Suspected Home Title Scammer Now Faces Lawsuit Involving Allegations Of $320K Church Ripoff In Allegedly Fraudulent Loan Transaction

In Boynton Beach, Florida, The Palm Beach Post reports:

• The Haitian Bethel Baptist Church had a growing base of parishioners in the fall of 2009 when Pastor Jean Bilbalo Joint decided to expand his humble Boynton Beach facility - no more than a house, really - to accommodate the flock. He entered an agreement with Boca Raton-based Nationwide Mortgage Bankers Corp., writing checks totaling $321,222 to Interstate Title Services and Escrow for what he says he thought was a deposit to secure a $1 million loan.



• But according to a lawsuit filed in March, no loan was ever secured nor was the $321,222 returned.



• The church contacted The Palm Beach Post this week after reading its coverage Sunday about other real estate-related lawsuits involving Nationwide-associated companies and Guilfort Dieuvil - president of several of the firms.



• The complaint filed by the church says Nationwide and Dieuvil never intended to secure a loan and instead defrauded the church in a "civil conspiracy" that involved the title agency and Nationwide Financial Consultants - a company Dieuvil also led, state records show.



• Dieuvil says the church's money was to pay consultation fees to Nationwide Financial Consultants, and not for a deposit to secure a loan, according to the lawsuit. The suit further states that Dieuvil testified there is a written agreement between the church and Nationwide Consultants.



• The church knows of no such agreement, and neither Dieuvil nor any representative of Nationwide has provided a copy of the agreement, according to the lawsuit. "They're very distraught," said Boca Raton­-based attorney Jeffrey Galvan, who is representing the church. "It took them years and years and years to save up this money, and now it's gone."



• Specific charges in the 46-page lawsuit include fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of contract and civil conspiracy. The church's allegations of real estate wrongdoing by Dieuvil and associated companies - the title firm's registered agent is listed in state records as vice president for Nationwide Mortgage Bankers Corp. - add to at least five lawsuits filed by ­homeowners who say they were wronged by another of Dieuvil's enterprises, Nationwide Investment Firm.



• Those lawsuits describe variations of short sale abuses, but mostly revolve around a business model that includes having the homeowner quitclaim-deed his or her home to the firm.

For more, see Firm bilked Boynton church, lawsuit alleges.