I would like to thank Moe and all of you for your posts. I went to Mod By Lawyers (aka The Firm) last week and I have to say they were very convincing. – Leslie the Homeowner
I get chills sometimes when I read these comments and emails. The awesome feeling I get from helping someone I do not know and will never meet is indescribable.
OK, with that said, it looks like this loan modification company that was “supposed” to be out of business, may still be in business. According to this “homeowner tip”, The Firm, a Southern California loan modification company that was shut down by the DRE and FTC last year seems to be operating under a new name, Mod by Lawyers.
My simple investigation below ties The Firm with Mod by Lawyers. The homeowner below claims to know who the ” front lawyer” is, Majid Safaei.
Maybe you have a story that you can share on this new firm and attorney, Majid Safaie???
Here is his bar license and it appears to be in good standing, but no mention of this “Mod by Lawyers” which could be a violation of Bar rules for failing to disclose this new “DBA”.
http://members.calbar.ca.gov/search/member_detail.aspx?x=185129
Here is his Anaheim Tax certificate and I see nothing for Mod by Lawyers.
http://permits.anaheim.net/tm_bin/tmw_cmd.pl?tmw_cmd=statusviewcaseBUS&shl_caseno=BUS2009-00121
Here is their website and there is no mention of the names of the attorneys or of Majid Safaei . That may also be in violation of the State Bar’s rules on advertising legal services because there is suppose to be clear disclosure and transparency in all legal advertisements.
Obviously, it appears that they are hiding behind a website and agents.
Then you go to the index page and you find the exact same Ranch Cucamonga address from The Firm.
http://www.modbylawyers.com/Terms/index.html
This Terms of Use Agreement (“Agreement”) is made by and between Mod By Lawyers, with offices at 10374 Trademark Street, Rancho Cucamonga, California 91730 (“Mod By Lawyers”) and you (“you,” “your” or “User”). This Agreement contains the terms and conditions that govern your use of this Web Site.
BY CLICKING THE “I AGREE” BUTTON OR BY ACCESSING, VISITING, BROWSING, USING OR ATTEMPTING TO INTERACT WITH ANY PART OF THIS WEB SITE, OR OTHER FIRM SOFTWARE, SERVICES, WEBSITES OR ANY OF Mod By LawyersS LICENSEES SERVICES OR SOFTWARE (COLLECTIVELY “SERVICES”), YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THIS AGREEMENT, DO NOT ACCESS OR USE ANY PART OF THIS WEB SITE.
A quick Google search of address, 10374 Trademark Street, Rancho Cucamonga, California 91730 and guess who “used” to reside at that address? You guessed it, The Firm!!!!
http://directory.pe.com/the+firm.9.48962555p.home.html
Here is a website by the company that is still online:
http://www.thefirmlossmitigation.com/
Here is the ABC TV story from early this year:
I am not sure what is going on with this company, but it looks like a clever “loan modification shell game.”
Leslie the Homeowner:
I would like to thank Moe and all of you for your posts. I went to Mod By Lawyers (aka The Firm) last week and I have to say they were very convincing.
A few red flags caused us to do some internet research before handing over the cash though. My husband was ready to walk out as soon as we got there and found out that it was not the bank, as was stated in the letter that we received, but we decided to stay to hear our options. Finding out that they were lawyers helped to convince us to give them a chance.
Then during the session, I asked for a blank copy of the contract. He said that his computer program does not allow him to print blank contracts (strange right?) and he offerered to show me someone else’s contract. I told him “no” since I didn’t want to see anyone else’s confidential information and he then handed me another couple’s file and showed me their contract.
I was pretty shocked as I work with confidential files myself and would never in a million years hand a confidential file to another client. Then as I’m looking at this other couple’s file, he goes on to tell me that the files are confidential and they are required by law to keep them locked up. Hmm. So I googled the lawyer’s name and bar # that he gave me (Majid Safaie #185129) and came up with this site.
I then clicked through to the Fox News report and “The Firm” from that report is the very same building that I went to. So thank you Moe for your article. I’m sure that it saved us a lot of money and grief.
Leslie
I was reading this article and I just want to say that thanks to this company I might loose my house but I won the small claims. Now Im trying to get my money from them before they go bankrupt.
I will be taking them to small claims court after I file a complaint with the DRE, FTC, BBB and anyone else I can think of…
I received an ad in the mail from a company who said they could help with a loan modification. When I called the number, Mod by Lawyers in Rancho Cucamonga answered. I made an appointment and went in to meet with a rep. I told them I had just recently been ripped off by a loan modification company named Ginne Mac, and I was guaranteed that would not happen with their company. I signed a contract and paid a fee of $5,000. I was supposed to send then a copy of my bank statement and paystubs monthly, which I did do. Not one time did they take the iniative to call me and keep me abreast of the status of my file. I would have to call weekly and ask, and I was always told the bank was either reviewing my file or the bank was waiting for my file to be assigned to a negotiator. I signed a contract with Mod by Lawyers in May 2009. By December 2009, nothing had happened. I then phoned my bank and told them that Mod by Lawyers were no longer to be my negotiating third party. In January 2010, I requested a refund of the $5,000 that I had given them. I was told that I would have to speak to an attorney by the name of Brian Timothy Stuart/#207118. In April 2010, I met with Atty. Stuart, and he showed me acccording to my contract, I was supposed to let them know in writing if I wanted to terminate their services. He said even though I had notified my bank in writing, not sending Mod by Lawyers a copy of the letter would override the part of the contract that states, “In the event that a modification is not attained on behalf of the client and the client declines further services offered, Attorney shall refund 50% of the fee to the client provided the client has already paid the entire fee under this agreement to attorney.” Attorney Stuart offered me some blibble blabble about the other services they offer and I did not decline. They never offered me any other services. Might I mention this was the first time I spoke with an attorney with this company, each rep working on my file was just a hired staff. I asked Atty. Stuart to please consider refunding at least 50% of my money to me, and he said he would have to discuss the matter with the owner, Atty. Majid Safaie and get back to me. Atty. Stuart also said they were no longer in the modification business because it was not financially lucrative for them. Atty. Stuart never got back to me. I emailed Atty. Safaie since I was told this was his company, but he never responded to my email. I am tired of being ripped off, and I am determined to seek justice.
i sign up with mod by lawyers a year ago and these assholes would never call me i would always have to be the one calling them. to make the story short i ended up losing my house last month because of them.they are a bunch of scam assholes that need to stop lying to us.i am very angry and upset at them because if they would have told me since the begining that they didn’t think they were going to be able to help me i could have worked something out with the bank and probaly still be in my house today.they just lie and ripp people off.
I worked at Mod By Liars! as a case manager…they not only ripped the clients off, they ripped the employees off. The company is still ripping people off especially MOE and his team…they are the ones that accepted the files KNOWING that nothing can be done…They still do it…be careful people!
Moe who?
Well these guys contacted my mom under a new name Arya Law Center. She drove up to Fountain Valley Ca. and said this guy was not to convincing. His name is Majid Safaie. She was surprised that in his office he had no certificates on the walls no pictures, just a desk and a phone. I looked up his website http://www.aryalawcenter.com Low and behold its “under construction”. His education is not he best they claim he has all this experience and has all this knowledge. BS! So when the screener called back after we said we would think about it, we gave him these reasons for choosing not to move forward. He insisted otherwise. He insisted I look him by his name at http://www.calbar.ca.gov , to be quite franc I was still skeptical about weather it was the same guy or not. So I looked him up. Prior to that I had read this article and I red the comment where Leslie the Homeowner gave his bar number. When I looked him up on line gues what his bar number is? That’s right Majid Safaie #185129.