Copart, Inc. of Fairfield California and Rebuilt Wrecks

I am investigating the role of Copart, Inc., a company that showed up in the NMVTIS report of two rebuilt vehicles that I am working on.  If you have any information relating to this company, please send me a message.

DMVdesk.com - the $2.00 search that can save you Thousands of $

The National Motor Vehicle Traffic Information System (NMVTIS) is a federally coordinated database that acts as a clearinghouse for state motor vehicle titling information, including reports of total losses, flood damaged vehicles, etc.  NMVTIS doesn't sell its reports directly to the public though, it authorizes multiple third party venders to handle inquiries and print reports.  The NMVTIS website link is here.  Some of these third parties charge up to $35.00 per vehicle checked.  Fortunately, a colleague tipped me off that one vender is significantly cheaper than the rest.  Dmvdesk.com will run a search on a vehicle identification number for $2.00 per vehicle.  If you are buying a used car, spend the $2.00, it's worth it.  Here's a link to the dmvdesk.com site.

Are You Being Sued by Midland Funding?

Midland Funding, LLC files more lawsuits in Indiana than any other civil plaintiff.  As a consumer attorney, I have seen the lazy affidavits prepared by Midland representatives, and because of this, I am astonished consumers don't contest lawsuits filed by Midland more often.  If you have been sued by Midland, read this article  published last year in the Washington Post.  It will give you some background on Midland.  I am a member of a group of consumer attorneys called the National Association of Consumer Advocates, or NACA.  NACA attorneys are attorneys who defend consumers from debt cases, and we represent consumers in cases involving a variety of consumer frauds and ripoffs.  You can find a NACA member attorney at www.consumeradvocates.org or www.naca.net.   A number of us have been sharing information on ideas to beat Midland at their own game.

More on Pension Harvesting Schemes

I am continuing to work on issues involving pension harvesting schemes.  Retirees are the prey for these companies. They identify senior citizens in need of cash and tell them they can get them money secured by their pensions.  Here's where it gets weird.  We think of arrangements where you get money now and pay back money in installments as loans. These companies sell contracts that do just that, give you money up front that you pay back, but the companies claim they aren't loans. They claim they are turning your pension into annuities and selling the annuities to outside investors.  As far as the retiree is concerned, though there is no functional difference between these annuity contracts and loans, EXCEPT the retirees don't get the disclosure and legal protections that consumers are supposed to get in loans.  I think most of these contracts are illegal loans as to the retiree, and I think most of them are illegal securities as to the investors.  Here are some companies that have been identified in this industry.  If you have a problem with one of these, please contact me.  I will be happy to link you up with a NACA-member consumer lawyer in your area.

LumpSum Pension Advance, Pension Funding LLC

Pensions Annuities & Settlements LLC

Pension Income LLC

Cash Flow Investment Partners

DFR Pension Funding

Veterans Benefit Leverage

Voyager Financial Group LLC (Pension4Case/Cash Out My Pension/Buy Your Pension)

First American Finance Corp. and Investing Forward (Termbrokers LLC).

Check out the  SEC alert, entitled “Pension or Settlement Income Streams: What You Should Know before Buying or Selling Them” is available at www.sec.gov/investor/alerts/ib_income_streams.pdf

Department of Education Terminates Contracts with 5 Debt Collection Companies

Huffington Post reports that the US Department of Education is terminating its relationships with five debt collection agencies which have been contracted to collect student loans. This action is in response to an inspector's report that found fault with the agencies, specifically mentioning that some misrepresented the rights of the students, the collection fees, and the effect on the students' credit reports.  The agencies in question are below.

Pioneer Credit Recovery
Coast Professional
Enterprise Recovery Systems
National Recoveries
West Asset Management.

Parenthetically, the article mentions that Pioneer Credit Recovery is a subsidiary Navient, the company formerly known as Sallie Mae.  (Sallie, that girl.)

The government will be winding down its accounts with these companies and will transfer them to other agencies. Apparently there are approximately 20 debt collection companies authorized to collect student loan accounts.  If you are a student loan debtor, I suggest that you not believe anything these companies tell you, and get independent verification of anything they say. In addition, get them to put everything in writing.  As a matter of fact, you should do this when dealing with ANY student loan collector.  Just because these five got caught, doesn't mean they are the only ones doing nasty things to student loan debtors.  

Did Wells Fargo Publish a Manual on How to Create Fraudulent Foreclosure Documents?

It appears that they did.  The video below, from Democracy Now describes Wells Fargo's procedures for systematically creating documents to order to support the taking of peoples' homes.  (It's at the 43 minute mark in the video.)  video from Democracy Now

Circle City Auto Exchange - Indianapolis - Problems getting your title?

We are investigating Circle City Auto Exchange, located on Madison Avenue in Indianapolis.  From our initial investigation, it appears that some folks have had a hard time getting title to the cars they purchased there. Last year, the Indiana Secretary of State looked into the company and they found 40 instances where customers were given more than one temporary plate.  In two other instances, the company failed to deliver title as required by law.  Circle City Auto Exchanged entered into an order of Consent, agreed to pay a fine, and their license was put on probation for six months.  You should be aware that inability of a car dealership to give you title within the first 21 days of purchase is a sign of serious problems at the dealership. The dealer could be selling cars it doesn't own; or it could be in such financial problems that the company that is financing the dealer (the "floorplan" lender) won't release the title to the dealer.  In any case, if you can't get a certificate of title to a vehicle within 21 days of purchase, call our office.  We will be happy to assist you.