Bankruptcy Fraud And How It Could Happen To You!
By Carmen Dellutri, Attorney at Law on Aug 10, 2007 in Bankruptcy Cases & Legislation, Bankruptcy Practice and Procedure, Florida, General Bankruptcy Information
Recently, Mario G. Bernadel plead guilty to Bankruptcy Fraud in the U.S. District Court. As recently reported in the Phoenix Tribune, it seems that Mr. Bernadel fraudulently induced individuals to sign their homes over to him to avoid foreclosure, he collected rents, never paid the mortgages and then filed fraudulent bankruptcy petitions to prevent foreclosure. Not only is this shocking, but I cannot believe that he actually thought he could get away with it.
With the Southwest Florida real estate market in the toilet and the stock-market roller-coaster that we are all seeing, there are no shortage of scams that are springing up alleging to help individuals save their credit reports. Please don’t fall for the scams. I received a call the other day from a scammer requesting my services. After listening to this guy for a few minutes, I checked the ear piece on my phone to make sure that the slim from this guy wasn’t coming through the phone line. Let’s just say that his idea wasn’t legal, ethical or moral. I always give credit where credit is due, and I told him that his idea was unique, which it was, and that I told him the Judge may take that into consideration before sentencing him to jail for a long time. He also told me that he had several attorneys on board, I asked their names so I could report them to the Florida Bar. He hung up without saying good-bye.
The bottom line is this: If you are behind on your mortgage, credit cards, medical bills or other obligations, many bankruptcy attorneys offer a free confidential consultation where you can discuss your problem and seek solutions. Please call one. Do not sign over your home to anyone without knowing the answers to all of your questions.
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