Complaints From Homeowners, Former Company Employees Raise Questions About Activities Of Southwest Florida Foreclosure Rescue Firm

In Lee County, Florida, WINK News reports:

• The Florida Attorney General's Office has nine complaints against a Bonita Springs foreclosure rescue company, alleging that it may be breaking the law. Elite Financial Management Group, also known as Home Protection Agency, claims to help homeowners who are facing foreclosure by either mediating their mortgages or helping them with short sales.

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• Three complaints from former Elite employees are also on file at the Attorney General's Office. One man, who worked for the company for a little over a month, said he quit because he was not comfortable with how it was operated. Another former employee asked the Attorney General's office if he would be held liable criminally or civilly for any practices that go on at the company. A third employee complaint came from a woman who said her final paycheck bounced.

• Elite Financial claimed they are not breaking the law because they collect fees in payments as they are performing services. When asked how that was legal given the specific language of the law,(1) they said they would prepare a written response.

For more, see CALL FOR ACTION: Helping or hurting homeowners? (WINK News investigates a foreclosure rescue company).

For story update, see Elite Financial Responds to Call For Action Investigation.

(1) Governor Charlie Crist signed a law in May, 2008 making it illegal for foreclosure rescue companies to collect payments from customers before completing the entire service. That law went into effect October 1, 2008. loan modification