tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.comments2023-02-16T04:29:57.851-06:00the wasserblawgmhwpchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07730709762735532466noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-66213454074166480742021-02-20T15:17:27.637-06:002021-02-20T15:17:27.637-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.Michael H. Wassermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17542282494747756366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-36352974375224024912021-02-20T15:16:52.662-06:002021-02-20T15:16:52.662-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.Michael H. Wassermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17542282494747756366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-44766711788930434382011-06-21T14:27:45.302-05:002011-06-21T14:27:45.302-05:00DuPage women get 10 years each in mortgage scam
T...<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chibrknews-dupage-women-get-10-years-each-in-mortgage-scam-20110620,0,2571979.story" rel="nofollow">DuPage women get 10 years each in mortgage scam</a><br /><br />Two DuPage businesswomen who illegally used money from customers at their Wheaton title company for their personal use each were sentenced today to 10 years in prison and ordered jointly to pay $1.8 million in restitution.<br /><br />Pamela Williams, 58, of Darien, and Patricia Johnson, 57, of Naperville, pleaded guilty in April to 10 counts of theft, stemming from their operation of the PLM Title Company from 2005 to 2008.<br /><br />The pair would facilitate homeowners seeking a refinanced mortgage and were supposed to take the funds issued by a new mortgage lender and pay off a customer’s first mortgage.<br /><br />Assistant DuPage County State’s Attorney Diane Michalak said that the pair “ran the business into the ground” and used their customers’ money to pay off credit cards bills and pay for personal expenses, like Williams’ daughter’s wedding at a DuPage country club, upkeep of a trailer at a Indiana lakeside, and refurbishing Johnson’s home kitchen with new cabinets.<br /><br />Michalak said that many of their former clients still own double mortgages on their homes and have not recovered from their financial loss, while some have received insurance settlements after many months of paying double mortgages.<br /><br />“You should be ashamed of your pitiful, disgusting, shameful behavior,” said Judge John Kinsella. “One iota of common sense in your brain should have made you realize what you were doing.”<br /><br />Mark Kowalczyk, Johnson’s defense attorney, said, “The collapse of the real estate market caught these ladies off guard. They were intending to pay off.”<br /><br />Michalak acknowledged that the downturn of the real estate market in 2007 had an adverse effect, “but when that crash happened, they just stole more money.”<br /> <br />Several victims testified that they paid off two mortgages for extended periods of time, with some getting insurance settlements and others still waiting for help.<br /><br />Jocelyn Cole, of Chicago, testified, “I still have two mortgages and I can’t pay the bill. I worked hard for someone to tear it all down.”<br /><br />Wheaton Detective David Zdan said that the firm closed its doors in 2008 after being confronted with evidence that the officials may have stolen more than $3 million that they were covering up in audits by producing counterfeit bank payments.<br /><br />Michalak said that the investigation showed that the pair may have illegal taken as much as $3.2 million from September 2005 until the scheme was uncovered in April 2008, and that police believe the theft may have begun as early as 2002, possibly accounting for another $3 million in stolen funds.<br /><br />She said that from 2005 through 2008 each of their expenses were about $9,000 to $10,000 a month more than their income.<br /><br />Both Williams and Johnson were eligible for prison terms from four to 15 years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-31317858359809613202011-02-11T23:19:50.136-06:002011-02-11T23:19:50.136-06:00Hi all,
Excellent writing about real estate attor...Hi all,<br /><br />Excellent writing about real estate attorneys, it is actually useful for me. keep writing and happy blogging. Thanks!Refinancing Real Estate Closing Lawyershttp://www.crowleycummings.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-52318081035102858432010-12-23T16:21:41.776-06:002010-12-23T16:21:41.776-06:00I used to work there only for a few months I had ...I used to work there only for a few months I had suspicions now I know the truth. Kudos to the the police for nailing these two.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-19119627391871194342010-11-15T09:31:09.667-06:002010-11-15T09:31:09.667-06:00Sorry A., not enough factual information in your q...Sorry A., not enough factual information in your question for me to be able to give you a meaningful answer. <br /><br />the state multiplier went up pretty substantially so that contributed to your tax increase. also, the method that the county used to compute the size of homeowners exemptions changed this year and perhaps that had some impact too.<br /><br />on a personal level, i am sorry to hear that your taxes went up so high. as a county resident, i guess i want to thank you for helping to help fund the government and keep our communities as livable as they are.Michael H. Wassermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17542282494747756366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-68358148920317810142010-11-14T19:10:53.152-06:002010-11-14T19:10:53.152-06:00My assessed value went down, but my property taxes...My assessed value went down, but my property taxes for this year went up by a little over 30%. It looks like it is because the homeowner exemption I received decreased by $700 or so. Why would that happen?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-25849693969631375972010-11-12T15:55:35.672-06:002010-11-12T15:55:35.672-06:00Taxes are computed using three principal variables...Taxes are computed using three principal variables. A given property's assessed valuation, the local tax rate, and the state equalization factor (the "multiplier").<br /><br />In Chicago, that tax rate went down about two tenths of one percent, but the multiplier increased by 13%. <br /><br />In order that any given tax bill to stay constant or increase only moderately. the properties' assessed valuation must have gone down. By and large, a good many Chicago homeowners did see reduced assessed valuations and they should - like you - see little or no change to their bills this year. <br /><br />I am in the process of reviewing several tax bills for clients who bought and sold this year. Some have decreased fairly substantially. Others, sad to say, have gone up severely. At least one unfortunate river north condo complex is suffering a <b>33% increase!</b>. <br /><br />I suppose that is at least one "positive" in declining property values.Michael H. Wassermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17542282494747756366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-20088764129581948922010-11-12T15:32:51.204-06:002010-11-12T15:32:51.204-06:00We just got our bill today. The total for this ye...We just got our bill today. The total for this year is a $92 increase from last year - not earth shattering.Fargohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13532756626266773921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-64480536684416182812010-10-16T10:26:50.811-05:002010-10-16T10:26:50.811-05:00These guys are working their scheme pretty hard. ...These guys are working their scheme pretty hard. I'd venture to say that one in four lawyers who attended this month's IL Real Estate Lawyers Assoc. meeting reported having been contacted by the scammers or by a realtor who had been.Michael H. Wassermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17542282494747756366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-8216904527562543702010-10-16T08:45:50.370-05:002010-10-16T08:45:50.370-05:00I actually had one go so far that a UPS overnight ...I actually had one go so far that a UPS overnight package was sent to me with a real-looking certified check for this Hong Kong resident to buy a home in the Chicago area. Of course when I tried to deposit the check into our Trust account the bank looked into it and the gig was up.Peterhttp://soloinchicago.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-11767844496561045532010-10-14T12:05:45.430-05:002010-10-14T12:05:45.430-05:00Looks like the indictments have come come out.
...Looks like the indictments have come come out. <br /><br />http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/10/prosecutors-as-much-as-6-million-stolen-in-mortgage-scam.htmlLaw Office of Robert Lattashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07691743207745158622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-54805891952194055222010-01-26T22:37:13.303-06:002010-01-26T22:37:13.303-06:00Government performance is improving?Government performance is improving?Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06462128264467999870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-24135046322186247702009-08-19T21:26:03.918-05:002009-08-19T21:26:03.918-05:00I'll have to put up a review too. Just got our...I'll have to put up a review too. Just got our first 5.0 earlier this week too.Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06462128264467999870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-42407928529806241672009-07-08T19:37:56.617-05:002009-07-08T19:37:56.617-05:00nice work :)nice work :)Naples Rental Managementhttp://naplespropertymanagemen.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-34111178735199578992009-07-05T09:55:23.787-05:002009-07-05T09:55:23.787-05:00This is informative
Attorney companiesThis is informative<br /><br /><a href="http://dir.apostilleinusa.com" rel="nofollow"> Attorney companies </a>workhardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02139837491287164337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-84485950928229345242009-06-24T08:15:30.133-05:002009-06-24T08:15:30.133-05:00my favorite lawyer answer;
THAT DEPENDS!
1/ if ...my favorite lawyer answer; <br /><br /><b>THAT DEPENDS!</b><br /><br />1/ if the governor signs, and if FHA allows spot approvals on condos with the first right of refusal (FRR) then it would seem unnecessary to go through the hoops to eliminate them. <br /><br />2/ if the unit owners do not have any urgent need or desire to sell their units in the near term, i'd be inclined to wait until after october 1 to see how mortgage lenders adapt to the new fha guidelines. <br /><br />after the 1st, lenders with "direct endorsement" (DE) will be able to approve enitire condo buildings, for FHA. if they can do so efficiently (quickly) and <i>without</i> jacking up the costs of mortgage loans on those condos, there won't be any particular need to eliminate the FRR's. as a practical matter, it just wont matter any more. <br /><br />3/ <b>BUT</b>, smaller condo associations (2-6 units?) might still want to give serious consideration to making the change. my suspicion is that DE approvals will make more business sense to lenders who believe that they will be able to make multiple loans into those buildings. the fewer the number or units, the fewer opportunities they will have to make loans, the less likely they will be to devote resources to approval of those condos. <br /><br />smaller associations (in my mind, anyway) will probably still want to consider eliminating their frr's...particularly if an owner or two <i> really </i> want or need to sell soon.Michael H. Wassermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17542282494747756366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-29420991830327487172009-06-23T21:44:56.313-05:002009-06-23T21:44:56.313-05:00So does this mean condo associations who have a ri...So does this mean condo associations who have a right of first refusal in their bylaws do not need to get them removed?Kiwinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-89272782717590360532009-05-11T11:08:00.000-05:002009-05-11T11:08:00.000-05:00For realtors dealing with multiple offer situation...For realtors dealing with multiple offer situations I highly recommend requesting a multiple offer disclosure form. Buyers have become quite skeptical that the listing agents are merely telling them that there are more offers on the table just to get a higher bid from them. If a listing agent is unwilling to put it in writing, consider this suspect.Sharon's Home Teamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-70830225155724948582009-03-20T14:31:00.000-05:002009-03-20T14:31:00.000-05:00I sincerely appreciate your taking time to post th...I sincerely appreciate your taking time to post these comments.<BR/><BR/>You make some good points and I will use them at the upcoming board meeting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-5113607118624507542009-03-20T13:36:00.000-05:002009-03-20T13:36:00.000-05:00It seems to me that the association should do what...It seems to me that the association should do whatever the unit owners are most comfortable with. <BR/><BR/>In the context of a right of first refusal, let me ask you this: (a) has the association ever used that right and purchased a unit from an owner to "block" a sale that was proposed? and (b) given that you are a "relatively poor" association, do you think you would ever try to (or be able to do so?) if not, why would you oppose making a change? what would be different?<BR/><BR/>Also, if keeping the restriction eliminate sources of mortgage loans, that makes it much harder for anyone to be able to buy a unit in the building. that will slow down efforts to sell and likely force prices down (and consequently all the other owner's property values).<BR/><BR/>if that is a good thing, in the opinion of the unit owners, dont make a change. if you think it is better to make sales easier and to support propety values, then, perhaps it makes sense to make a change.<BR/><BR/>can you do this without a lawyer? well.... noone is going to make you use a lawyer and going without will save you money SHORT TERM. but, if you do it wrong, you could mess up the title to the condo; or do it wrong so that it has no legal effect. <BR/><BR/>penny saved, pound foolish? not for me to say.Michael H. Wassermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17542282494747756366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-64416130173719178192009-03-20T12:47:00.000-05:002009-03-20T12:47:00.000-05:00I came by your article today while researching thi...I came by your article today while researching this very subject. Our condo building is 12 units-small and relatively poor. One of our owners is currently trying to refinance with this FHA thing and he is having problems because of our Right of First Refusal. We are a very small building and never have any problems with the sales of units.<BR/><BR/>If this were a sale with a potential new owner I wouldn't have any problem telling them that the Board will not change the bylaws. However, this situation is with a current owner who wants to refinance. I don't expect that our association would ever exercise our Right of First Refusal but I am a bit uneasy with formally eliminating that right in our bylaws. Have you an opinion on that subject?<BR/><BR/>Also, if the condo association did decide to change the bylaws to acommodate FHA would it require an attorney or can we simply do it ourselves? Our association has little money and I would personally object to the assocation spending anything to benefit solving this one owner's problem.<BR/><BR/>Can you offer any advice on this matter?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-12420254471834676932009-03-17T10:53:00.000-05:002009-03-17T10:53:00.000-05:00The law will take effective June 1, 2009.The law will take effective June 1, 2009.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-77045261427202668162008-09-23T20:39:00.000-05:002008-09-23T20:39:00.000-05:00It is sooo funny and sooo sad at the same time, bu...It is sooo funny and sooo sad at the same time, but it is our reality.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2004334878153382863.post-23645768691504054812008-06-24T15:00:00.000-05:002008-06-24T15:00:00.000-05:00There is a criminal investigation well within the ...There is a criminal investigation well within the works with the Wheaton Police Department. However, these things take time. The owner and manager of the title company will not get away with this. They will go to jailAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com