Watch Out For Non-Attorney Foreclosure Rescue Scams Promising Loan Modifications

The New York Times has an interesting article on my latest pet peeve – all the rescue scammers that are blatantly and openly violating the laws online. None of this is being done in secret. Just go online and google will take you there. These are the companies that are practicing law without a license (a misdemeanor or felony in various states). They are violating RESPA Section 8 by creating affiliate programs for kickbacks. And don’t lose sight of the fact that many of them do nothing to help homeowners, leaving them in a lurch after taking an advance fee (also illegal in New York). Here is the article: “Swindlers Find Growing Market in Foreclosures.” Only a local licensed attorney can legally handle a loan modification. Anyone else will not be able to offer legal advice concerning bankruptcy and litigation. Anyone other than a licensed attorney is not legally permitted to represent a client in a real estate transaction in New York.