REALLY long story, desperately seeking help unethical (Illegal??) mortgage broker..........

[timfountain]

Ouch, the OP text stream hurts my eyes. Please try to use some modicum of formatting...

[MsFancyPants]

Originally Posted by lindamermaid

Part of what this broker did is illegal according to RESPA (Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act). RESPA is a set of laws enacted in 1974 to protect people like you and me from unscrupulous mortgage brokers like him. There's no way to confirm this without a full-blown audit, but I'm wondering if the attorney-friend got a kickback from the broker. The broker was supposed to give you - by law - a Good Faith Estimate within 3 days of you signing the mortgage application. Did he? If not, he has broken the law and your lawyer friend probably knows it.You could take the broker to small claims court for your earnest money, but if you do, write up just the facts - none of the emotion - with dates, times, copies of emails etc. for the judge. There are tons of websites out there with advice on how to do that. The broker has charged what is called 'garbage fees' in the industry. These fees are meaningless and do nothing but put money into the brokers pocket. If all buyers refused to pay these fees, the system would have to take a more honest approach. Here are a couple of searches to run:RESPA violationsmortgage garbage feeshow to file in small claims court - include your state name in the search, procedures may vary a little from state to state.And a website with info:Homes and Communities - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) - this will give you lots of info on RESPA without having to read a whole novel.Don't let these people walk all over you. If you do, they will keep doing it to everyone and get rich at your expense. Get up, shake your fist and scream "we're mad as hell and we're not gonna take it anymore."Post a complaint at Yelp.com and name names. File a complaint with the Department of Real Estate. Find a lawyer who works on commission to take your case for a percentage of what he gets out of them - that way you are not out anything if he loses. Don't be a doormat. If you and I don't stand up to them, nobody will.How do I know all of this? Been there, done that, had the headache. Your situation was nearly identical to mine.

Perfect response!! Do this!

I just noticed that this was posted originally in January. Any resolution????

[MsFancyPants]

Originally Posted by timfountain

Ouch, the OP text stream hurts my eyes. Please try to use some modicum of formatting...

Then don't read it. It's that simple. If you had, you might be a little more compassionate.

Why would you even waste your time with this kind of a response? Sheesh!