On May 26th, Jessica Attie, co-director of the Foreclosure Prevention Project at South Brooklyn Legal Services, was featured on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. The piece brought attention to a new scheme being used by con artists to take advantage of homeowners facing foreclosure as a result of the housing crisis. In April, Ms. Attie also appeared on ABC's World News with Charles Gibson and Good Morning America.
Ms. Attie’s client is one of many who, threatened with the loss of their home, turned to a company that promised to help with refinancing. The company convinced homeowners to sign over their deeds, promising that they would be able to buy back their homes at the end of a one year term. In reality, the scammers work with straw buyers to take out a much larger mortgage that cashes out the house’s equity, and the homeowners end up the losers. In Ms Attie’s client’s case, filing suit against the company was enough to spook them into returning the deed; however, others are not so lucky. Read the complete story or listen to streaming audio at NPR.org.
Ms. Attie also appeared in April on both Good Morning America and World News with Charles Gibson, giving tips to homeowners facing foreclosure. Following the broadcasts, she posted on ABC News’ webpage, answering questions from readers seeking advice on housing issues. To read the story that appeared on ABC World News, click here. To read the story that appeared on Good Morning America (or watch the video from ABC World News), click here. To read Ms. Attie’s tips for homeowners facing foreclosure, click here. And to read her answers to ABC reader questions, click here.