Case Studies
Gabriel Case Study
It was 10 grueling years of fighting to save our home and we were almost out of hope when a thought occurred to us to research which experts the state attorney generals, who were suing the banks and debt collectors over fraudulent foreclosures, were using in order to succeed in their lawsuits against these unscrupulous lending institutions and their partners.
There were not many names. In fact, there really weren’t any at all except for one name that stood out, Marie McDonnell. I began researching her immediately and found her website and her battles buried in the google rubble. She was very impressive, a tireless and meticulous researcher and a fearless defender of the truth. It was startling and gratifying to see her taking on these greedy and ruthless institutions taking homes from hardworking Americans, particularly in these days when judges and courts are caving in to the banks, no matter how illegal and fraudulent their foreclosure activities.
I filled out a short form on her website, explaining a bit about our case, and waited for an answer. It was not long before Stephanie, her assistant, responded, and Marie was on the phone. She was patient, kind, and listened to me for an hour while I explained the horror story of our last 10 years of struggle to save our home. She begin asking questions, as only a person with an expert knowledge of the foreclosure debacle would ask. She agreed to begin working with us to help discover the truth about our loan and payments. She asked for the loan documents, bank statements, all payments, and any and all correspondence that we had conducted with the debt collectors trying to take our home.Then she went to work for us, meticulously collecting and deciphering all the data. Every week, Stephanie would call and Marie would be on the line asking a myriad of questions, and pushing us to find more data. She pushed and prodded us to find anything and everything we could regarding our loan, all the payments, the forbearances paid, and anything else that helped her find the money trail. That’s what she does, she follows the money, and that leads her to the truth.
She conducted her research and analysis on our case for over a year. Marie McDonnell goes the distance to get the answers and to find the truth. She never gives up. There is no one that could have pieced together our loan documents the way she masterfully did. The end result of her hard work and expertise was a powerful affidavit which proved that our home had been foreclosed illegally and fraudulently. Her work and techniques have been studied by top foreclosure attorneys working on our behalf and, without exception, they have all raved about the quality and detailed meticulousness of her work.
We enthusiastically recommend Marie McDonnell in the strongest terms possible.
External Resources
National Consumer Law Center
National Association of Consumer Advocates
https://www.consumeradvocates.org
National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
https://www.consumerfinance.gov
Regulations Implementing Consumer Financial Protection Laws
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/policy-compliance/rulemaking/final-rules/code-federal-regulations
Truth In Lending Act
15 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq.
12 C.F.R. § 1026 et seq.
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title12/12cfr1026_main_02.tpl
Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
12 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq.
12 C.F.R. § 1024 et seq.
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title12/12cfr1024_main_02.tpl
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
15 U.S. Code § 1692 et seq.
12 C.F.R. 1006 et seq.
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title12/12cfr1006_main_02.tpl
Mortgage Acts and Practices – Advertising
12 C.F.R. Part 1014
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title12/12cfr1014_main_02.tpl
Mortgage Assistance Relief Services
16 C.F.R. Part 322
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title12/12cfr1015_main_02.tpl
COVID-19 RELATED RESOURCES
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: What to do after you receive forbearance
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/coronavirus/mortgage-and-housing-assistance/after-you-receive-relief
Fannie Mae: Payment Deferral
https://www.knowyouroptions.com/options-to-stay-in-your-home/overview/payment-deferral
Freddie Mac: Understanding Payment Deferral During COVID-19
http://www.freddiemac.com/blog/homeownership/20200514_understanding_payment_deferral.page