Cops Pinch Suspect In Loan Mod Ripoff Who Rejected Opportunity To Give Full Refund To Disgruntled Customer

In Miramar, Florida, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports:

• A homeowner who wanted to lower his mortgage payments says he grew skeptical of the woman he hired to perform a loan modification on his home. Hernando Chica, 67, of Miramar, said he contacted police after all he got were promises and excuses from her.
• During an investigation, Miramar officers learned that the woman he hired, Cindy Clara Bouza, 38, of Miami-Dade, wasn't licensed to conduct loan modifications, according to a police report. 
• The state Office of Financial Regulation further told police that a person conducting a loan modification isn't allowed to collect "any fees up front, and that a credit check, appraisal and inspection does not have to be completed for a loan modification."
• On Tuesday, Bouza was arrested on one count of operating as a loan originator without a license and one count of assessing or collecting an advance fee, police said.

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• According to a Miramar police complaint affidavit: Chica hired Bouza in August on a recommendation from a family friend. He paid her about $1,900 for an inspection, appraisal and loan modification for his home in the 2000 block of Southwest 90th Avenue. [...] On Jan. 16, police met with Chica and Bouza at Chica's home.
• Bouza offered to return to Chica most of the funds, $1,400, saying she didn't think she needed to give a reimbursement for work she already had done. [...] But Chica insisted on a full refund, refusing to accept the $1,400 offer.
• Miramar police in February were told by the state Office of Financial Regulation that Bouza didn't have a valid license for loan modifications through its office, the police affidavit said. Police subsequently provided the results of their investigation to the Broward State Attorney's Office, which resulted in charges against Bouza.

For the story, see Woman accused of accepting loan-modification work without a license.