Category: Interest and Fees
By L. Jed Berliner, Marlborough & Springfield, MA Foreclosure Defense Attorney
closeAuthor: L. Jed Berliner, Marlborough & Springfield, MA Foreclosure Defense Attorney
Name: L. Jed Berliner, Marlborough & Springfield, MA Foreclosure Defense Attorney
Email: jed@berlinerlaw.com
Site: http://www.berlinerlaw.com
About: Attorney L. Jed Berliner has concentrated his law practice in bankruptcy, commercial litigation, creditors' rights and debtor's remedies since 1982, having generally practiced since 1976. He opened the Berliner Law Firm of Springfield, Massachusetts in 1988 and now practices exclusively in consumer bankruptcy and related consumer protection litigation.
Attorney Berliner received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Cornell University in 1972, and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kansas in 1977. He practiced general law in northern Michigan, established a bankruptcy concentration in Boston, MA in 1982, and established his Springfield, MA practice in 1988.
Attorney Berliner is a regular and active contributor to the Bankruptcy Law Network, the Bankruptcy Roundtable, and the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, three specialized consumer bankruptcy forums on the Internet, and is an informal mentor to regional practitioners. He contributed to the local rules on electronic filing rules and is recognized by his peers as an expert in consumer bankruptcy issues. He thoroughly enjoys being rated "excellent" in his client surveys.See Authors Posts (24) on Nov 28, 2009 in Foreclosure Defense, Interest and Fees, Predatory Lending | 0 Comments
Daily interest mortgage loans can cause the loss of your home.
By Andy Miofsky, Illinois Consumer Law Attorney
closeAuthor: Andy Miofsky, Illinois Consumer Law Attorney
Name: Andy Miofsky, Illinois Consumer Law Attorney
Email: ndinstl@gmail.com
Site: http://www.illinoisforeclosureattorney.com/
About: Andy Miofsky [618/931-1313] is a consumer rights lawyer with offices in Granite City Illinois and Mount Vernon Illinois, representing debtors in bankruptcy throughout the Central and the Southern District of Illinois since 1979. He has filed suit for his clients against some of the largest banks and debt collectors in this country. He teachers consumers to fight back against debt collection violations and rewards them with settlement checks for their damages.See Authors Posts (29) on Oct 4, 2009 in Interest and Fees, Mortgage Issues | 0 Comments
Adjustable Rate ARM: This loan features a lower rate at the beginning of the loan with periodic adjustments, typically 6 months or one year, based on the moving London Interbank Offered Rate LIBOR. Many ARM loans contained artificially low teaser rates that kicked in addition to the LIBOR reset rate.
Fixed Rate: The most common form [...]
By Susanne Robicsek, NC Bankruptcy Attorney
closeAuthor: Susanne Robicsek, NC Bankruptcy Attorney
Name: Susanne Robicsek
Email: NCBankruptcyLawyer@gmail.com
Site: http://www.robicsek.com
About: Concentrating in Consumer Bankruptcy Law since 1988;
Wake Forest Law School JD 1987
Law Office of Susanne M. Robicsek since 1993,
Law Clerk to Judge Rufus Reynolds, US Bankruptcy Judge for Middle District of NC; Burns Price & Arneke, PA, David Badger and Associates, PA.See Authors Posts (10) on Aug 18, 2008 in Featured, Interest and Fees, Predatory Lending | 0 Comments
NC Governor Mike Easely signed a law making NC the first state to ban mortgage brokers from charging borrowers for unnecessary and unneeded surcharges such as “yield spread premiums” which essentially gives a kick-back to brokers who guided borrowers into higher interest loans subprime loans – whether they need it or not. [...]
By Wendell Sherk, Missouri Attorney
closeAuthor: Wendell Sherk, Missouri Attorney
Name: Wendell Sherk
Email: wjsherk@alum.wustl.edu
Site: http://www.stlbankruptcy.com
About: I have been a consumer attorney since 1989. Our firm represents consumers almost exclusively, primarily but not exclusively in bankruptcy court. My partner and I have each represented bankruptcy trustees as well as creditors. If you live in Eastern Missouri, visit our website, send an e-mail or give us a call (314) 781-3400. Please mention Mortgage Law Network.See Authors Posts (21) on May 30, 2008 in Interest and Fees, Mortgage Issues, Predatory Lending, RESPA | 0 Comments
Mortgage brokers tend to charge more to place a loan than you would have to pay if you went directly to the lender, according to a recent HUD Study. This is not a surprise to consumer advocates but it tends to contradict the story told by mortgage brokers and their lobbyists. There’s a [...]
By Kent Anderson, Oregon Bankruptcy Attorney
closeAuthor: Kent Anderson, Oregon Bankruptcy Attorney
Name: Kent Anderson
Email: kent@kentandersonlaw.com
Site: http://www.kentandersonlaw.com
About: I was admitted to practice in Oregon in1978 and have practiced in the Oregon Bankruptcy Court since I was admitted to the federal court bar a few months later. I am designated as a Consumer Bankruptcy Specialist by the American Board of Certification, and have completed both the Max Gardner Bankruptcy Litigation Bootcamp and the Peter Barry Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Bootcamp. I am a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates and have dedicated my practice to consumer advocacy. Mortgage Servicer abuse "correction" through bankruptcy adversary proceedings has become a matter of special interest in recent years. Many years of experience in practice before the Internal Revenue Service and Oregon Department of Revenue has made me a valued referral source for accountants, tax preparers and other attorneys.See Authors Posts (44) on May 12, 2008 in Foreclosure News, Interest and Fees | 0 Comments
The sub prime loan crisis has caused a rapid decline in home values across the country. This has depressed the middle class consumer and caused a cutback in many industries related to residential construction. When consumers feel that they have less equity in their homes, they slow their discretionary purchases. This slow down in consumer [...]
By Eugene S. Melchionne, Connecticut Consumer Lawyer
closeAuthor: Eugene S. Melchionne, Connecticut Consumer Lawyer
Name: Eugene S. Melchionne, Connecticut Consumer Lawyer
Email: eugene.melchionne@bankruptcylawnetwork.com
Site: http://www.ctbankruptcy.com
About: Mr. Melchionne is a graduate of The University of Connecticut (BA 1977) and Drake University School of Law (JD 1980) where he received the American Jurisprudence Award for academic excellence. Most recently, Mr. Melchionne was appointed to the Commission on Mortgage Foreclosures by Connecticut Supreme Court Chief Justice Chase Rogers to recommend changes to procedures to protect consumers in the Connecticut Courts in foreclosure cases.
Since 1980, Mr. Melchionne has focused his practice in the areas of consumer bankruptcy, workouts and foreclosure defense in distressed real estate markets, real estate transactions, condominium law, commercial litigation, business organizations and probate. Prior to opening his office in 1990, Mr. Melchionne was the Vice President of the Waterbury Credit Bureau and was associated with Grady & Riley in Waterbury, Connecticut and DiPietro, Kantrovitz & Brownstein, P.C. in New Haven, Connecticut. From 1990-1998, Mr. Melchionne was of counsel to Bender & Anderson handling that firm's complex litigation and trials. In addition to his practice, Mr. Melchionne was an adjunct professor at the American Institute of Banking and Teikyo Post University teaching bankruptcy, real estate, commercial and consumer law. Mr. Melchionne also advised the Corporation Counsel's office for the City of Waterbury on bankruptcy and foreclosure matters and mentored junior attorneys in that office.
Mr. Melchionne was appointed State Chair for the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA). He acts as liaison between the national organization and Connecticut attorneys who are members of the Association.See Authors Posts (38) on May 11, 2008 in Featured, Interest and Fees, RESPA | 0 Comments
When shopping for a mortgage loan, most consumers are concerned with the interest rate of the loan. Within the past five years, interest rates on mortgages have hit historical lows and many home loans have been made. But there is more to a mortgage loan than the interest rate and a careful shopper [...]
By Kent Anderson, Oregon Bankruptcy AttorneycloseAuthor: Kent Anderson, Oregon Bankruptcy Attorney
Name: Kent Anderson
Email: kent@kentandersonlaw.com
Site: http://www.kentandersonlaw.com
About: I was admitted to practice in Oregon in1978 and have practiced in the Oregon Bankruptcy Court since I was admitted to the federal court bar a few months later. I am designated as a Consumer Bankruptcy Specialist by the American Board of Certification, and have completed both the Max Gardner Bankruptcy Litigation Bootcamp and the Peter Barry Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Bootcamp. I am a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates and have dedicated my practice to consumer advocacy. Mortgage Servicer abuse "correction" through bankruptcy adversary proceedings has become a matter of special interest in recent years. Many years of experience in practice before the Internal Revenue Service and Oregon Department of Revenue has made me a valued referral source for accountants, tax preparers and other attorneys.See Authors Posts (44) on May 10, 2008 in Interest and Fees | 0 Comments
Most of us receive them in the mail on a pretty regular basis – those official-looking envelopes that resemble a communication from a government agency, or our home lender, or someone else we cannot afford to ignore. If we open the letter, it is likely to contain a solicitation for questionable financial services.
Having recently worked with a client [...]
By Jay Fleischman, New York Foreclosure Defense Lawyer
closeAuthor: Jay Fleischman, New York Foreclosure Defense Lawyer
Name: Jay Fleischman, New York Foreclosure Defense Lawyer
Email: Jay@ForeclosureDefenseLawyer.com
Site: http://www.ForeclosureDefenseLawyer.com
About: See Authors Posts (16) on May 5, 2008 in Featured, Foreclosure News, Interest and Fees | 0 Comments
According to the New York Times, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the criminal division of the Internal Revenue Service have formed a task force to examine mortgages that were made with little or no proof of the earnings or assets of borrowers. Federal prosecutors in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Dallas and Atlanta [...]
By Brett Weiss, Maryland Bankruptcy Attorney
closeAuthor: Brett Weiss, Maryland Bankruptcy Attorney
Name: Brett Weiss, Maryland Bankruptcy Attorney
Email: brett@BankruptcyLawMaryland.com
Site: http://www.BankruptcyLawMaryland.com
About: Who Am I? I am an honors graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law, and I founded this law firm over fifteen years ago. In that time I’ve represented thousands of people, helping them get back on the road to financial success.
I am a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia federal (general and Bankruptcy Court) and state bars, the United States Tax Court bar, the Fourth Circuit and District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals bars and the United States Supreme Court bar. I am a signatory to the Montgomery County Bar Association Lawyer's Creed of Professionalism.
My Philosophy of Helping. My clients are my top priority, and I work hard to make them as comfortable as possible. I’m available many evenings, and return phone calls and e-mail messages as quickly as possible. I’ll explain the details of the law in plain terms, never complex “legalese.”
Your satisfaction is my goal. It’s hard enough to go through tough financial times; I try to make it easier for you.
America’s News Media Turns to Me for My Opinion. I have received international media attention in connection with the cases in which I’ve been involved. I was interviewed by Barbara Walters on The View, appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, ABC News with Peter Jennings, the Montel Williams Show, BBC World Service, German state television, and numerous local radio and television programs, and been quoted in Money magazine, The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun, among others.
More Than Just a Lawyer. I don't spend all of my time chained to the desk, working on bankruptcy cases. People might like that, but I enjoy my spare time as well. I love my wife, my four children and my dog Belle. They help me always realize that family and loved ones are the most important parts of life.See Authors Posts (14) on Apr 19, 2008 in Foreclosure News, Interest and Fees | 0 Comments
According to a recent article in Reuters, Many Mortgage Suits to Come, But Harder to Win, we can expect a number of class action lawsuits against those responsible for the subprime mortgage losses. Stanford Law School Professor Joseph Grundfest estimated that total investor losses resulting from the drop in stock prices and falling property values [...]
By Chip Parker, Jacksonville Consumer Attorney
closeAuthor: Chip Parker, Jacksonville Consumer Attorney
Name: Chip Parker, Jacksonville Foreclosure Defense Attorney
Email: parker@jaxlawcenter.com
Site: http://www.jaxlawcenter.com
About: See Authors Posts (64) on Apr 9, 2008 in Foreclosure News, Interest and Fees, Mortgage Reform | 0 Comments
Fuelling the over-heated housing market a couple of years back was real estate investing, and the result today is a condo market where units are selling for half of what people paid for them in 2005. Anyone who purchased a condominium as an investment must have realized the potential to lose money, no matter how [...]
Bankruptcy Law Network Articles