According to Pamela Crowley's Mortgage Fraud Watch List
"MFWL is a database of addresses, submitted by real estate professionals from all 50 states, where a sale or refinance transaction has suspicious activity. Mortgage transactions involving these addresses should be scrutinized to insure the accuracy and honesty of all data submitted as part of the loan process. MFWL will direct all potential fraud reports from our members and non members to proper authorities for investigation."
Pamela sent an "Open Letter To All Appraisers" today to alert them of her pending lawsuit with eAppraiseIT and to request their financial assistance. Download eAppraiseITvPamelaCrowley.pdf (18.1K) I've included the contents of her letter in the second half of this blog post.
UPDATE: Download public documents
Download eAppraiseIT v PCrowley Complaint (709.8K)
Download Emergency Hearing Notice Request (344.0K)
Mortgage Fraud Watch List site included in NCRC testimony to Senate Committe on Banking
NCPAC (Pg 9) - Members report AMCs Unlocking Appraisal Reports
I've watched a bit of her issue with eAppraiseIT unfold on appraiser forums. It appears that the controversy centers around a claim by Pamela that eAppraiseIT is unlocking and changing security settings in appraisal reports that pass through them to lender clients.
In response, Pamela Crowley provided this email quote from an exchange with eAppraiseIT:
Quote: "In response to Ms. Crowley's statement regarding unlocking the PDF file, I can state that we do add the eAppraiseIT watermark at the bottom of every page indicating that it was prepared on behalf of EA. This was a business and anti-fraud, risk avoidance decision made several years ago.
We discovered certain unethical appraisers, who were not on our panel, completing work for a few of our clients independently and without our supervision or approval and at the loan officer's request, stipulating it was an "eAppraiseit approved file". This created claims and liability issues for both the lender and
eAppraiseit.All of our clients, who are national lenders much like WAMU, know that if the watermark is not present it is not an eAppraiseit managed appraisal. They take great comfort in that. We do unlock the file to add the watermark. We do not edit the file's content.
Anthony R. Merlo, Jr.
President
eAppraiseIT, LLC.
12395 First American Way
Poway, CA. 92460"
End Quote
To continue reading and see Pam Crowley's letter click below . .
On the Inland CA Appraisal Forum, Pamela said, "What you all need to know is that eAppraiseIT is not the only AMC (plus others) that ARE unlocking the security settings on your appraisal reports, leaving them ripe for changes unknown to you and your digital signature compromised."
"The only way to know if and which of your appraisals have been changed would be to get a copy from the mortgage file and compare them line by line!!! Without doing that, NONE of us know what might have been altered! "
Pamela said, "I do have some appraisers from various areas of the country that claim they have had incidents where their appraisals sent to eAppraiseIT had changes made, such as one where the occupancy was changed from 'Tenant' to 'Owner' and the comments about it being tenant occupied removed. Another told me that negative photos and comments were removed. I have someone very willing to testify about being shown alterations other than adding a 'watermark' being done by eAppraiseIT employees."
Open Letter . . .This law suit involves ALL appraisers!
eAppraiseIT v. Pamela Crowley
eAppraiseIT has filed 2 suits against me as of June 19, 2007. These kinds of suits are basically what are termed SLAPP suits.
"Retaliatory lawsuits intended to silence, intimidate, or punish those who have used public forums to speak, petition, or otherwise move for government action on an issue."
They want me shut up about what they ARE doing and want the www.MortgageFraudWatchList.org shut down because they are afraid something might be there about them.
Saturday, June 23, 2007, I was served with "Notice of Emergency Hearing" scheduled for Thursday, June 28, 2007, at 2:15, before the Honorable John D. Moxley, JR., Courtroom 218, in the Brevard County Courthouse, 506 S. Palm Avenue, Titusville, FL.
Apparently they want me ‘shut up’ about what they ARE doing really fast - and to catch me before I can be prepared to adequately respond. Typically, an Emergency Hearing is only scheduled when there is evidence that a ruling is necessary for the preservation of ‘Public Health’, ‘Public Safety’ and/or ‘General Welfare’ where the plaintiff is a danger to others or themselves.
I am asking that you consider contributing to the defense fund for these suits. All contributions will be held by my attorney, in confidence, as stated below. No amount is considered too small. I have one appraiser that has pledged to match the first $5,000 in contributions and a second appraiser that has pledged to match the second $5,000.
As explained in the above linked SLAPP article, corporations file suits like this to wipe out the target they want to ‘shut up’, emotionally and financially. Emotionally I am stronger than ever. Financially, there’s nothing for them to get, which I’m betting they know and are counting on to make what they are doing stay hidden.
Here is the message from my attorney regarding how and where to send your donation:
"People should send their checks to me at the address below. They should be payable to: "Eric A. Lanigan Trust Account f/b/o Pam Crowley."
I will send each person an acknowledgement of the payment received, and I will keep a record of each person and the amount of their payment. All information regarding payment will be strictly confidential and privileged.
Anyone who wants their contribution kept completely confidential, such that even you (Pamela Crowley) would not know they contributed, should so indicate when they send in the payment."
Eric A. Lanigan, Esq.
222 S. Pennsylvania Ave., #101
Winter Park, FL 32789
407.740.7379; fax 407.740.6812
I am asking that you contribute whatever you feel you can and will pro-rata refund any funds left over. Ultimately, I am hoping that the suits that will follow will more than cover not only everybody’s donations, but more to each and every appraiser that has been harmed, whether you realize you’ve already been harmed or not. If you have any questions about this, please do contact myself or Mr. Lanigan.
Thank you very much for your consideration.
Pamela Crowley
Phone: 321-514-7703
Email: [email protected]
If you know of other concerned, honest, ethical appraisers, please forward this to them or let me know who they are so I can send this to them.
Pamela Crowley
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