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19 MORTGAGE RELIEF SCAM DEFENDANTS TO PAY 18.5M e U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada has ruled in favor of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in a case (Federal Trade Commision v. Consumer Defense, LLC, et al.,) against the operators of a scheme that deceived financially distressed homeowners by falsely promising to make their mortgages more affordable, finding that the defendants' practices violated the FTC Act and the Mortgage Assistance Relief Services Rule. e case was originally filed by the FTC in January 2018, and the court issued a temporary restraining order against the company at that time. According to the FTC, the companies named as defendants also charged consumers illegal advance fees and unlawfully told consumers not to pay their mortgages to or communicate with their lenders. e defendants subject to the order are Preferred Law PLLC; Consumer Defense LLC (Nevada); Consumer Defense LLC (Utah); Consumer Link Inc.; American Home Loan Counselors; American Home Loans LLC; Consumer Defense Group LLC, formerly known as Modification Review Board LLC; Brown Legal Inc.; AM Property Management LLC; FMG Partners LLC; Zinly LLC; Jonathan P. Hanley; and Sandra X. Hanley. e court found that the defendants' practices violated the FTC Act and the Mortgage Assistance Relief Services Rule. Under the terms of the newly issued final order, the defendants will be permanently banned from the debt relief business and will be banned from misleading consumers about the terms of other financial services they may offer, as well as from making misleading claims in advertisements. e court's ruling also imposes an $18.5 million judgment against the defendants. e order requires that the contents of numerous bank accounts be turned over to the FTC, along with the proceeds from selling assets belonging to the defendants. Among the assets that will be liquidated are a Park City, Utah, ski chalet, an office building, a Mercedes Benz S550, and a Porsche Carerra. DS News is the only publication in the country solely dedicated to providing default servicing professionals with news and content focused on their industry. SUBSCRIBE TO THE LEADER IN DEFAULT SERVICING NEWS SUBSCRIBE NOW! Call 214.525.6700 or connect with us online at DSNews.com. default servicing trusted reliable informed @ dsnews.com 10.2019 CHANGING TIMES FOR TITLE DS News speaks to title industry leaders about the challenges brought on by technology and client demands. 60 NATURAL DISASTER MEETS DIGITAL DISRUPTION In the face of future storms, learn how to improve response times and service through the automation of recovery processes. 64 A SHIFTING LANDSCAPE FOR THE GSEs Speculation and skepticism abound after the Treasury Department released its plan to privatize the GSEs. DS News speaks to insiders about whether the plan will ultimately come to fruition. 68 A DEEPER DIVE INTO RECONCILIATIONS Technological innovation is critical to property valuations, but don't discount the importance of the human touch. 72 THE CUSTOMER CONNECTION Every company likes to believe it offers top-notch service, but what are the real keys to excelling at customer interactions?