'Stay Out Of Idaho!' Says State Regulator To S. Florida Lawyer Peddling Participations In 'Mass Joinder' Lawsuit Against Lenders Alleging Deceptive Foreclosure, Lending Practices

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

• A North Palm Beach law firm was ordered by the State of Idaho to stop soliciting residents to join a foreclosure-related lawsuit that allegedly required them to pay thousands of dollars in up-front fees and monthly payments.
  
  The Residential Litigation Group was given a cease and desist order by the Idaho Department of Finance after an investigation that included a department employee posing as a prospective client. The company also has a complaint against it filed with the Florida Attorney General from a New Jersey resident who said he paid $1,000 after getting information from the group in the mail.
  
  The firm changed its name to the Hoffman Law Group in November, according to Florida Department of State records. Its managing partner, attorney Marc H. Hoffman, is under investigation by the Florida Bar for sending out misleading mailings. Hoffman could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
  
  In the Idaho order, the Residential Litigation Group is accused of violating the state’s Financial Fraud Prevention Act by sending “confusing, misleading, and deceptive” information to the public in documents that purport to be a “litigation notification” but are actually an advertisement.
  
  A website for the group says it is suing the nation’s biggest banks and lenders for fraudulent use of paperwork in foreclosures, deceptive mortgage modification practices and deceptive loan practices. A copy of a lawsuit with the names of hundreds of defendants filed in Kings County New York on Dec. 5 is posted on the website.
  
  When a representative from the Idaho Department of Finance called to ask about the lawsuit, she was told it would cost a retainer fee of $6,000 to join, which would be refunded after the lawsuit is settled, and a monthly fee of $450.

For the story, see Idaho orders North Palm Beach law firm to stop soliciting residents.