Some find fault in unlicensed foreclosure inspectors - Dallas Morning News

[Brian Hannigan]

InspectionNews has just found the following information that might be of interest to you:


Some find fault in unlicensed foreclosure inspectors (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/1-0&fd=R&url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-inspectors_25met.ART0.Central.Edition1.11cdd.html&cid=1296899661&ei=1MV9SeKTNo32MaKcle8J&usg=AFQjCNFTH79s61Nos19gLLyA_Tdq5Xbn3w)
Dallas Morning News, TX - Jan 25, 2009
By JESSICA MEYERS / The Dallas Morning News Save for a little water damage and some cracked tiles, the five-bedroom Carrollton house appeared in reasonably ...


More... (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/1-0&fd=R&url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-inspectors_25met.ART0.Central.Edition1.11cdd.html&cid=1296899661&ei=1MV9SeKTNo32MaKcle8J&usg=AFQjCNFTH79s61Nos19gLLyA_Tdq5Xbn3w)

[Ted Menelly]

Call it anything you want. Foreclosure inspection??????

If it is part of a Real Estate transaction, which it is, then you have to be a licensed Home Inspector, period.

I do not know where they received the info but a home inspection is a home inspection.

They are inspecting the home that is being sold. It is part of a Real Estate transaction.

Even if it is not being sold at the moment it is a forclosure and it is going to be sold.

Dance around it all you want. It is part of a Real Estate transaction. There is no legal way to get around it.

[Jim Luttrall]

"Somebody who doesn't know what to look for could say there's no apparent damage," said Carter, who charged $225 for a 45-minute inspection of the house. "Then it becomes a safety issue."
45 minute inspection... and he is criticizing the other guys?
It seems there is plenty of crap to go around on this entire story.

The banks should be held accountable for not informing the buyer that their "inspector" is not working for the client but for the bank.

Seems like TREC should be jumping on this.

[Rick Hurst]

Amazing how they picked an inspector who was able to get into the story that he was an instructor at a HI training school and name the school also. How convenient was that?:rolleyes:

How many read that article and notified the school to find out how to be a HI?

rick

[Darren Miller]

'A fuse box needed proper testing.'

How do you test a fuse box?

[Kent Keith]

I was very confused when the reporter was asking me about "foreclosure inspections", said that I have never heard of them and had no idea what they entailed. I told her that when I perform an inspection on a foreclosure property, that it is no different than any other inspection, same price, same procedure, same report ect. It appears that there are companies like this are jumping on the foreclosure bandwagon to make a quick buck while the opportunity is there. It looks like they are selling people the opportunity to be inspectors for $89.00. With all the job losses out there, I feel sorry for anyone thinking this may be a way for them to make a living. The reporter could find no one in this area that is set up with company and is doing these inspections.
"Trainees get a 60-question open-book test, Vincent said. He recommends they go to "bookstores, the library, anywhere to try and find the answers. That's how we make sure people know something about the properties."......what a joke.
I can see them doing a walk through for the bank to let them know if there are missing, stoves and holes in the walls, ect. but they indicate that they charge $250.00 walkthroughs for the buyers, yes they are crossing the line and TREC should get involved although I personally don't believe that this is really taking place here. Although most of my inspections are on forclosed homes, they are still listed with a Realtor and to gain access, still have to set it up with CSS, get the combo or Supra code just to get in. Not to mention that these home are winterized and probably have no utilities on so these "inspectors" don't operate anything. Keep in mind that this article is the web version. In the paper version there are points I gave her on what people need to look for when hiring an inspector and there are samples of the official Texas report vs their pitiful checklist, so hopefully that helped to put things in perspective.
Here is a link to this company's website

Join us as a Subcontractor - Jay Vincent's Foreclosure Bank inspector program: Business opportunity to Complete property inspections with NBA Basketball star Jay Vincent (http://www.foreclosurebankinspector.com/)

(http://www.foreclosurebankinspector.com/)
and here is another that does the same thing

Links (http://www.inspectionstartingpoint.com/links.asp)

[Wayne Carlisle]

Sounds like some city inspectors. Not me though!:p

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL148/1822929/21448713/352754544.jpg

[Ron Bibler]

I got a call last week. from some company asking me to do an inspection of a property. they just wanted me to drive by a take a photo and fill out a one page report form... All for the grand prise of $ 10.00 yup $ 10.00
I can't start my truck for $10.00

It looks like the bank set a price of the inspection say $ 89.00 they the company calls around and finds some wack job to insp for $ 10.00


Best

Ron

[EmmanuelScanlan]

I was very confused when the reporter was asking me about "foreclosure inspections", said that I have never heard of them and had no idea what they entailed. I told her that when I perform an inspection on a foreclosure property, that it is no different than any other inspection, same price, same procedure, same report ect. It appears that there are companies like this are jumping on the foreclosure bandwagon to make a quick buck while the opportunity is there. It looks like they are selling people the opportunity to be inspectors for $89.00. With all the job losses out there, I feel sorry for anyone thinking this may be a way for them to make a living. The reporter could find no one in this area that is set up with company and is doing these inspections.
"Trainees get a 60-question open-book test, Vincent said. He recommends they go to "bookstores, the library, anywhere to try and find the answers. That's how we make sure people know something about the properties."......what a joke.
I can see them doing a walk through for the bank to let them know if there are missing, stoves and holes in the walls, ect. but they indicate that they charge $250.00 walkthroughs for the buyers, yes they are crossing the line and TREC should get involved although I personally don't believe that this is really taking place here. Although most of my inspections are on forclosed homes, they are still listed with a Realtor and to gain access, still have to set it up with CSS, get the combo or Supra code just to get in. Not to mention that these home are winterized and probably have no utilities on so these "inspectors" don't operate anything. Keep in mind that this article is the web version. In the paper version there are points I gave her on what people need to look for when hiring an inspector and there are samples of the official Texas report vs their pitiful checklist, so hopefully that helped to put things in perspective.
Here is a link to this company's website

Join us as a Subcontractor - Jay Vincent's Foreclosure Bank inspector program: Business opportunity to Complete property inspections with NBA Basketball star Jay Vincent (http://www.foreclosurebankinspector.com/)

(http://www.foreclosurebankinspector.com/)
and here is another that does the same thing

Links (http://www.inspectionstartingpoint.com/links.asp)


The major issue with this story is Foreclosure Bank Inspection Co. received almost 25% of the article space and the reporter did little to nothing explaining the fallacy of this type of operation. In essence they received significant free press, and in a good light, which will spur desperate people onto calling and contacting them.

[Jim Luttrall]

I forwarded the article to TREC along with the website of the company.
I also did a little research and found this:

Sec. 1102.002. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. (a) This chapter does not apply to a person who repairs, maintains, or inspects improvements to real property, including an electrician, plumber, carpenter, or person in the business of structural pest control in compliance with Chapter 1951, if the person does not represent to the public through personal solicitation or public advertising that the person is in the business of inspecting those improvements.
So I guess that is what the company is hanging their hat on, not advertising to the public that they do the inspections, just letting the bank know that they can do the job.
I guess it will take some enforcement action by TREC to put a stop to this, IF it truly exists here. I also had never heard of the practice until the article was posted here.
Truly a bottom feeder practice taking easy money from unsuspecting buyers.

[Jerry Peck]

I forwarded the article to TREC along with the website of the company.
I also did a little research and found this:
Quote:

Sec. 1102.002. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. (a) This chapter does not apply to a person who repairs, maintains, or inspects improvements to real property, including an electrician, plumber, carpenter, or person in the business of structural pest control in compliance with Chapter 1951, if the person does not represent to the public through personal solicitation or public advertising that the person is in the business of inspecting those improvements.

So I guess that is what the company is hanging their hat on, not advertising to the public that they do the inspections, just letting the bank know that they can do the job.
I guess it will take some enforcement action by TREC to put a stop to this, IF it truly exists here. I also had never heard of the practice until the article was posted here.
Truly a bottom feeder practice taking easy money from unsuspecting buyers.

"if the person does not represent to the public through personal solicitation or public advertising that the person is in the business of inspecting those improvements"

"So I guess that is what the company is hanging their hat on, not advertising to the public that they do the inspections"

Do they have a website?
-> Yes.

Does their website advertise that they are inspecting those improvements?
-> Who has looked at their website? Yes or no?

Websites are "advertising to the public", unless the website is password protected and the public is not allowed to view the website.

[Ted Menelly]

The supposedly have 6,000 contract inspectors and plan on adding another 10,000. Let me see. 16,000 inspectors. Hmmmmm

89 dollars appiece for the background check.

That is 1,400,000

They would never have to have any inspectors do an inspection.

It is a flim flam bull company for mass production. If anything it can only hurt the inspection industry.

Broad enough advertising once they are in an area and everyone hears about them will definately kill the inspection industry. Just think. With all that exposure they can start advertising for full home inspections and then all inspectors will be working for them because no one else will get the inspections.

""if the person does not represent to the public through personal solicitation or public advertising that the person is in the business of inspecting those improvements"

Right on there website they are advertising for investors to order their inspections.

[Nolan Kienitz]

... and "hard copy" reports only when 'requested'.

Doesn't leave a trail that way.

[Richard Stanley]

Wasn't this Jay Vincent involved in some other skuldugery in the past??

[RANDY NICHOLAS]

Richard, Yes Jay Vincent played Pro Basketball for the Dallas Mavericks.
he was overpaid, wasn't "that good". In a way, he stole money from Don Carter. The owner of the Mavs at the time

[Richard Stanley]

Google Jay Vincent
Partner with Gromiko!!!!

[A.D. Miller]

Google Jay Vincent
Partner with Gromiko!!!!

Richard: But, of course.;)

[A.D. Miller]

https://www.nachi.org/forum/f13/received-warning-inspectors-posted-permission-15071/#post181993

[Jim Luttrall]

This might be of interest:
Ex-NBA, MSU star Jay Vincent charged in jobs scam.

The Associated Press: Ex-NBA, MSU star Jay Vincent charged in jobs scam (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hBo_NV31_5MKYph9qmrcAN7RtVbAD9HMQF000)

[H.G. Watson, Sr.]

Thanks for the update. Seems Ted called that one exactly right on!

[David Bell]

Jay will now be taking shots from a very foul line(of cellmates).

[Ted Menelly]

Thanks for the update. Seems Ted called that one exactly right on!

"The company also did not hire contractors to perform inspections. What it did do was charge $149 to provide liability insurance for each job applicant and $89 for background checks, according to the indictment."

"False insurance policies were prepared in the company's offices and no background checks were made, the indictment said. Tests, completed and returned by applicants, were stored in boxes without reviews."


I guess I could not have been more right on.



I guess I have listened to too many scammers in my life. There is always going to be someone out there ready to slide the money from your pocket to theirs. Hype fluff and bull....they seem to be everywhere now don't they :rolleyes: Shoot...I lose a lot of work to some.


I have always been able to smell a rat.

[Mitchell Toelle]

BTW...seems as though the bank foreclosure web site has been taken down, so there is no way to verify that Ben's banner was still associated with this scam. I wonder......

[H.G. Watson, Sr.]

Federal authorities executed a raid last year of the "Foreclosure Bank Inspection Co.'s East Lansing offices" and seized a number of items and property. {according to Vincent's attorney and friend (Ford) from a story posted today on the Lansing State Journal site, link below}.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has been contacting suspected "victims", any one who believes they might have been a victim of this scam and has not been contacted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, has been asked to call (866) 311-0971 according to a side bar from the Lansing State Journal article with today's date (link below).

foreclosurebankinspector.com, and Nationwide Property Inspection (not Nation or National) site, with NC address, florida corporations (two same three word name with two differeing endings, one filed 2005 florida, one filed 2007, both were administratively dissolved the year following filing for failure to file reports, both filed by same individual. (see department of state, florida, corporations).

The true bill indictment (which has repeative recitals for each calendar year...skip through then get to the meat for each year detailed, note last year the Postal Inspectors were "applying") and the final income tax evasion count is attached (hopefully this will work, its a PDF file) below (its about 1.15MB). Otherwise you can download it from the Lansing State Journal with this direct link (clickable) here: http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/assets/pdf/A3162714819.PDF

or from the right margin of their story page here (clickable link) dated August 20, 2010 (this is a link to the 2-page Lansing State Journal news story posted on their (LSJ's) site today: Jay Vincent, ex-MSU star, indicted in jobs scam | lansingstatejournal.com | Lansing State Journal (http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20100820/NEWS01/8200322/Jay-Vincent-ex-MSU-star-indicted-in-jobs-scam)

It will be interesting to see how this all works out. Strangely it took federal investigations and actions, curious why the AG of Michigan, North Carolina, and Florida apparently failed to act, if so many (according to many posts on the internet complaining about the "scam") complaints were filed with those agencies?

[H.G. Watson, Sr.]

Here is a link to the US Attorney's office regarding the guilty pleadings and admissions, already given by three former employees of the Vincent-owned Foreclosure Bank Inspection Company (FBIC) "Scam":

The United States Attorney's Office - Western District of Michigan (http://www.justice.gov/usao/miw/press/KSmith_Others05242010.html)

United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Michigan

Press Release

Contact:
MICHAEL A. MACDONALD
ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY
PHONE: (616) 456-2404

THREE PLEAD GUILTY IN LANSING INTERNET FRAUD SCAM

MONDAY, MAY 24, 2010 - GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - U.S. Attorney Donald A. Davis announced that Kristen L. Smith, age 33, of Okemos, Michigan, Rebecca J. Blaha, age 31, of East Lansing, Michigan, and Sarah A. Kinney, age 27, of Holt, Michigan, pled guilty to misprision of mail fraud, which offense carries a maximum penalty of not more than three years imprisonment, one year of supervised release, a fine of not more than $250,000, and a special assessment of $100.


As part of the guilty pleas, the three defendants admitted that they were employees of a business known as Foreclosure Bank Inspection Company (FBIC), which has operated out of the Lansing, Michigan area since approximately 2007. FBIC advertises in newspapers and on the internet that applicants may take a test and apply for a job as an “inspector” of foreclosed homes. All three defendants admitted that FBIC is a mail fraud scam which cheats applicants out of prepaid fees. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has estimated that FBIC has taken in over $2,000,000 in fraudulently paid fees from over 25,000 victims. The criminal investigation is ongoing.

Sentencing dates have not yet been announced.

U.S. Attorney Davis expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work in investigating this matter.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. MacDonald is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

-END-

Here is a link to yesterday's Press Release from the US Attorney's Western District of Michigan Office:

The United States Attorney's Office - Western District of Michigan (http://www.justice.gov/usao/miw/press/JVincent_APortee08192010.html)

United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Michigan

Press Release

Contact:
KAYE HOOKER
PRESS OFFICER
PHONE: (616) 456-2404

TWO LANSING MEN INDICTED FOR INTERNET EMPLOYMENT SCAM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2010 - GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Jay Fletcher Vincent, 51, and Anthony Leroy Portee, 53, both of Lansing, were indicted (http://www.justice.gov/usao/miw/press/Vincent_PorteeIndictment08192010.pdf) by a federal grand jury for running an employment scam through their business known as Foreclosure Bank Inspection Company (FBIC), U.S. Attorney Donald A. Davis announced today. The Indictment follows an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service.


According to the Indictment (http://www.justice.gov/usao/miw/press/Vincent_PorteeIndictment08192010.pdf), FBIC promised employment opportunities with guaranteed levels of income. The Indictment alleges FBIC encouraged applicants to pay advanced fees for criminal background checks and to obtain liability insurance coverage, yet FBIC did not hire full time contract inspectors, did not have contracts with major banks and was not receiving payments from major banks, as claimed in FBIC advertising. FBIC maintained several offices in the Lansing area and placed advertising in newspapers around the country, as well as on the Internet. The Indictment (http://www.justice.gov/usao/miw/press/Vincent_PorteeIndictment08192010.pdf) further alleges that approximately 20,000 persons were victimized by the FBIC scam, resulting in payments to FBIC in excess of $2,000,000.

Vincent and Portee each face up to 20 years in prison on each of four counts of mail fraud alleged in the Indictment. In addition, Vincent faces up to three years in prison along with costs of prosecution and tax penalties for the filing of a false tax return.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is in the process of contacting victims identified through this investigation. If a person believes he or she may be a victim but has not yet been contacted by phone or letter, the person should call 1-866-311-0971.

The charges in the Indictment (http://www.justice.gov/usao/miw/press/Vincent_PorteeIndictment08192010.pdf) are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Assistant U.S Attorney Michael A. MacDonald is prosecuting the case.

-END-

[Michael Thomas]

Former Michigan State basketball star Jay Vincent pleaded guilty Tuesday to two crimes linked to a $2 million Internet scam, a stunning fall for a homegrown sports hero who also played in the NBA.

Vincent, 51, pleaded guilty to a fraud charge and a tax charge in federal court in Grand Rapids, just six weeks after he was indicted...

No inspectors were hired, and the business had no contracts with banks, according to the government..."

Sports | Jay Vincent pleads guilty in Internet scam | Seattle Times Newspaper (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2013019246_apbkojayvincentfraud.html)

[Erby Crofutt]

Jay Vincent gets 5½-year prison term

Prosecutors say Vincent and an associate defrauded 20,000 people out of more than $1 million by charging them to become inspectors through a business called Foreclosure Bank Inspection. No inspectors were hired, and the business had no contracts with banks, according to the government.

...

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael MacDonald said anyone who was a victim of Vincent's scheme should contact the U.S. attorney's office within two months by calling (616) 808-2034 and asking for victim witness coordinator Kathy Schuette.

Read Full Article (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/6923150/jay-vincent-going-prison-fraud-conviction)