Pinellas County Foreclosures

Known Florida robo-signing names turn up on mortgage documents elsewhere

Florida names connected to last fall's mortgage "robo-signing'' scandal are turning up on documents again.

County officials in at least three states say they have received thousands of mortgage documents with questionable signatures in the past eight months. Lenders say they are working with regulators to fix the problem but cannot explain why the practice, which led to a nationwide halt of home foreclosures, has continued.

"Robo-signing is not even close to over," says Curtis Hertel, the recorder of deeds in Ingham County, Mich. "It's still an epidemic."

In Guilford County, N.C., the office that records deeds says it received 456 documents with suspect signatures from Oct. 1, 2010, through June 30. The documents, mortgage assignments and certificates of satisfaction, transfer loans from one bank to another or certify a loan has been paid off.

Suspect signatures on the paperwork include 290 signed by Bryan Bly and 155 by Crystal Moore. Last fall, Bly and Moore worked for Nationwide Title Clearing, a Pinellas County company, when video depositions they gave in a foreclosure case popped up on YouTube and AOL. In one deposition, Moore was asked if she ever read any of the documents she signed. She replied, "No.'' Asked how much time she spent with each document, she said, "a few seconds.'' When Bly was asked in the deposition what a mortgage assignment is, he replied: "I'm really not sure."

At the time, both admitted signing their names to mortgage documents without having read them. Neither was charged with a crime. The Palm Harbor company said in a statement at the time that it follows court-approved industry practices and that it was "unethical'' to suggest that preparing common, mortgage-related documents is "somehow harmful for consumers.'' No one could be reached at the company Monday night.

In Michigan, a fraud investigator says he has uncovered documents filed this year bearing the purported signature of Marshall Isaacs, a lawyer with foreclosure law firm Orlans Associates. Isaacs' name did not come up in last year's investigations, but county officials across Michigan believe his name is being robo-signed.

In Essex County, Mass., the office that handles property deeds has received almost 1,300 documents since October with the signature of "Linda Green," but in different handwriting styles and with many different titles.

Linda Green worked for a company called DocX that processed mortgage paperwork and was shut down in the spring of 2010. County officials say they believe Green hasn't worked in the industry since. Why her signature remains in use is not clear.

Video | Foreclosure Firms Forced to Face Pinellas County Judge ...

Disclaimer

The information on this blog is for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.

Read at your own risk. May be too intense for some viewers. Do not read this blog if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, thyroid disease, asthma, glaucoma, or difficulty in urination.

Discontinue reading this blog if any of the following occurs: itching, aching, vertigo, dizziness, ringing in your ears, vomiting, giddiness, aural or visual hallucinations, tingling in extremities, loss of balance or coordination, slurred speech, temporary blindness, drowsiness, insomnia, profuse sweating, shivering, or heart palpitations.

Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying Foreclosures

Annual report of the Attorney General of the State of Florida

How To Stop Foreclosure: By Sheriff Candidate

Southern reporter

The southern reporter