People With Homes In Foreclosure Say They Were Victimized By Blue Ash Firm

Legal Aid Society sues Foreclosure Solutions alleging misrepresentations to customers

Four Greater Cincinnati residents sued a Blue Ash firm Monday claiming that they didn't get the help in their foreclosure cases that they paid for and were promised.

Officials of Foreclosure Solutions didn't comment specifically on the case, saying they would have something to say after attorneys reviewed the matter.

The Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio filed the case in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court against Foreclosure Solutions, on Reed Hartman Highway in Blue Ash; one of its 50 employees, Tim Bien; and attorney John "Brook" Brooking of the Fort Wright firm of Brooking, Moeves and Halloran.

The alleged victims were:


• Rick Dorn, who lost his house
  
  
• Chennile Kenney, who cancelled her transaction with Foreclosure Solutions and is seeking a refund of $1,100
  
  
• Teddy Helms, who who is seeking a refund of $700
  
  
• Gloria Byrd, who asked for and received a refund of the $740 she paid

Legal Aid's Carla Leader said, "These people were desperate and they trusted Foreclosure Solutions to help them.

She added that people paid a fee of $1,150 for help, but got nothing in return."

Gloria Byrd was shocked when she received a foreclosure notice from Wells Fargo.

She soon received a flyer from Foreclosure Solutions with the words, "We can help! Guaranteed."

Byrd said those words swayed her into signing with the company, but after meetings with a representatives she had second thoughts and asked for a refund.

She got it, but says the experience left emotional scars.

"It flabbergasted me. It frustrated me. It caused me anxiety. It caused me depression. It caused me to have a bleeding ulcer," Byrd added.

Leader said nobody can make a "guarantee" like that promised by Foreclosure Solutions.

"It's a red flag," she remarked.

Attorney Noel Morgan, also with Legal Aid, said the case is a "civil conspiracy" against people who are in desperate situation.

"They got an attorney. The attorney filed an answer in the case and then didn't do anything more with the case," Morgan said.

Pat Earlywine, Operations Manager for Foreclosure Solutions, said that the company will talk about the lawsuit once attorneys have a chance to review it more thoroughly.

"We haven't been officially served yet," said Earlywine. "Therefore, we would prefer not to comment at this point because we don't know the full circumstances of this suit."

Foreclosure Solutions has been in business about four-and-a-half years, according to Earlywine, and has 50 employees.

It operates from a suite of offices on Reed Hartman Highway.

Brooking referred questions about his involvement with Foreclosure Solutions to his attorney, Geoff Stern, in Columbus.

Legal Aid is seeking compensatory and punitive damages from Foreclosure Solutions for alleged misrepresentations to clients and for emotional distress.

Article Source http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=fab419e8-b95d-42b2-ad06-d518e22b4335