FTC Settles Foreclosure Rescue Claims With Four Texas Defendants & Their Companies

The Federal Trade Commission announced this week:

• [F]our Texas defendants and their companies(1) have agreed to settle FTC charges that they deceived homeowners facing foreclosure by falsely claiming they could prevent foreclosure in return for an up-front fee ranging from $500 to $1,200. The settlements bar them from further law violations and require them to pay more than $137,000 in redress for affected consumers.

• According to the Commission’s complaint, in numerous instances, the defendants did not prevent foreclosure for their clients; rather, they often ensured foreclosure by not taking promised actions or taking only minimal steps not calculated to prevent foreclosure. The defendants also increased the threat of foreclosure by inducing consumers to wait passively for weeks rather than contact the lender and explore possible options. In addition, they allegedly did not honor their promise to fully refund all fees if they could not stop foreclosure, which resulted in consumers sometimes losing the fees and their homes.

For more, see FTC Acts Against Two Family-Owned Mortgage Foreclosure ‘Rescue’ Operations.

For more on this case from the FTC, see:

• Stipulated Permanent Injunction and Final Order,
• Original FTC complaint - Federal Trade Commission v. National Hometeam Solutions, LLC, et al.

(1) According to the FTC press release, the defendants, all based in Texas, are Elias H. Taylor and his companies, National Hometeam Solutions, LLC, National Financial Solutions, LLC, and Elant, LLC; Everard Taylor and his company, Evalan Services, LLC; Emanuel Taylor and his company, United Financial Solutions, LLC; and Edwin P. Taylor, Sr., and his company, Nationwide Foreclosure Services, LLC.