| From Bloomberg: Now we are getting somewhere. What took so long? The Michigan attorney general’s office subpoenaed three mortgage processors including Lender Processing Services as part of a state probe of robo-signing. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said his office served Lender Processing, Fidelity National Financial Inc. (FNF) and CT Corporation System with investigative subpoenas as affiliates of DocX, a mortgage service support provider. The attorney general said he is seeking information about documents signed by DocX employees as “Linda Green.”
I like the words “criminal investigation.” The subpoenas are part of a criminal investigation into questionable mortgage documentation filed with Michigan’s Register of Deeds offices, Schuette’s said in a statement today. The subpoenas were approved by the state court in Lansing June 13 and require responses by June 30, Schuette said. The Michigan attorney general’s office subpoenaed three mortgage processors including Lender Processing Services as part of a state probe of robo-signing.
No kidding! “Allegations of forged mortgage documents are very serious and require a thorough investigation,” Schuette said. “I will continue to work closely with federal and local authorities to find answers on behalf of Michigan homeowners.”
Why did it take a 60 Minutes program in April to start an investigation when the evidence of mortgage fraud has been hiding in plain sight all along? Does anyone know what we pay these people for? Schuette said he started the investigation in April after county officials across Michigan said they suspected assignment of mortgage documents filed in their offices may have been forged. County officials in Michigan reviewed files after a “60 Minutes” broadcast by CBS Corp. (CBS) showed that “Linda Green” was used to sign thousands of mortgage-related documents nationwide, with multiple variations in handwriting, Schuette’s office said in a statement. The officials found similarly signed documents and Schuette is investigating whether certain mortgage processing companies permitted robo-signing of legal documents filed in connection with Michigan foreclosures.
It is a small start and just the fact the pressure has built to the point that the problem can no longer be ignored is a victory in itself. We will, of course, have to make sure that if these criminal allegations turn out to be true the offenders are put behind bars. Civil fines and penalties would only signal there is a two-tiered justice system. Contact the Attorney General and make sure he understands prison is the remedy for fraud. Office of the Attorney General: Press release h/t: 4closurefraud.org |
