ShortRefiNow.com Is a Scam, Better Business Bureau Warns
At a time when thousands of homeowners are facing foreclosure and are desperately trying to hang onto their homes, bogus loan modification companies are continually popping up to scam homeowners, taking their money without actually doing any work to modify home loans, reports KCRA Sacramento (“Loan Modification Company Is a Scam,” March 31, 2009).
Most recently, the Better Business Bureau of Northern California has issued warnings to homeowners about the Roseville-based company ShortRefiNow.com, an unlicensed loan modification organization that has reportedly stolen thousands of dollars from struggling homeowners.
Kris Pinkney, one of ShortRefiNow.com’s clients, gave the company $3,000 upfront to modify her mortgage. When she contacted her lender later to see how the modification was going, her mortgage holder told her that ShortRefiNow.com called and asked a single question: “How do you do a refinance?”
When Pinkney attempted to follow up with ShortRefiNow.com about her mortgage modification, she got the runaround. “They said, ‘I’m not sure who’s taking care of it. The person taking care of it had emergency surgery,’ ” Pinkney said. “I knew — you know when someone’s lying.” Eventually, Pinkney did get a portion of her $3,000 payment back from ShortRefiNow.com.
Other homeowners weren’t as fortunate. According to the BBB, 14 other individuals who filed complaints against the company and paid between $2,600 and $5,300 upfront to have their mortgages modified never received the promised services or any payment refunds.
In February, the California Department of Real Estate issued a Desist and Refrain Order against ShortRefiNow.com, demanding that the company stop performing any and all acts requiring a real estate license until the company obtains that license, KCRA reports.
Although ShortRefiNow.com assured KCRA that in response to the order they were looking for attorneys to address their client’s claims, it now appears that ShortRefiNow.com has vacated its office.
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June 2nd, 2009 at 4:28 pm
I am a victim of ShortRefiNow.com which took advantage of people’s economy situation and committed froud. I just won a case against them, but what I earned was a peice of paper saying I was awarded the judgment in my favor. $3500 and 11 months of frustration, and all I got was a peice of paper. I am very sorry that our legal system is so easy to take advantage us. I am sorry that our court system is so much on criminal’s sides. instead of protecting the victims, they make it so hard on victims to persue the complaints, that so many of us just give up and not finish the complaints. I did not give up, but all I got was a judgement on the paper that I am not sure I can do anything with.
August 19th, 2009 at 8:38 am
I am wondering as to how you went about doing your case.. Did you sue the company, the owner, who? We are in the process of this and are going directly at the owner. The company has now been shutdown although they restarted a new one, supposedly with a lawyer and was in the same building until recently.
January 13th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Hi masoomeh,
We also have been awarded a judgement against shortrefinow.com, more specifically, Brandon Hintz. We are in the process of trying to collect and are jumping through all the hoops that are required, a major pain in the bootie.
If you email me, we can keep in touch about the process and outcome… Maybe we can get others also that have had similar situations that may have sued or could still sue.. We need to get our money back and so should everyone else who was scammed by this company… and other companies that are operating still that were connected with this one, which is another way we are trying to get our money back..
anyways, you can contact me at: tdr {at} jscoco {dot} com
March 26th, 2010 at 11:25 am
We paid shortrefi.com $3600, up front. They talked to Countrywide, our home loan company. Countrywide said congradulations you have reduced your loan by $136.00 per month. Bank of America bought out Countrywide and now Bank of America says we lost your loan mod papers and many, many other poor excuses. We were told to pay the reduced monthly amount. Now about 6 months later they are trying to forclose on us. We had to cough up $4515 to stop all that. So over time we lost $3600 plus 4515 or a total of $8115. But at least now we still have our home and still make the unmodified original amount. I have talked to lawyers that are afraid to take on Bank of America. I am afraid of B of A. I believe they will steal your house any way they can.