News

Class Action Suit Filed After Channel 2 Document Investigation

ATLANTA,None — A Channel 2 consumer investigation is now the basis for a federal class action lawsuit.

Distressed homeowners accuse Atlanta's largest foreclosure law firm, and its document processor, of fraud and racketeering.

Fraud is among the allegations in the lawsuit filed against Prommis Solutions and several employees, foreclosure firm McCalla Raymer and two of its attorneys, and several client lenders.

Have a news tip? E-mail jim,strickland@wsbtv.com

"This is wrong; it's fraud," said homeowner Jeff Crawford, whose wife is named as a plaintiff. Foreclosure of Crawford's Marietta home is central to the case.

"You hear about all this mess going on with foreclosures across the country. This is robo-signing, pure and simple," he told Channel 2's Jim Strickland.

The lawsuit accuses Prommis Solutions and McCalla Raymer of churning out improperly executed foreclosure documents.

A Channel 2 investigation revealed attorney Troy Crouse's signature on Crawford's document doesn't match the attorney's own mortgage signature. Channel 2 also uncovered the notary wasn't a notary at the date of signing on the document.

Attorney Ebony Ameen said the different signatures occured over and over again.

"When you make one mistake that's one thing, but when you make thousands of mistakes, that rises to conduct that's unacceptable," Ameen said.

Ameen is using a Facebook page called Georgia Mortgage Class Action to find other Georgians whose homes were foreclosed who believe their documents are dubious.

Prommis said outside auditors are reviewing its procedures. The company told Strickland it has new strict guidelines for notaries, and even a hot line to report irregularities.

"Now they may be doing it the correct way. That doesn't cancel out the thousands of times they did it the wrong way," said Ameen.

Prommis said it doesn't comment on pending litigation. McCalla Raymer managing partner Marty Stone reiterated that his employee, Crouse, did sign every document bearing his name.

Stone told Strickland he may have more to say once he sees the lawsuit.