Scammers In Napa County

May 20th, 2008

The scammers in Napa County are smart. The house owners who relinquished part ownership of their properties in the hope of evading foreclosures are in all probability victims of scammers. This is the opinion of county officials.

There have been ten cases and of these two are connected to another case in Alameda County where charges were brought against two women. The latter gained partial rights over some foreclosed properties in Alameda, Fresno and some other counties. Napa is also included in the list.

Thirty-seven years old Sonia Alburez the owner of Community Home Saver Program in Livermore along with her employee Verena Silva aged forty-two, have been arrested. A 36-count suit has been filed against them in the Superior Court of Alameda County. It is alleged that they have been running a rescue scam organization and now their victims are in danger of losing their houses to foreclosure.

Gary Lieberstein, District Attorney of Napa County explained that the scam starts when the predators contact those who have received default notices and are in a state of trauma, unable to think clearly. The scammers explain that they can prevent the foreclosure if a part of the property is sold to a third party – a sham business entity otherwise known as a straw buyer. The scammers have no real assets and do no legitimate work. Some of them flaunt names like Black Hawk Holding Company, Ruby Hill Investments, Hazan Holding Company, Golden Eagle Asset Protection, Barrington Asset Protection, Regent Asset Protection and Victoria Holding Co.

Two house owners of Napa County granted partial property rights to one of the above mentioned companies. Eight other owners did likewise to other companies with similar dealings. By doing so the house owners are losers twice over – once to the scammers and second to the real menace – foreclosure. They lose their houses and money as well.

The District Attorney feels that the companies that have been identified are only the tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds more like them preying on the gullible foreclosed victims in the county and across the state. They take advantage of the fact that a drowning man will clutch at a straw.

In Sacramento 19 such scammers have been identified. The legal authorities are focusing on foreclosure related bankruptcy suits. Napa County has not received any direct complaints but the administration is giving out strong warnings about the raging menace of foreclosure scams.

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