DREAMS FORECLOSED: The Rampant Theft of Americans' Homes

DREAMS FORECLOSED: The Rampant Theft of Americans’ Homes Through Equity-stripping Foreclosure “Rescue” Scams
DREAMS FORECLOSED:
The Rampant Theft
of Americans’ Homes
Through Equity-Stripping
Foreclosure “Rescue” Scams
A Report by
National Consumer Law Center
June 2005
Written and researched by:
Steve Tripoli, Consumer Advocate, National Consumer Law Center
Elizabeth Renuart, Staff Attorney, National Consumer Law Center
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
National Consumer Law Center attorneys Will Ogburn, John Rao and Margot Saunders provided legal guidance and
editorial assistance in the preparation of this report. NCLC’s Svetlana Ladan formatted the report and its graphics. We
also wish to thank the dozens of consumer lawyers, advocates, their clients and others named in this report for their
unstinting devotion to seeing this information come to light and their substantial efforts to provide that information.
Cover art courtesy of Benenson Janson Advertising, Studio City, CA.
National Consumer Law Center is a non-profit organization with 37 years of working experience in consumer
issues, especially those affecting low-income consumers. NCLC works with and offers training to thousands of legalservice,
government and private attorneys, as well as community groups and organizations representing low-income
and elderly people. Our legal manuals and consumer guides are standards of the field and can be ordered directly at
www.consumerlaw.org or by calling our Publications Department at 617-542-9595.
National Consumer Law Center
77 Summer St. 10 th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
Phone: 617-542-8010
http://www.consumerlaw.org
Copies of this report are available by mail for $35 each paid in advance (checks only), or by downloading from NCLC’s website