Jim Richman, former HUD commisioner, currently runs a California based business called http://www.homeretentionprograms.com/ For a significant fee, he promises to negotiate a mortgage modification for homeowners facing foreclosure. We were steered to this company last October, after our business had fallen off by 50% and we were in danger of losing our home. We were told that we would, for $1500, receive prompt results and a far better outcome than could be had by negotiating directly with our lender.
As of today, March 31, 2009, we have had no evidence that any significant action has been taken on our behalf by this LA based firm. Repeated attempts to resolve this have met with stonewalling.
It would appear that Mr. Richman, a former Burbank city councilman, had pleaded guilty to bank fraud for falsifying information on a home loan application in 1998 (per the LA Times Story dated Feb. 24 of that year, http:articles.latimes.com/1998/feb/24/local/me-22566). The article also cites several other unsavory actions taken by Mr. Richman and resulting legal consequences. The byline of this article was Andrew Blankstein.
As a homeowner facing foreclosure, I am fearful that I have been defrauded by a criminal preying on the most vulnerable at a time when such actions should be vigorously pursued by law enforcement.
I am currently trying to confirm that the Jim Richman who was sentenced to 21 months in prison for defrauding Western Federal Savings and Loan in Tarzana, the Jim Richman who was ordered to pay a libel judgement of $5000 after arguing that a concert promoted in Burbank would "attract crowds of homosexuals and dopers", is the same Jim Richman who now runs the largest home modification firm in the country? If this is the case, many thousands of others are likewise being victimized here, being charged large sums by this man to do what they could do themselves - apply for a hardship modification directly to their lender.
I've contacted the LA Times (who have yet to show any interest in responding to me, and many reference librarians, who cannot come up with an answer. Can anyone here offer suggestions as to how I can confirm that The Jim Richman of "homeretentionprograms.com" and "Richman and Associates" is the convicted felon cited in the LA Times article?