Tag: OCC

Control Fraud


Control Fraud

By: Jim Macklin
Secure Document Research

The term “control Fraud” was originally coined by Professor William Black, UMKC. A control fraud essentially starts as a core methodology for the exaction of some enterprise or movement, whether in commerce or at law. The instigators of a control fraud typically have their own self-interests as the motivation for participants to either ignore regulations or laws, or worse yet, to politically pressure or lobby for policy change that suits their agenda(s).

It mattered not that “liar loans”, defective underwriting processes, and securitization obviations were the norm during the run-up to 2008. The control fraud was in place to facilitate complete immunity from prosecution for the big money players at the top of Wall St. Every associated business that derived its income from the mortgage-backed bond sales was expected to follow the guidelines, as set by the fraudsters, or suffer the fate of not working. Everyone from bond insurers, hedge fund managers, realtors and property appraisers had to bend to the poisonous curve…or lose their competitive edge, and thus, their livelihood. When lying becomes the standard upon which your paycheck relies, you are a liar by proxy.

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OUT OF HOUSE & HOME


OUT OF HOUSE & HOME

By Jim Macklin
Secure Document Research

Well, it has become official, Wall St. is now actively orchestrating the coup d’état. Major firms like Blackrock are setting up shop throughout major metropolitan areas of the U.S. with boots on the ground in an attempt to own and rent/lease properties back to the very souls from whom they stole in the last several years.

Pouring cash assets into the Net Lease Real Estate Investment Trusts seems like a sound business idea, except for one thing…the concept of owning real estate at this time for long term investment purposes does not align with the 20 year long term run-up of property values.

Remember this fact, the investment firms that are playing God with other people’s money don’t really care about the ROI for their investors, all they care about is selling positions or shares or certificates to the investment de jour. So if you invest $100 million in REIT’s but the long term projections for increased valuations of your portfolio have already reached the anticipated high, you are literally putting your money into a pool that pays you back for the use of the money, minus the fees in and out. Not to mention the fact that there is no possible way to project what a given administration’s policies will be in even 5 years. Tax treatments can, and often do, change.

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Who is Responsible for the Conduct of Foreclosure Mill Law Firms?

Who is Responsible for the Conduct of Foreclosure Mill Law Firms?

By Daniel Edstrom
DTC Systems, Inc.

Here is the analysis, which comes word for word from the Interagency review of Foreclosure Policies and Practices in 2010 (available here: http://dtc-systems.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/InterAgency_Review_4900701.pdf).

The Federal Reserve System, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), referred to as the agencies, conducted on-site reviews of foreclosure processing at 14 federally regulated mortgage servicers during the fourth quarter of 2010.

This report provides a summary of the review findings and an overview of the potential impacts associated with instances of foreclosure-processing weaknesses that occurred industrywide. In addition, this report discusses the supervisory response made public simultaneous with the issuance of this report, as well as expectations going forward to address the cited deficiencies. The supervisory measures employed by the agencies are intended to ensure safe and sound mortgage-servicing and foreclosure processing business practices are implemented. The report also provides an overview of how national standards for mortgage servicing can help address specific industrywide weaknesses identified during these reviews. Continue reading “Who is Responsible for the Conduct of Foreclosure Mill Law Firms?”

The OCC Misses the Point on Toxic Waste

The OCC Misses the Point on Toxic Waste

By Daniel Edstrom
DTC Systems, Inc.
http://www.dtc-systems.net

We all see what we want to see.  But when others control the conversation, it is easy to miss the point.  As a regulator the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency should be taking the lead and controlling the conversation, but in reality, they have been bridled and are being led around by the nose.  Conspiciously absent are numerous issues they as a regulator have the responsibility of dealing with.  This article is timely in response to an article by Neil F. Garfield (http://livinglies.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/the-big-lie-banks-did-nothing-illegal/), which is a response to Yves Smith of Naked Capitalism article (http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/12/more-msm-criticism-of-obama-nothing-illegal-here-move-along-stance-on-foreclosure-fraud.html), which is a response to a Reuters article (http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/22/us-foreclosures-idUSTRE7BL0MC20111222).  But I found none of these articles until I was finished writing this post.  Take the following random and critical issues:

  • Are the loans in the pool?  Were the loans ever in the pool?  Does the pool exist?  Did the pool perfect interest in any of the loans?  This issue is very political and the OCC in our opinion will never address this issue or look into this.
  • What loans are in default?  Can a loan be in default?  What comes first, the default or the loss?
  • Are there any compliance issues?

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Interim Status Report: Foreclosure-Related Consent Orders

Interim Status Report: Foreclosure-Related Consent Orders

By Daniel Edstrom
DTC Systems, Inc.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has released an Interim Status Report regarding the Foreclosure-Related Consent Orders.  The November 2011 report is available here: OCC Interim Status Report for November 2011

Independent Foreclosure Review Engagement Letters

Independent Foreclosure Review Engagement Letters

By Daniel Edstrom
DTC Systems, Inc.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has posted the following on its website (http://www.occ.gov/topics/consumer-protection/foreclosure-prevention/independent-review-foreclosure-letters.html).

Independent Foreclosure Review Engagement Letters

Below are links to engagement letters submitted by the independent consultants, retained by servicers regulated by the OCC, who will be conducting foreclosure reviews pursuant to the requirements of the April 13, 2011 consent orders.  The engagement letters describe how the independent consultants will conduct their file reviews and claims processes to identify borrowers who suffered financial injury as a result of servicer deficiencies identified in the OCC’s consent orders.

Limited proprietary and personal information has been redacted from the engagement letters.  Examples of information that has been redacted include, but are not limited to: names, titles and biographies of individuals; proprietary systems information; references to specific bank policy; fees and costs associated with the engagement; and specific descriptions of past work performed by the independent consultants.

Since the acceptance of the engagement letters in September of this year, the independent consultants have further refined and made adjustments to the processes, procedures, and methodologies outlined in the engagement letters in consultation with OCC supervision staff.  Therefore, in many cases the review processes being implemented may differ in some respects from those described in the engagement letters because of subsequent coordination with the OCC.  In particular, there were a number of changes made to integrated claims process to ensure a single, uniform process among the servicers.

Pursuant to 12 C.F.R. § 4.12(c), the disclosure of the engagement letters at the OCC’s election has no precedential significance.

Cease & Desist Orders for: Citigroup, HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, MetLife, PNC, SunTrust, US Bancorp and Wells Fargo Bank

Cease & Desist Orders for: Citigroup, HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, MetLife, PNC, SunTrust, US Bancorp and Wells Fargo Bank

By Daniel Edstrom
DTC Systems, Inc.

The latest round of Cease and Desist orders issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) are against some of the largest “too big to fail” banks.  Notably missing so far is Deutsche Bank National Trust Company along with Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas and of course OneWest Bank.

The gist of these Cease and Desist orders is that certain “deficiencies” were found and the banks are operating with “unsafe or unsound” practices in residential mortgage servicing and in the Bank’s initiation and handling of foreclosure proceedings.

We hail the OCC for these efforts, but the problem is following up.  How are the banks going to immediately comply with this order?  They would have to stop processing nearly every single foreclosure they are working on today.

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BANK OF AMERICA CEASE AND DESIST ORDER FOR CERTAIN DEFICIENCIES AND UNSAFE OR UNSOUND PRACTICES

BANK OF AMERICA CEASE AND DESIST ORDER FOR CERTAIN DEFICIENCIES AND UNSAFE OR UNSOUND PRACTICES

By Daniel Edstrom
DTC Systems, Inc.

On April 13, 2011 the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued a Consent Cease and Desist Order.  The order states that Bank of America has committed “deficiencies and unsafe or unsound practices identified by the OCC …”  The OCC finds numerous problems to which the bank “neither admits nor denies”.  Such as “failed to sufficiently oversee outside counsel and other third-party providers handling foreclosure-related services.”

Read the order here: http://dtc-systems.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Consent_Order_for_Bank_of_America.pdf

Daniel Pennell Explains why MERS is Completely out of Control

Daniel Pennell Explains why MERS is Completely out of Control

By Daniel Edstrom
DTC Systems, Inc.

Daniel Pennell has the following qualifications:

  • PMP
  • LSSGB
  • Certified Lean Six Sigma (Process & Quality Control)
  • Certified Technical Program & Risk Manager
  • Former investment advisor and insurance broker
  • 16 Years designing and automating & business processes in regulated environments
    • Florida State Supreme Court
    • Florida 20th & 6th Judicial Circuits
    • Chubb Insurance
    • Pharmacia
    • Other State, Federal and Fortune 500 clients

Mr. Pennell goes on to give a professional analysis of the Frankenstein (MERS) process.  Which can only be described as completely out of control.  It is of significance to note that the very entities that created and brought forth Frankenstein are governed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.  It is just as important to note that Frankenstein is NOT governed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, nor governed by federal, state or county land recordation laws.   The OCC requires that national banks have “effective risk management procedures and internal controls to conduct the activities safely and soundly.”   It is apparent to everyone except OCC that this is not and has not been the case (i.e. rampant industry standards of notary violations, no personal knowledge, forgery, perjury, etc).  It is also apparent that the national banks are using other entities such as Frankenstein and foreclosure mills such as the Stern Law Firm and Dolan Media (NDEx West) to perpetuate these activities.  Dolan Media specifically states to their investors they are proudly not involved in the robo-signing fiasco (notary violations, no personal knowledge, forgery, etc).  If Mr. Pennell did an analysis of the shoddy work done by Dolan Media he would find that they give Frankenstein a run for its money.  What I want to emphasize though is that  Frankenstein, because of the very nature of its work, is required to have “effective risk management procedures and internal controls to conduct activities safely and soundly.”   But this was the OPPOSITE of the INTENT of the parties when they created this monster in their laboratories.   I can still hear the echos of their diabolical laughter.  As a side note, see Fred Smith explain why Frankenstein (MERS) was involved: http://livinglies.wordpress.com/2011/01/23/fred-smith-explains-why-mers-was-involved-multiple-securitizations/

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World Savings Bank, A Living Legacy of the Subprime Crisis

World Savings Bank, A Living Legacy of the Subprime Crisis

By Daniel Edstrom
DTC Systems, Inc.
http://www.dtc-systems.net
http://livinglies.wordpress.com

World Savings Bank loans were the worst of the worst loans that were packaged up and sold to homeowners from the 1990’s until 2008.  These loans consisted of pick a pay loans with negative amortization.  Typical predatory negative amortization loans allow for the original loan balance to increase to 110% maximum.  Meaning if the loan was originally issued at $100,000.00, the loan balance can keep going negative until it reaches $110,000.00.   World Savings Bank decided that this wasn’t enough and allowed their negative amortization loans to reach 125% of the original principal balance.  This is the gift that keeps on giving.  As home values have been decimated by the meltdown and continue to drop, properties with World Savings Bank loans have principal balances that keep going up and up and up.  No underwriting was given on these loans, the value of the properties and the promise and belief they would ever rise was the only consideration given to support the loan.  The other consideration used in “lending” the money had nothing to do with the homeowners.  World Savings Bank wanted to entice investors into parting with their money.  Lots of money.  In fact BILLIONS and BILLIONS of dollars.  It turns out that World Savings Bank had NO STAKE in the transaction, they were only the middleman.  One big fat rich middleman.  This was at the expense of both borrowers and investors who purchased certificates from the many REMICs setup by World Savings Bank.  What REMICs?  What securitizations?  Didn’t Wells Fargo tell you that these loans were securitized?   Why does the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the OCC) allow Wells Fargo Bank to foreclose in their own name on the tens of thousands of World Savings Bank foreclosures?  The OCC knows much more than the American people what World Savings Bank, Wachovia and Wells Fargo Bank are doing to the American homeowners.  Namely that Wells Fargo Bank is walking into court claiming to be the real party in interest, claiming that they own these loans and that they were never securitized.   Of course this is nothing new for Wells Fargo Bank or Wachovia.  Just look at the auto loans securitized by Wachovia Dealer Services.  Wachovia Dealer Services did not loan the money as these were table funded automobile loans.  The money used to fund the automobile loans came from various trusts that pooled the loans and sold them to investors.  The trusts and/or the investors allegedly own the loans and not Wachovia Dealer Services or Wells Fargo Bank.  But you would never know this by going to just about any state court in this country and looking at who the plaintiff is thats filing a judicial lawsuit on these automobile loans: Wachovia Dealer Services.  Reading the Prospectus for these deals is a real eye opener:  Title will remain in the name of Wachovia Dealer Services and even though the loans are sold, the abstract of title given to the DMV will not be updated to reflect the correct ownership.  They go on to admit that title has not been perfected and that the certificateholders are at risk.  It even goes on to say that the loan contracts will not be updated to reflect that ownership has changed (endorsement under state UCC laws).  So you have no endorsement and no transfer (no perfection).  The beneficial and equitable rights have been sold.  The above all describes predatory banking, lending and servicing at its worst.

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