Several years after purchasing their home in Prince George's County, Mr. and Mrs. S. were experiencing financial difficulties and were in default on their mortgage. They were contacted by an individual who assured them that his company could help them refinance— and keep—their home. Desperate to keep their home, Mr. and Mrs. S. met with the company and signed papers they didn’t fully understand.
Several years after purchasing their home in Prince George's County, Mr. and Mrs. S. were experiencing financial difficulties and were in default on their mortgage. They were contacted by an individual who assured them that his company could help them refinance— and keep—their home. Desperate to keep their home, Mr. and Mrs. S. met with the company and signed papers they didn’t fully understand.
These papers actually gave the scam company title to the couple's home and set up a system whereby monthly payments from the couple—payments that Mr. and Mrs. S. thought were paying down their mortgage—were paid to the scammers. In fact, the company (which soon dissolved), made few, if any, mortgage payments on behalf of the couple, resulting in their home going into foreclosure.
By the time Mr. and Mrs. S. contacted Maryland Legal Aid in 2013, they were several years behind in mortgage payments and had lost title to their home. Recognizing the right to housing and the right to fair treatment not only as basic human needs, but also as basic human rights, Attorney Campbell utilized a wide range of legal tactics and tools in his representation of the couple, including directing them to their original banking institution to discuss potentially affordable refinance options. More importantly, the actions of Campbell and his FLAP associates ultimately restored the home’s title (and legal ownership) to Mr. and Mrs. S.
*Names have been changed