The parade of illegality, corruption and fraud seems to be never ending. Here is the latest nonsense coming to light: Phoney process fees 10-20X what they should be.
Tampa Tribune:
“Pasco County Circuit Judge Susan Gardner decided to take a closer look at her foreclosure cases after law firms were accused recently of overbilling and forging documents.
She doesn’t like what she’s finding – a mountain of fees to serve notice of foreclosure lawsuits to homeowners and to people who don’t exist.
“Routinely, routinely, I’m seeing charges of $1,600, $1,800, $1,000, $800, any of those are ridiculous, and there had better be a good reason for it,” Gardner said, noting that these fees should typically be $45 to a couple hundred bucks.
The judge chose 12 random files and said she found 11 of them had what she says appear to be inflated charges to serve homeowners with lawsuits. Some of the lawyers who submitted affidavits to the court saying the fees are “reasonable” often sign their names and bar numbers in an illegible scribble, court records show.
“I used to think this was just sloppy work, but I truly have begun to wonder if it’s not concealment,” Gardner said.
Funny what happens when Judges get pissed off . . .
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Source:
Judge wants answers to foreclosure document fees
SHANNON BEHNKEN
The Tampa Tribune, November 18, 2010
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/nov/18/190741/judge-wants-answers-to-foreclosure-document-fees/news-breaking/
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