsecured. (See Exhibit #6)

XVII. Step Two of Rescission

Second, since Mr. Pierre R. Augustin has legally rescinded the loans transaction, the mortgage holders (DanversBank, Ameriquest Mortgage, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, New Century Mortgage and Chase Home Finance) must return any money, including that which may have been passed on to a third party, such as a broker or an appraiser and to take any action necessary to reflect the termination of the security interest within 20 calendar days of receiving the rescission notice which has expired.

The creditor’s other task is to take any necessary or appropriate action to reflect the fact that the security interest was automatically terminated by the rescission within 20 days of the creditor’s receipt of the rescission notice (15 USC 1635(b); Reg. Z-226.15(d)(2),226.23(d)(2).

XIII. Step Three of Rescission

Mr. Pierre R. Augustin is prepared to discuss a tender obligation, should it arise, and satisfactory ways in which to meet this obligation.  The termination of the security interest is required before tendering and step 1 and 2 have to be respected by DanversBank, Ameriquest Mortgage, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, New Century Mortgage and Chase Home Finance

XIV. Conclusion

I am requesting an itemized statement of my payment record to DanversBank, Ameriquest Mortgage, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, New Century Mortgage and Chase Home Finance.    When Mr. Pierre R. Augustin rescinds within the context of a bankruptcy, courts have held that the rescission effectively voids the security interest, rendering the debt, if any, unsecured (See Exhibit #6).  (See in re Perkins, 106 B.R. 863, 874 (Bankr. E.D.Pa. 1989); In re Brown, 134 B.R. 134 (Bankr. E.D.Pa. 1991); In re Moore, 117 B.R. 135 (Bankr.E.D. Pa. 1990)).

Once the court finds a violation such as not responding to the TILA rescission letter, no matter how technical, it has no discretion with respect to liability (in re Wright, supra. At 708; In re Porter v. Mid-Penn Consumer Discount Co., 961 F,2d 1066, 1078 (3d. Cir. 1992); Smith v. Fidelity Consumer Discount Co., Supra. At 898.  Any misgivings creditors may have about the technical nature of the requirements should be addressed to Congress or the Federal Reserve Board, not the courts.

Since DanversBank, Ameriquest Mortgage, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, New Century Mortgage and Chase Home Finance have not cancelled the security interest and return all monies paid by Mr. Pierre R. Augustin within the 20 days of receipt of the letter of rescission of September 21, 2006, the lenders named above are responsible for actual and statutory damages pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1640(a).

Once again, please send me a copy of my payment history and other document showing the loan disbursements, loan charges and payment made.  Also, DanversBank, Ameriquest Mortgage, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, New Century Mortgage and Chase Home Finance are to take any necessary or appropriate action to reflect the fact that the security interest was automatically terminated by the rescission (15 USC 1635(b); Reg. Z-226.15(d)(2),226.23(d)(2).  This requires canceling documents creating the security interest and filing release or termination statements in the public record of FREE and CLEAR TITLE to Mr. Pierre R. Augustin.  Thank you (TTTLMG).

May GOD Bless America,

Pierre Richard Augustin, Pro Se, MPA, MBA

28 Cedar Street, Lowell, MA 01852

Tel: 617-202-8069

TILA Pleading

Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedures, it may be sufficient to plead that the TILA has been violated. (Fed.R. Civ. P. 8(a)).

Specific violations do not necessarily have to be alleged with particularity (Brown v. Mortgagestar, 194 F. Supp. 2d 473 (S.D. W. Va. 2002) (notice pleading is all that is required in TILA case);

Herrara v. North & Kimball Group, Inc., 2002 WL 253019 (N.D. Ill. Feb.. 20, 2002) (notice pleading sufficient; response to motion to dismiss can supplement complaint by alleging facts re specific documents assigned);

Staley v. Americorp. Credit Corp., 164 F. Supp. 2d 578 (D. Md. 2001) (Mr. Pierre R. Augustin,

Pro Se need not specify specific statute or regulations that entitle him to relief; court will examine complaint for relief on any possible legal theory);

Hill v. GFC Loan Co., 2000 U.S. Dist. Lexis 4345 (N.D. Ill. Feb. 15, 2000).

The consumer’s complaint need not plead an error exceeded the applicable tolerance, since this is an affirmative defense (Inge v. Rock Fin. Corp., 281 F.3d 613 (6th cir. 2002)).

In page 2 (See Exhibit 1) of Mr. Pierre R. Augustin, Pro Se’s civil complaint, he stated that TILA was in of the Jurisdiction of all the claims against the creditors or defendants in that civil action.

At #6 of page 14 (See Exhibit 2) of civil complaint, Mr. Pierre R. Augustin, Pro Se explicitly stated that the New Century Mortgage Note which is now assigned to Chase is in violation of TILA and Regulation Z claims.

In page 17 of the civil complaint, Mr. Pierre R. Augustin, Pro Se did mention rescission and statutory damages (See Exhibit 3).

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Mortgage Meltdown: Foreclosure Checklist: Things to do

Posted on April 30, 2008 by Neil Garfield

You should consult with legal counsel if at all possible. Local rules and state laws differ, as do the application of bankruptcy laws in each state.

That said, based upon the emails I am receiving, many people don’t have the money to hire a lawyer. Obviously this makes perfect sense since most of the people reading this blog are people who have not made their mortgage payment.  

So the first order of business is to realize that the judicial systems of each state govern foreclosure procedures, and that none of them were designed to handle a situation like the Mortgage Meltdown. The clerks in the courthouses, the Judges, the lawyers, the banks, and others are all in the same boat as you are. They are confused, upset, and they don’t have a plan.

We have published a lot of do’s and don’t here and you can research through our 100+ posts that will give you much of the information you need. But I want to summarize and expand some issues.

1. Fight back and don’t take anything for granted. A piece of paper, whether it is posted on your door, signed by a Judge or a letter from a lawyer does not mean you have to do what they are asking. But you DO need to plan your response.

2. Don’t assume that you will lose. There is growing sentiment out there that you got screwed and that your city, homeowner association and neighborhood is suffering from this massive fraud on the American Public.

3. Don’t assume the lender wants to the property back. They already have more than they can handle. Offer to maintain the property and pay the utility bills. Hold firm on your offers and ask to speak to managers and continue going up the authority ladder until you get to someone who (a) has a brain and (b) has the power to make a decision that would alter “policy.”

4. Don’t assume the Sheriff has nothing to do except evict you. even after the order is signed to evict you, you have options including just staying there. But you should have a plan B. Sheriff’s resources are declining due to declining tax revenues. Performing unpopular evictions that nobody really wants to see happen is not at the top of their list. 

5. Make sure everyone in your family knows about your problem and is at least sympathetic. You might get more help than you expect — and this is no time to stand on ceremony or pride.

6. Make sure that your immediate family continues to receive your attention, your love and nurturing from you. The last thing you need on top of the foreclosure is a divorce and custody battle. 

7. If you are in a committed relationship do some brainstorming about how you can make more money, start some small business, earn money off the net or whatever suits you. Think about education too, since the job market is going to require increasingly sophisticated knowledge if you want employment security.

8. Don’t get mad, get even. Game the system. Get to know people who are in it and charm them, cajole them, and do whatever you have to for information, advice and guidance. Assume you CAN keep your house, that the mortgage can be modified in principal, interest and payments so that you can stay in it. Because it can and the lenders are increasingly looking at that option because it at least freezes the downward spiral of housing prices and therefore the downward prices of securities they sold to investors based upon YOUR mortgage.

9. Do NOT hire a consultant that asks for money up front. By all means listen to anyone who is willing to work and get paid IF he/she is successful. The only exception to this is someone with a proven track record of doing TILA (Truth in Lending Act) audits. These audits are worth their weight in Gold. Even if you have to borrow the money to get the audit done, it will most likely give you some strong ammunition with which to fight your foreclosure and sale. 

10. Don’t be a stranger. My email is listed on the “About” page. If you something to share or ask, go ahead. 

 

Filed under: bubble, CDO, community banks, CORRUPTION, credit unions, currency, Eviction, foreclosure, GTC | Honor, inflation, interest rates, Investor, Mortgage, Obama, politics | Tagged: , , , | 96 Comments »

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