SAN DIEGO – Mark Ramirez said he hired the Georggin Law Firm to help repair his credit after he sold his home through a short sale.
“It was my first home. So you know I did work hard for that and unfortunately I lost it and I trusted these individuals to help me out with my credit,” said Ramirez.
Rameriz said he was referred to the Georggin Law Firm by his real estate agent who attended a session run by the firm’s vice president Eric Phillips.
He said the sales pitch Phillips gave him over the phone sold him on the firm.
“Yeah, and that they would represent you if they did have to go to court,” said Ramirez.
Former employee Lindsey Esser explained the program to Team 10. Esser said she worked for the firm for one month and then quit.
“Clients would sell their home through a short sale and the banks would report the missed payments on their credit report. The clients would then take the banks to small claims court for erroneously or inaccurately reporting their short sale leaving the client with open liabilities on their credit report. If the banks were found negligent-they would have to delete the entire account,” said Esser.
Ramirez said he paid the firm nearly $3,000 in October of 2011.
“And part of the deal was if you go to court and you lose in court it’s a 100 percent back guarantee. There’s no questions asked,” said Ramirez.
Phillips is on YouTube videos talking about the guarantee.
“Unheard of for a law firm … you will see our refund policy. If I don’t get the judgment for your client, I hand them a 100 percent refund on the spot. On right there, on the guarantee is my bar number,” he said.
Read the full story here (or watch video):
“Rameriz said he was referred to the Georggin Law Firm by his real estate agent who attended a session” – the stupid, it hurts. And, one would think “10news” could afford a better spell checker.
There are 2 things that the law firm salesman said that are wrong about CA small claims court:
1. He would represent them in court. Attorneys are not allowed in small claim court.
2. If they won, the court would order accounts deleted (whatever that means). Small claims courts can only award monetary damages. They can’t issue orders to a bank or credit agencies.
Hearing a (supposed) attorney make those claims raised my BS meter. I’m a little surprised a real estate agent wasn’t familiar enough with small claims court to think there was something wrong with this law firm.