( Phoenix, Arizona ) A troubled loan-modification company has met its end. For much of this year, KJZZ has followed the story of Choice Loan Consulting. The Gilbert-based firm once employed more than 100 people in the US. But after one of its partners was convicted of fraud, the business model fell into disarray.
Now it’s unclear what will happen to the 2,500 files the company had promised to modify.
JEFF FERM: It’s no possibility of success now. None.
Ferm resigned as the customer service manager in October. He is one of nine Choice employees who have come forward with a description of the inner workings of the company in the days leading to its collapse. Chief among their complaints: since late September, they worked for periods of several weeks without getting paid.
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I read and listened to the story on Choice Loan Consulting and I am puzzled to why the former business partners are not being mentioned and as responsible for these poor families that did not get modifications. I met with the business partners on numerous occassions telling them we needed help. The other business partners tried the get out of dodge…escape and they will be held responsible eventually. There were at least 3500 files in May and they were still there scrambling and not being truthful to their employees. I wish these honest church going individuals would have shown some ethics but they are no better than Jeff Harper, if they were they would have faced the music and not tried to have it all be Jeff Harper. As I recall Jeff Harper was removed from the business and Jeff Setlow was the CEO, along with Dave Lund and Karl Webster and Jordan Ruzicka it was not until July 31st of this year that they supposidly removed themselves from the Company. They were charging $3500 a file and then paying the agent right away (2-5 days) after a file was turned in. The commission was anything over the $2500 the agent would get. Then they were paying the Negotiators anywhere from $15-$20 an hour and Jeff Harper came up with paying the negotiators a $50 bonus for each loan modification. The negotiations Manager (Me) then got $25 for each loan modification in my department. I started at the end of December and by January I started to do the math and see we would be in trouble. It took anywhere from 6-9 months on most files to get a loan modification, occassionally 2-3 months. I let go in July, well Jeff Harper said I quit…must have known to much… I felt so bad for these homeowners that were not able to get modifcations and it was all from poor upper management and a bad business financial plan. We would have made a difference if we had the right leadership from the top. We were making a difference until they got greedy.
How do we now get a refund from this company as we were promised? I have pd them $2000 and I need this back.
If you find that answer let me know. We are in the same boat and my husband is very ill (possible brain tumor) and we have small children to raise.
To Choice Loan victims,
We have a mailing list of Choice victims to mobilize the law enforcement authorities to take action against these criminals and also start work on a class action law suit.
To join the group click the following link,
CLMFraud-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
There is strength in numbers . Let us all get together and put these bastards in the jail cells and get our hard earned monies back.
Thanks
Shahid Latif MD
If anyone find answers please let me know i am from Oregon and there is five people that that i know that were doing a Loan Modification with them including me. Jeff Harper contact me on August and September trying to get more money from me and my dad, who also was working with them i told Jeff i wasn’t gonna give them no more money on till i see results since it was 5 months that they never contact me at all, i do want to get together and file a law suit and get money back so anyone can contact me by email: leonormchavez@gmail.com there is 4 more people that i know that want to do something about it.
Clients, beware of Freedom Team Financial and Rob Robson. He is a multi level marketing schemer and a liar. He was never nor is the largest sales rep for Choice. Do not pay him or anyone from his company a dime. Your best bet is to file a class action suit against Choice and Jeff Harper to try to get a refund which you may or may not receive. You can call the bank yourself and check on your modification. There is no negotiations done with the bank. I used to work for Choice. All you need to do is give them the paperwork they require and update it until the bank decides to actually do the modification. You can call every week and check on the status which is all Choice’s negotiators ever did. The banks are in control and will do it when they get around to it. They are backed up and understaffed and lose things as well. This was part of the problem. I would assume that if M&I has money from Choice and they filed bankruptcy, then M&I would issue refunds or distribute the money between the clients who never got their modifications done. However, if you do want to modify your loan and it can take a year (thanks to the banks) just call the bank yourself and check on the file every week until they actually modify it.
Thanks for the tip Lisa. I found Rob Robson online and he is claiming he was the one who got burned by Choice and is doing everything he can to remedy the situation for his clients.
The facts are that these people knew the state laws and the crack downs on this type of illegal service since late 2008. In light of this knowledge, it appears that they still broke the law and acted in concert committing in what appears to be a foreclosure ponzi scheme. With that said, they have sealed their own fates online and off for law enforcement and ripped off consumers to publicly view their financial crimes.
These predators may want to read my blog more often because the States and the Feds are prosecuting these crooks daily now and they are giving out sentences like these dudes used to give out mortgages.
My name is Rob Robson and I am the owner of Freedom Team Financial. My company referred hundred of friends and family members to Choice Loan Consulting because I believed that they were the most qualified to help them. When I became aware of Choice’s financial problems in September of 2009, I and many of my sales agents began spending 60 to 80 hours a week trying to help Choice finish the job that they were paid to do. Now that Choice is out of business I have hired a team of processors and negotiators to try to help my clients finish their modifications. I am also trying to help any of the other Choice clients by offering coaching for free or taking on their file for $500. My goal is not to solicate money from people who have already lost so much. My only goal is to help in any way possible. Since I don’t have the financial recources to pay negotiators on my own, I have to charge something. I completly understand why someone who has just waisted thousands of dollars would feel angry and suspicious about anyone esle offering to “help”. I will be doing a free teleconfrence later this week to help home owners who are willing to make the calls themselves. Also, feel free to call me directly at 480-332-5154.
Moe, You and I have never met. I am sure that you have a fleet of investigators behind you though to find out that I am a liar and a thief. I am sure that you have a flawless history of character and integrity. I hope so. I just want to make sure that anyone who seeks “counsel” from you or anyone else about their finances would first check out the source. “By their fruits, ye shall know them.” If you or anyone else wants to know about my company or me personally, feel free to call. I am always willing to chat.
Lisa, I don’t remember meeting you either but if you have ever heard me lie, I would love to know about it so I ask forgiveness. If you are concerned about my business practices please call me. I understand you being frustrated with Choice but I am not aware of anything that I have done to harm you or anyone else. I am very sorry for what happened to all of the Choice customers. Please ask more questions before you accuse people of such awful things though. I only want to help.
Moe, just to echo Rob’s comments, I’m sure you have verified your sources. Do you know for a fact that Lisa Brown is a former employee of Choice Loan Consulting?
Appearantly you ran with this thread before ever contacting Rob Robson to get his side of the story. He has posted his cell phone number. Have you called him? Or is that too much work? Or does it detract from your true intentions behind this website?
Does simply posting comments on a blog make them fact?
I have known Rob Robson for a long time. He is honest. He has posted his real name on the blog with his contact information. The former manager didn’t do that nor has Lisa Brown.
If the former manager is the person that I’m thinking of she was fired for getting drunk on her lunch break and returning to work hammered.
I’m not an employee of Choice and I never have been. I have a bunch of friends and clients that I referred to them. Some of them got great results and some of them fell victim to Choice’s financial problems.
Both Rob and I are available for free coaching to any of Choice’s customers that didn’t get what they paid for. All we want to do is help.
Doug Carpenter
480-306-0745
Just to clarify, we cannot accept any money from Choice clients (or any clients) that reside or their property is within a state that doesn’t allow upfront fees such as California or Florida.
we were three months into this loan modification and paid $3000 and now they go out of business. I can’t believe it. I want my money back! People can’t just take your money and not help you out. I am totally up for a law suit against these criminals.
I am interested in the class action law suit. I got burned for 3k also. please contact me with details of this lawsuit. I hope it goes though. from now on no money up front not ever….
I to got burned, what do we need to do?
Rob- It has been mentioned that you have the Choice files…Can I have mine from you?
IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED I AM PURSUING THIS COMPANY AND THIER ASSOCIATES.[CHOICE LOAN CONSULTING] I CURRENTLY HAVE LEGAL COUNCIL THAT IS PROCEEDING PRO BONO.ANY HELP IN THE PROSECUTION WOULD BE HELPFULL AND APPRECIATED.IF YOU ARE SICK OF THIS KIND OF THING GOING ON TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC,PLEASE CONTACT ME. LETS SEND A MESSAGE TO THESE CROOKS(206)240-8406