OBITUARY FROM LONDON TIMES

An Obituary printed in the London Times -


Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair; and
- Maybe it was my fault..

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers:
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame -  I'm A Victim
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Foreclosure Lawsuits Starting In Ohio

Just when we think we have a handle on what is happening, something new pops up to rock our world!
This article came to me via email today. It will affect many who are involved in a short sale from the buyers, sellers, Real estate agents, banks to the title company.
Attorney General Cordray Files Lawsuit Against GMAC Mortgage -10/6/2010

(CLEVELAND) — In a lawsuit filed today against GMAC Mortgage, LLC and its parent, Ally Financial Inc., Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray accuses the loan servicer and its agents of filing fraudulent affidavits to mislead courts in hundreds of Ohio foreclosures.

"We know that as Ohioans were fighting to save their homes, this loan servicer benefited financially from the dire circumstances," said Cordray. "Instead of stepping up and assisting those at risk of losing their homes, it is clear that GMAC chose to compound the problem through fraudulent and unfair and deceptive practices."

According to the lawsuit filed today in Lucas County Common Pleas Court, GMAC and its employees committed fraud on Ohio consumers and Ohio courts by signing and filing hundreds of false affidavits in foreclosure cases. The fraud came to light after a GMAC employee, Jefferey Stephan of Sellersville, Pa., testified in a foreclosure case out of Maine that from 2006 to 2010, he signed thousands of affidavits without verifying the content.

Through the lawsuit, Cordray is asking the court to grant a preliminary and permanent injunction preventing GMAC/Ally from proceeding to foreclose in any pending Ohio case or allowing the property to be sold. Cordray is also asking for civil penalties of up to $25,000 for every violation of Ohio's Consumer Sales Practices Act and for consumer restitution.

As a result of similar reports regarding depositions taken by a JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America employees, Cordray today also requested that JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America suspend moving toward a judgment, sale, eviction or property transfer involving any foreclosure case with affidavits signed by those employees. Cordray also sent letters to Wells Fargo and Citibank, requesting that the banks meet with his office to discuss foreclosure affidavit procedures.

According to recent statistics from the Ohio Supreme Court, the wave of foreclosures in Ohio has shown no signs of receding. In the first half of this year, there have been 45,930 foreclosures in Ohio, which is ahead of last year's record-breaking pace. From 1995-2009, Ohio foreclosure filings quadrupled.

In July 2009, Cordray was the first attorney general in the nation to file a lawsuit against a loan servicer for violations of the state's consumer laws. His office currently has cases pending against three loan servicers: Carrington Mortgage Services LLC, American Home Mortgage Services Inc. and Barclays Capital Real Estate dba HomEq Servicing. Last month, a Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge affirmed Cordray's case against HomeEq by overruling the defendant's motion to dismiss which has cleared the way for Cordray's case to move forward.
Want to read the documents? See below:
To view today's lawsuit and exhibits, visit www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/GMACLawsuit.
To view the letters sent to the national banks, visit www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/GMACBankLetters.
To read Cordray's opening remarks at today's press conference, visit: www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/GMACCordrayRemarks.
To view the latest foreclosure statistics from the Ohio Supreme Court, visit: www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/SupremeCourtForeclosureStats.
To view a recent report on Ohio foreclosures from Policy Matters Ohio, visit: www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/PolicyMattersForeclosureReport.