May 3rd 2013 4:41PM
Thanks to existence of adverse possession laws in some states -- which in rare cases allows a person to claim title to an abandoned property after occupying it for an extended time -- Cherie Fields, 25, and her husband Owen Fields, 27, apparently thought they could live at a vacant home in Lakeland, Fla., for free. On... Continue Reading »
Aug 17th 2012 11:00AM
By Tim Reid In the age of Facebook and Twitter, a new crime has hit America: "Sharpie parties," gatherings of party revelers armed with "Sharpie" magic markers and lured by social media invitations to wreak havoc on foreclosed homes. Five years into the U.S. foreclosure crisis, Sharpie parties are a new form of blight... Continue Reading »
Jul 17th 2012 2:30PM
By Jonathan Stempel The city of Los Angeles has sued U.S. Bank, accusing a unit of the fifth-largest U.S. commercial bank of becoming one of its biggest slumlords and blighting the city by allowing hundreds of foreclosed homes to fall into disrepair. Monday's civil lawsuit by the office of Los Angeles City Attorney... Continue Reading »
Apr 12th 2012 5:00PM
After the housing meltdown, banks have repeatedly come under fire for allegedly using discriminatory lending practices against minorities. A study from the Center for Responsible Lending found that blacks and Hispanics with credit scores above 660 received subprime mortgages three times as often as whites with the same... Continue Reading »
Sep 27th 2011 11:53AM
Hell hath no fury like a homeowner scorned. The FBI, a bomb squad, and first responders donning hazmat suits converged on a foreclosed home in South Seattle on Monday, according to KOMO News. The reason? Police believe the former owner booby-trapped the home in anticipation of his eviction. As it turns out, though, the... Continue Reading »
