Beware of Southern California Loan Modification Lawyers

This article in the Fresno Bee should give pause to anyone thinking about hiring one of the Southern California loan modification mills. What generally happens is the client sees an internet or other advertisement, calls the number and reaches a call center. They then are asked to put down $1,500 - 5,000 to get a loan modification. Sometimes, a loan modification can be achieved, but oftentimes, the client could have obtained a loan modification without the significant cost incurred. The California State Bar has been actively investigating these cases, providing news releases tracking their progress (See July 15, 2009, August 15, 2009, September 18, 2009, October 21, 2009, and November 10, 2009). The article also notes the following:

The loss to the public from loan-modification cases is in the millions of dollars, State Bar officials say. Most of the attorneys under investigation are from Southern California, but many of the victims live in the central San Joaquin Valley, enticed by loan-modification companies that advertised on the Internet.

I have seen that happen time and time again. I have also seen similar lawyers from Southern California try to represent clients in Bankruptcy Court in Fresno and they almost always make a mess of the case, especially in Chapter 13. If you are thinking about filing a bankruptcy, hire a local lawyer.