Foreclosure lawyers at Shuster & Saben obtain dismissal of HSBC’s Foreclosure Action.

Things did not go very well for HSBC or their counsel, Elizabeth R. Wellborn, P.A., when a Melbourne, Florida homeowner retained the law firm of Shuster & Saben, LLC to defend the foreclosure action filed against his Brevard County, Florida home. Within 48 hours of the firm being retained firm attorney Richard Shuster served nearly twenty pages of discovery requests, including requests for admission, requests for production and interrogatories (written questions to be answered under oath) about the factual basis of the lawsuit served against the homeowner and the securitization of the mortgage into the Ace Securities Corp Home Equity Loan Trust. When HSBC’s counsel was unable to answer the discovery within thirty days they filed a motion for extension of time but did set their motion for hearing. To prevent the motion for extension of time from sitting in limbo, our firm submitted an unopposed order grating the motion and ordering HSBC to respond to the discovery within thirty days.

Thirty days after the Court signed the order, our firm had little in the way of discovery as rather than answer the questions and provide the requested documents, HSBC’s attorneys objected to almost all of the discovery requests Shuster & Saben made on behalf of the homeowner. Firm attorney, Richard Shuster then filed a twenty-eight page Motion to Show Cause and to Compel Better Response to Request to Produce that set forth each of the discovery requests, HSBC’s objection to each request, an argument as to why the Court should overrule the objection and a check off blank for the judge or overrule or sustain each objection. After a lengthy hearing the Court overruled many of HSBC’s objections and commanded HSBC and its attorney, Ira Silverstein, to provided better responses within thirty days.

When, HSBC and its counsel failed to comply with the Court’s second order, foreclosure defense lawyer, Richard Shuster filed a Second Motion to Show Cause which detailed the bank’s violations of the Court’s last two discovery orders and requested dismissal of the entire case.

On May 3, 2011, a hearing was held at the Brevard County Courthouse. Firm attorney Richard Shuster appeared at the hearing in person and a staff attorney at bank’s law firm appeared by phone. The Court asked the bank’s attorney if HSBC was “thumbing its nose” at the Court’s orders. The Court did not give the bank a third chance to violate another Court order and dismissed the bank’s foreclosure action. The Court also granted sanctions against the bank. Now that the case against our client has been dismissed his modest legal expenses will stop. Once sanctions are recovered we will hopefully be able to reimburse our client a substantial portion for his legal expenses from the sanction award.

To review a redacted copy of the order dismissing HSBC’s case please click the link below.

Redacted Order

About Shuster & Saben: The foreclosure defense lawyers at Shuster & Saben aspire to vigorously and aggressively defend every foreclosure case. We have offices in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Melbourne so that we can appear in Court in person rather than by phone when our client’s home is on the line. If your case is in a part of the state where we do not appear in person for Court we can refer you to a likeminded attorney or co-counsel with a carefully selected local counsel.

Shuster & Saben Sues Strategic Recovery and Vantium Capital

Shuster & Saben, LLC, filed suit in Brevard County against Strategic Recovery Group, a division of Texas based Vantium Capital. This lawsuit was filed on behalf of Brevard County homeowner who the firm is defending in a foreclosure action. Prior to retaining the Shuster & Saben, the client filed a Chapter 7 (liquidation bankruptcy) and obtained a discharge of his personal obligation on Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) on his home. At the time our client filed bankruptcy, the HELOC Mortgage was held by Wilshire Bank. According of documents received by the firm, despite the fact that our clients debt was discharged in bankruptcy and the fact that our clients home is worth $50,000 less than the loan balance on his first mortgage, Wilshire sold the loan to Bank of America, who retained Strategic Recovery to attempt to collect on the debt.

The client initially retained the Melbourne office of Shuster & Saben to defend a first mortgage filed against his home by CitiMortage. The client brought us a letter he received from Strategic Recovery because he was concerned as why Strategic was seeking to collect a discharged debt. Our firm commenced an investigation to confirm that the original creditor was notified of the bankruptcy and sent Strategic Recovery a Qualified Written Request (QWR) pursuant to RESPA, ( Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act ) and request for verification of the debt pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

When we did not receive written confirmation for Strategic Recovery that they were abandoning collection activity suit was filed in Brevard County Court against Vantium Capital, the parent company of Strategic Recovery. The firm continues to defend the foreclosure action filed by first mortgage holder, Citimortage, a separate case that is now over two years old.

To view a redacted copy of the law suit filed against Strategic Recovery please click the link below.

Strategic Recovery Lawsuit

About Shuster & Saben:
Shuster & Saben is a civil litigation firm of seven attorneys that defends foreclosures from four offices located in Miami, Doral, Fort Lauderdale / Plantation, and Melbourne, Florida. We believe the best defense is a good offense. If a lender, loan servicer or bill collector violates the law in their attempt of collect on a debt allegedly owned by our client we will not hesitate to sue the offender and use such suit for leverage to achieve our clients desired resolution. We believe there is a difference between foreclosure delay and foreclosure defense. Click here to find our why we are different or e-mail foreclosuredefenselaw@gmail.com with your Florida foreclosure questions.

Shuster & Saben obtains Dismissal of Foreclosure Action

For Immediate Release:
The law firm of Shuster & Saben has obtained the dismissal of a foreclosure lawsuit filed against the firm’s Brevard County client. The Plaintiff / Lender filed suit against our client in an attempt of take their Cocoa, Florida investment property. In the subject action, after the lender drastically raised our client’s interest rate (to well over 8% A.P.R.), our client was unable to continue to afford to make monthly mortgage payments. Our client had financed the property with an A.R.M. (Adjustable Rate Mortgage) that was linked to the LIBOR index, and faced an increase in their interest rate after their initial rate expired. Despite the fact that interest rates declined from 2007 to 2009, the lender still raised the client’s interest rate to a point that it was no longer affordable. Several months after the client stopped making mortgage payments the lender filed a Notice of Lis Pendens and a Complaint for Foreclosure in the Brevard County Circuit Court.

The client consulted with several other Space Coast attorneys before choosing Shuster & Saben to defend the foreclosure action. After Shuster & Saben filed its notice of appearance and voluminous discovery requests the lender decided to dismiss the case and cancel the lis pendens. Counsel for the lender advised that the lender has decided to write off the loan. To view the actual Notice of Dismissal click here.