Foreclosure abuse rampant across U.S., experts say

A foreclosed home is shown in Stockton, California
May 13, 2008. Home foreclosure filings in the U.S.
jumped 23 percent in the first quarter from the prior
quarter, and more than doubled from a year earlier.

By Tim Reid

LOS ANGELES | Fri Feb 17, 2012 12:34pm EST


(Reuters) - A report this week showing rampant foreclosure abuse in San Francisco reflects similar levels of lender fraud and faulty documentation across the United States, say experts and officials who have done studies in other parts of the country.

The audit of almost 400 foreclosures in San Francisco found that 84 percent of them appeared to be illegal, according to the study released by the California city on Wednesday.
"The audit in San Francisco is the most detailed and comprehensive that has been done - but it's likely those numbers are comparable nationally," Diane Thompson, an attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, told Reuters.

Across the country from California, Jeff Thingpen, register of deeds in Guildford County, North Carolina, examined 6,100 mortgage documents last year, from loan notes to foreclosure paperwork.
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