UPDATE SEE BELOW
9 months ago we exposed a mortgage modification scheme that was preying on consumers nationwide .Consumers were angry that after paying the firm thousands of dollars to save their homes,the firm had done nothing.Consumers lost money and often their homes. The company claimed they were helping homeowners get mortgage modifications ,but all we found when we investigated was an unlicensed telemarketing room full of hustlers . Now the FBI has raided them.
UPDATE See the comments below of people that lost their homes after trusting these so called professional.Also note a tipster tells us they will try to come back with yet another name .
We will keep you posted
I got your back
John Mattes
UPDATE UPDATE SEPT 23
It is so sad to hear of all of the people all over the country that lost their homes due to these people.It angers me that there has been not one bit of remorse from any of them, not a single I’m sorry.They still live in their mansions and drive their Mercedes.Now a tipster tells us they may be at it again. Please read the comment below we just posted. You be the judge.
I will keep you posted
I got your back
John Mattes
UPDATE MAY 2011
Yes the scumbags who stole from thousands of homeowners are still free. It is hard to believe that a drug dealer could set up a boiler room that sold bogus mortgage modifications and get away with it for so long. The drug dealer ran the mortgage modification scam for almost 2 years under 4 different names until the FBI raided him in spring 2010. Now fast forward to spring 2011 ..the attorney that fronted for the operation and was so outraged with our questions gave up his license .The investigation continues due to the fact these men were serial con men on a crime spree.
Check out the California State Bar. Looks like they got Dean Chandler.
After seeing that the FBI took over 100 THOUSAND from the business acounts AND 350 THOUSAND from Gary in hidden accounts. Tell me how you cant refund clients you greedy fuc*ing bastard. What goes around comes around!!! Still waiting for my money you fu*ker
I am sure Bubba will be glad to see you again.
We accepted help from Safehouse in January 2009, we went online to the better business and they confirmed that Safehouse had only 1 complaint, we sent Safehouse $3000.00 to work with Bank of America/Countrywide on the loan modification, we received several calls from safehouse telling all was going well with our modification and NOT to pay our mortgage until all the paperwork was completed and our new rate given to us, and that they would stay in touch us on a weekly basis. We never heard from them and we called the Attorney
Generals Office for Delaware, they attempted to make phone calls and sent letter to Safehouse and received NO replies.
You need to add to the story on 1st American Law Center. Dean Chandler’s quiet partner is and has been for months is a Kevin Benjamin of Benjamin Legal out of Chicago. After the raid Benjamin Legal has opened in CA initially using 615 Mission Ave, Oceanside as their address until the office was shut down. But they are actually working out of the offices for Pacific Law Center in La Jolla flipping their PLC old BK clients for Kerry Steigerwaltz’s group to new contracts under Benjamin Legal. Benjamin is using Dean Chandler as his attorney in CA so he can practice law here in the state until he is approved.
Chandler/Benjamin also opened First National Law (look at Chandlers new state bar registry) and his partner is Kevin Benjamin per their Press Release in July (see PR newswire o/a 12th under First National Law). Chandler/Benjamin sold and is still selling another 40+ mods under First National after the raid and are working out of a small office in Carlsbad (look at the state bar registry) while dumping all the old 1st ALC clients and leaving their documents in the abandoned office in Oceanside.
Your story has more because Chandler/Benjamin/Steigerwaltz are all working together to flip the Pacific Law Center clients who have been ripped off by Pacific Law Center. These old clients paid PLC for BK services never rendered now Benjamin Legal is flipping them into new contracts and asking for more money from these poor people. Where is the $2000 PLC first took from them and didn’t perform a BK service? Now they are being asked for more money and PLC is keeping most of the initial funds taken. At the office in La Jolla you will find Chandlers prime right hand men from his mod days who have moved to fresher prey a William Shayman and Dave Tomanio (who states on his Linked In account that he is an expert in Criminal law and DUI but he is not an attorney) both from 1st American Law Center working these clients for more money.
I can’t give you my name due to potential retaliation…go get these low lifes.
1st American Law Center ripped off my dad for $3500.
He almost went into foreclosure because they told him to stop making payments. After several months of nothing happening and calls being ignored, he paid all of his back mortgage and is in good standing, though I’m certain his credit took a major hit.
He called me today to tell me their numbers were all out of service so I started looked. It saddened me to see that he had become a victim of this heartless scam.
Dean G. Chandler is now dba 1st National Law Group and I would warn everyone to keep their dollars away from these monsters until the law catches up with them.
I too was scammed out of $3500, your video depicts all that I have encountered. This company doesn’t answer calls, or call people back. Not to mention lie when they answer the phone.Saying Uh I don’t handle refunds, I don’t have the authority, “It takes two weeks to process”. Name change four times within a year, A plus, B minus, and a F rating on BBB under one of the alias. Slightly different phone numbers, but the same address. The company I want consumers to be aware of is tmmlg, drurylawgroup, chastain and etcheson. They all have websites with offices in St. Petersburg FL, Maricopa AZ, and Glen Ellen IL. I can only imagine the employees looking like the people in your video. Google complaints against and enter one of the pseudonyms. You will be suprised!
I like most of you am in the same boat. I’m so p(*(*(* off I can’t stand it. I found out about this today and it was only by chance! My daughter and grandchildren live with me as this is to be their home one day and I can’t imagine losing it. My story is the same. Saw their ad, thought it was legit and called. Had the same oh this is going to be great feeling for the first month or so and then it all started getting fishy. I was on the phone to the San Diego FBI as soon as I started reading about this mess. The agent was very nice and sympathetic but there was only so much he could say of course. I’m now waiting for documents from them and hoping my lender (Chase) will also be understanding and work with us. 3500 is alot when you have to work for every penny of it!
To: About to Lose the Farm;
I don’t see why you were even accepted into the loan modification program. From the facts you wrote below about your work and financial history, you probably wouldn’t even qualify for a loan modification.
IGUY here ……the reason they were “accepted: is because 1st American took in everyone.The scam for them is everyone qualifies to give them money.
Mr. Too Tall,
You are horribly mistaken in your stereotyping of some of us who are victims of 1ALC!
Not only have we never missed a mortgage payment but we have an almost perfect credit score to prove it. We both work and have never collected a dime in unemployement. We are not blaming 1ALC for losing our home (we still have it) but rather for their inability to follow through on the promise to help us with the complex modification system.
I understand your irritation of folks who are trying to get out of paying their fair share. However in my case and that of many many others, we are simply trying to modify the existing mortgage because the orginal set up we were given is no longer even legal! Due to home prices falling so sharply in our area we do not qualify for a normal refinance, hence our interest in a modification.
Please do not be so quick to judge when you have very little information to go on.
~A
I am sorry to say I cannot have much compassion for you homeowners who are not keeping up with your mortgage payment. Instead you pay “$3,500″ to a 3rd party “Loan Modification” company and blame them for losing your home. Really!!!? I am certain you were delinquent many months prior to contacting a loan modification company or a law firm in hopes of them saving your home. Its simple math, if you don’t pay, you can’t stay. This is a 2 way street. Now you on the other hand are mad because you lost your home. GET A JOB and stop collecting unemployment.
Hi Mr. Mattes, I was referred to your site after posting a question on a San Diego News channel’s page regarding 1st American Law Center. After watching your video I am sick to my stomach. We are apparently suckers who fell for this scheme. We are deep in the middle of trying to get our money back and get out of this mess.
Thank you for what you do. We were only trying to get our mortgage modification put through in the best manner possible. We own a small farm in rural Wisconsin and we do NOT want to lose it or the money we paid to 1st American.
~A
We are going through this process right now and they are not in contact with us at all~I am very worried now that I seen this!! 3,500 dollars is alot to us!! We want it back ASAP!!!
I loved your video about Dean Chandelor AKA- loser. After submitting my loan modification request 50 x and talking to over 100 people, getting denied twice for unabsurd unrealastic reasons. I hired 1st American and got ripped off I was the cry baby on the news. Being a single mom losing child support just wanted to hold on to the American dream which is a American nightmare. . All I know is you made me laugh- wish I saw that video before I paid that unethical 1st American. So glad you posted it
Rumor is 1st American Law Center
is in the process of changing their name to
1st National Law Group or Center as a dba under
Chandler Law Group
they were helping me with a loan modification I lost my home july 12 2010 they did nothing they said I LOST MY HOME BECAUSE OF 1st American Law Center
this was a great video – too bad it took another 9 months until they were held accountable….
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