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Govt's Loan Mod Program Crippled by Lax Oversight and Deference to Banks
The Obama administration's $75 billion foreclosure prevention program has been weakened, perhaps fatally, by a posture of cooperation—rather than enforcement—with the nation's biggest banks.
With millions of homeowners still struggling to stay in their homes, the Obama administration's $75 billion foreclosure prevention program has been weakened, perhaps fatally, by lax oversight and a posture of cooperation—rather than enforcement—with the nation's biggest banks. Those banks, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, and Citibank, service the majority of mortgages.
Despite a dismal showing for the program, rising complaints from homeowners, and repeated threats from officials, the government has levied no penalties against even the most error-prone banks and mortgage servicers. In fact, despite issuing public warnings for more than a year about imposing penalties, the Treasury Department told ProPublica this week they don't even have the power to punish servicers for wrongfully denying help to homeowners. Instead of toughening the program, Treasury has actually loosened it in the face of industry lobbying.
Over the past year, ProPublica has been exploring why the government's program has helped so few homeowners. Over the coming weeks, we will be detailing how the administration quietly retreated from a plan to get tough on banks, why the mortgage servicing industry lacks incentives to invest in helping homeowners, how the industry succeeded in thwarting oversight, and what reforms could lead to more help for homeowners.
The stories are based on newly disclosed data, lobbying disclosures, dozens of interviews with insiders, members of Congress, and others. Today's story looks at the timidity of Treasury's oversight, a conclusion echoed in a government report Wednesday.
"At some point, Treasury needs to ask itself what value there is in a program under which not only participation, but also compliance with the rules, is voluntary," says the new report, from the special inspector general for the TARP. "Treasury needs to recognize the failings of [the program] and be willing to risk offending servicers. And if getting tough means risking servicer flight, so be it; the results could hardly be much worse."
The administration launched the program nearly two years ago, in early 2009, promising it would help three million to four million troubled American borrowers rework the terms of their mortgages. Amid widespread reports that servicers have been wrongly rejecting homeowners, losing paperwork, and otherwise breaking the program's rules, it appears the program will fall far short. The Congressional Oversight Panel now estimates fewer than 800,000 homeowners will ultimately get lasting mortgage modifications.
An early problem for the program was that banks and other mortgage servicing companies were quickly letting homeowners into the program on a trial basis, but failing to make decisions regarding hundreds of thousands of homeowners while multiple government deadlines passed.
To push banks to solve the problem, senior Treasury official Michael Barr, who has since left the department, warned in a November 2009 conference call with journalists that if the banks didn't clear their backlogs, the firms would "suffer consequences." Treasury issued a press release the same day saying banks could face "monetary penalties and sanctions."
It turns out Treasury had already taken most penalties off the table.
The program rests on contracts that Treasury drafted and banks signed onto. To participate in the program and receive potentially billions in government incentives, banks and mortgage servicers agreed to offer homeowners modifications under guidelines subsequently drawn up by the government. In exchange, they would receive $1,000 for a completed modification and up to $4,000 if the loan continued to perform.
The contracts say Treasury can withhold or claw back incentive payments to servicers when they violate the contract. Members of Congress and homeowner advocates have long pushed Treasury to issue such penalties. There have also been calls within Treasury itself.
Around the same time that Barr and other officials were making public threats, Treasury staffers were looking at reports showing that some banks were modifying virtually no loans. Frustrated, they called at an internal meeting for withholding payments to the worst offenders or imposing fines, according to a person familiar with those discussions. But the staffers were walked back by Treasury lawyers, who said the government was only party to a commercial contract with servicers and not acting as their regulator.
Despite Treasury officials appearing before Congress and elsewhere warning of potential penalties, the department told ProPublica after months of questioning that its hands are tied. Treasury now says it has a very narrow authority to withhold incentives under the contracts. Only in cases where the servicer incorrectly granted a modification and claimed a payment can Treasury withhold or claw back a payment as a punishment.
That interpretation of the contracts means that if a homeowner was wrongfully denied help through the program, there is no possible financial penalty.
"There is no provision in the contract that permits Treasury to assess punitive fines or penalties for a servicer's failure to modify a loan, for an improper modification of a loan, or for failure to adhere to any other program requirements," said a Treasury spokeswoman.
Experts say Treasury is handcuffing itself. Alan White, a law professor at Valparaiso University, called Treasury's interpretation of its own contracts "extremely crabbed." Treasury does have the power to punish servicers for broad violations by withholding incentive payments, he said, and it could also sue servicers for not fulfilling the contract.
Additionally, Treasury has the power to change the contracts, said Julia Gordon from the Center for Responsible Lending. (The Sandler Foundation is a major funder of both the Center and ProPublica, which operate independently of each other.)
The reason Treasury hasn't changed them, Gordon said, is that Treasury is afraid servicers would drop out of the voluntary program, known as the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), in the face of real penalties.
"If servicers don't get paid for future modification activity, there is a risk that they will be less inclined to continue completing HAMP modifications or to follow HAMP guidelines to evaluate homeowners for all loss mitigation options before referring them to foreclosure," said a Treasury spokeswoman.
Instead of getting tough with servicers, Treasury says they work with banks to make sure problems are fixed.
When government audits of banks' modification practices revealed they were frequently breaking the rules, Treasury officials worked through a process they call "remediation."
One audit, conducted on Treasury's behalf by the government-supported mortgage company Freddie Mac, found that 200,000 struggling homeowners had not been told they were eligible for the program, as servicers are required to do. Auditors also found 15 of the largest 20 participating servicers were incorrectly using the Treasury formula that determines if homeowners qualify for the program.
Rather than imposing penalties, Treasury simply asked the servicers to contact the homeowners that had been missed and rerun the numbers for those who had been wrongfully denied because of the formula error.
"The servicer says, 'you've caught me this time,' but it doesn't improve widespread non-compliance because there's no real penalty," said Alys Cohen of the National Consumer Law Center.
Dawn Patterson, Treasury's chief of compliance for the program, explained that the idea was to allow servicers time to get "their programs built, their processes more shored up." Patterson says Treasury is continuing to use that approach.
Treasury's own records call into question the impact of those efforts. Documents obtained by ProPublica via a Freedom of Information Act request show homeowner complaints to a Treasury-sponsored hotline have actually increased during the past year. The most common complaint is that the servicer has violated the program's guidelines.
Servicers have also at times been uncooperative with the government's own auditors. Even getting the right documents from servicers has "been a cumbersome process," the head of the government's audit team, Paul Heran, said last year at an industry conference. It seemed, he added, the task was often relegated to low-level staff who didn't understand the requests. Another manager in the unit, Vic O'Laughlen, said servicers tended to respond with "at best fifty percent of what we're expecting to see."
A Treasury spokeswoman said that "servicer operations, especially in larger organizations, are complex," and producing the documents can be difficult.
The government's oversight has also been hampered by a lack of transparency by Treasury itself. The department has kept its audits of servicers secret. It also does not have a written policy for how it would address rule violations by banks, an omission criticized in a Government Accountability Office report last year and not yet addressed. Treasury says it does have a process for dealing with banks' noncompliance, just not a written one.
The lack of oversight has been particularly damaging, since mortgage servicers have little incentive to do modifications on their own.
Servicers handle homeowner payments for investors who own the loans. Since servicers don't own the vast majority of the loans they service, they don't take the loss if a home goes to foreclosure, making them reluctant to make the investments necessary to fulfill their obligations to help homeowners.
"By every metric, the failure of the largest servicers to carry out the program is obvious," said Prof. White. The noncompliance has gone unpunished, he said, because "Treasury staff are preoccupied with friendly relations with the banks. Sometimes it seems the banks own Treasury."
Meanwhile, the industry has continued to lobby for changes in the program.
Last summer, Treasury significantly weakened a tool that would have helped keep servicers accountable after officials met with industry lobbyists, documents show.
When banks entered the program, they agreed to certify annually that they've followed the rules of the program. But lobbyists from the Financial Services Roundtable and the Mortgage Bankers Association suggested adding exemptions.
Instead of certifying that banks had followed all the rules, the industry proposed that they could ignore problems affecting less than five percent of homeowners eligible for the program. In the case of Bank of America, which handles more mortgages than any other bank, that meant the bank would not have to report an error that occurred nearly 20,000 times.
The industry also suggested that no matter how widespread a problem, servicers could assert they were complying with the law as long as they pledged to fix problems "to the extent practicable." The previously unreported proposal was disclosed through an administration policy of releasing lobbying contacts related to the TARP.
Later that month, the Treasury revised its certification requirements, making them similar to those the industry sought. Under the new rules, servicers can define for themselves what violations were significant enough to disclose.
The new policy is "not only like putting the fox in charge of the hen house," said Cohen of the National Consumer Law Center, "but asking the fox to fine itself for each chicken eaten."
A Treasury Department spokeswoman said the industry's lobbying did not affect the final guidance, because Treasury was already going to make several of the servicers' suggested changes. It was never the department's intention that "a servicer submit a list of every individual instance of non-compliance." If servicers give themselves inappropriate leeway, she said, Treasury would work with them to address the problem.
Unless servicers fear real penalties, the troubled program is unlikely to improve, said Richard Neiman, New York state's chief bank regulator. "There needs to be a greater effort on enforcement, on assigning sanction and fines where there has been noncompliance. We cannot rely solely on servicers to police themselves."
Update Feb. 17, 2011: Federal regulators are now considering levying fines against banks for their poor handling of foreclosures and mortgage modifications. ProPublica has been reporting for nearly two years on servicers' failures and the labyrinth homeowners have been forced to navigate. Last month, in the story below, we detailed how the Treasury Department's program for encouraging servicers to offer modifications is marred by lax oversight and deference to banks. Read more about today's developments.
175 comments
RELY on SERVICERS?? Are they kidding?? Chase is by far, the WORST, and I say this because I've been battling with them for over 2 years. NOW, they're telling me, "since the gov. is the investor for your FHA loan, we DO NOT review for a HAMP/FHA-HAMP unless you don't get approved for the REGULAR FHA modification, which, of course is OUR very own Chase CHAMP."
So, let me get this straight - FHA REGULAR mod. IS the Chase CHAMP, which is laden with erroneous (to coin Chase Relationship Mgr. Carol Masters' favorite term) fees, interest, "anticipated foreclosure fees," etc. Now, you have to remember, this story changes every time I speak with someone from the sacred Exec.Offices somewhere in Chase-ville.
Unreal. Letting servicers police themselves is like telling my 4th graders to follow our every day routine if I'm absent. It's like telling kids to make sure they let me know if they cheat on a test. COME ON !!!!! Really??????
Just to add to my earlier post, the Treasury is afraid of what the servicers will do if they impose strict & REAL consequences??? THIS is the reason WHY the banks know they can get away with what they're pulling. Behavioral Psych 101. WHO is in control???? The parent or the child??? Who NEEDS to be in control - no brainer.
Real numbers of complaints to the Hotline are probably even higher. I called to complain but they basically refused to take my complaint and steered me into yet another financial counselor call.
ProPublica, I love you for telling the truth about this.
Delighted to see more groundbreaking investigative journalism from ProPublica. Remarkable, astute, concise and sophisticated work here.
If this f.c. crisis was not leading to a new American diaspora, larger than that of the (first) Depression, it would be bitterly funny.
But I am not laughing. I am wondering why none of this was not mentioned by the President, who likes to refer to our "recovering" economy.
Atrocious malfeasance by well-paid Feds, whose salaries, benefits and pensions are drawn on hard-working taxpayer contributions.
Livid to realize that these turkeys work for me. Their cow-towing to banks, esp. the astounding behavior of Phyllis Caldwell, is a true affront to taxpayers.
After 14 months We have finally received a trial payment schedule. starting 3-1-11 our mortgage will be $208 lower. is it low enough? wait and see.
I never gave up and pressed BoA hard! they offered a forbearance ( no payments for 3 months ), but thats not what I asked for, nor was it the program I applied to. So, i just set that paper work aside because no one at BoA would return my phone calls about it.
If in the end they try to foreclose on me I plan on filing for bankruptcy and claiming lack of support from the government program, and the banks unwillingness to perform to the program.
Please do not lose hope. i recieved a permanant loan mod from Wells Fargo over 4 monthes ago. It does happen, do not give up! They reduced me from 6.5% to 2.75%. This saves me $560.22 every month. Stay in your program, keep sending in your same documentation over and over. Send it every 30 days, even if they don't ask for it. Get their fax number and fax them updates of your bank account statment every month. This shows reliability. Often, the people you talk to on the phone are low level personel who are trained to get people frustrated, so they will give up. Ask to talk to your final processor about every 3 months or so. If you have not been assigned one yet, ask to have your application reviewed by the dept. that assigns clearance for forwarding to a proccessor. Above all, do not lose your temper with anyone you speak to, this is sure to get an error introduced to your app that will delay it at best, and kill it at the worst. Good luck all, Mike Survell
How much longer can the banks get away with this? I have seen people go to prison for stealing a pack of cigarettes yet the bank can steal people's homes and it is okay?? When will the Government step in and place a freeze on these foreclosures and make them fix this S***! Also for the other people that actually did lose their homes how can there not be repercussions. The Government and the banks are the only people in the USA that never get punished!! Oh and Homeowners Associations. Doesn't anyone see how large this is!!!! I live in Chicago and went to start meditations because that is the 1st step and honestly it was standing room only for six hrs. Grown men were reduced to tears. There were people with homes ranging from 700,000.00 to 50,000.00. All I heard was they just wanted a chance to make things right and why we were all being made to go through the process over and over!!! I asked the housing counselor how often they see this injustice and she replied every hour of every day. I asked about paperwork and she replied I am sure it is in a pile beside someone's desk waiting for the shredder. In Chicago the people involved in the housing crisis are volunteers. The mediation lawyers are overwhelmed and quitting daily. Some quitting just for the fact that they can not look at themselves in the mirror because they can't fight the foreclosure lawyers who also do not know what they are doing because they too are overwhelmed. When Bank of America got wind that I opted for mediation because they denied my one and only modification for incomplete financial paperwork I received a letter stating they really want to work with me please feel free to call. They have been trying to contact me but were unable to!!! So they type up a 3 page letter stating they will do everything possible to help me. We'll maybe because I am trying to work during the hrs they call and they never leave a message?? Some days I just don't want to get out of bed!!! But I have to I have child to take care of!!
Be Blessed everyone and lets keep fighting!!!
Servicers lie with impunity.
Servicers deny loan modification applications with impunity.
Servicers manipulate homeowners into paying partial payments through temporary modifications while they continue the parallel process of foreclosure.
Servicers lie with impunity.
I believe it is a myth that the servicers were granting modifications at first without proof of income. Show me this data. I have never seen it.
Servicers lie with impunity.
Timothy Geithner has said that MHA was created to spread out the foreclosures for the benefit of the banks. Main Street is on its own, with a few exceptions like ProPublica. Thank you.
I have also battled with citibank for 2 years and they have done all sorts of manipulating with my account including not responding to inquiries and not posting payments on my account since may 2010. They then torpedoed a forebearance plan my way that was not credited properly and now a trial payment plan. What makes it worse is because of the mess up in accounting and numerous credit inquiries by citibank I'm finding it almost impossible to refinance with anyone else.
For almost 2 years, I have been trying to get into the HAMP program, I have now completed 3 trial payments. On January 5, I was told that the "FED EX" package would be sent out within 7-14 business days for me to review and sign.
CHASE LIES (big surprise.) I call them almost everyday, and I speak with the same representative as I have her direct extension. She claims that my file is still in "Review" review of what? NOTHING they are just stalling.
CHASE Bank is nothing more than a group of lying scumbags that spend millions on lobbyists so that they can continue there bulls**t.
Our government needs to grow a set, and get tough with the banks. Why did they agree to give the banks all this money? Henry Paulson should be shot.
@ Michael Survell - many of us have been offered the 2% interest rate. The issue is that this leaves the nut intact, a monster to wrestle with another time. My home will never regain the mtg. amount (let alone the down payment that is lost.)
The 2% deals just kick the can down the road. Many people would be better off considering a f.c.and a fresh start than hanging onto a house that one way or another will be impossible to sell for what is owed.
TOO BIG TO FAIL? THE BANKS PROTECT THEIR ASS ettes by buying off the politicos. Barter with your neighbor! The system is set up to benefit the exploiter.
If you are in none-judicial state be prepared to be served with a Fraudulent Notice of Default.
Fraudulent Notice of Defaults are the new Robo-Signing era. And guess what, so far banksters getting away with it and repossessing homes.
This housing mess will never be cleaned up by voluntary actions from the banks. It is sad that banks in America have more power then the people and the Government.
Thomas Jefferson was right.
I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.
Thomas Jefferson,
3rd president of US (1743 - 1826)
Until Director Walsh is replaced at OCC, nothing will happen. He is in the pocket of the banks. Just watch his testimony before congress. He is a weasel.
OCC does not investigate like they are supposed to. All they do is forward your complaint to the bank. THEN if YOU get an unsatisfactory response - they will FOLLOW UP.
They also told me not to follow up with them, as that is a waste of their time.
I am at 16 months with dealing with Chase and Deutsche Bank, Chase is just a bunch of liars and cheats who no intention of following rules or doing a mod for anyone. BUT, neither of them can prove title here in KS, so we will see.
Woah, oh, oh, Jamie's CRYING…. Again.
Yes there are lots of ways for crooks to get the better of us and do it without shame or care. Its hard to have confidense in our government leaders who looks like they are letting guys get away with this stuff. Howcan we trust anybody surly not our leaders or congressman. This is disgusting to read over and over about bad people getting it over the regular guy on the street and families workin to get buy.
They will sell my house for half of what I owe rather than give me a principe reduction after 30years with a sick 90 year old mother and a husband who had a stroke over them. Go figure.! The Banks are Evil and are "The Mafia without a Gun"! I never thought when I worked so hard for Obama and Jerry Brown I would lose my house ! "Stupid Me" Good name for a movie!
Hi everyone, it's been awhile since I've been here. I was wondering if anyone ever had any luck with a law suit? Also Chase ruined our credit by reporting us late each month, they have refused to ammend this on our credit report. Has anyone had the same thing and if so, we're you able to get Chase or any other bank to contact the credit bureaus? Please let me know.
I work at a HUD approved housing counseling agency. Those servicers will use any excuse to deny a loan modification. Most often, its been my experience they simply (intentionally?) use wrong numbers for the NPV test. Additionally, I quite often am forced to speak with a customer service person who is untrained and totally without knowledge about the loan modification program. Here is an example: Yesterday we were on the phone with BofA asking yet again for the inputs on a specific NPV evaluation. The customer service person from BofA told me that BofA does not do its own NPV test but that it has Treasury do the test for them. The BofA representative told me to go to the Treasury webpage and click on the icon for NPV results. I played along and said ok, I'm at the Treasury web page, where's the icon? The BofA representative hung up on me. How ridulous is that?
Excellent coverage here… thank you Pro-Publica for keeping on this story… confirming what so many have suspected all along!
Trial period/foreclosure fees, etc,etc,etc.
Wake up America, you've been scammed once again by the Banksters, who are the US Treasury Dept.
Trial period/foreclosure fees, etc,etc,etc.
I work at a HUD approved housing counseling agency. In Orange County, CA we no longer let the servicers get away with refusing loan modifications. We advise our homeowners who were wrongly denied a loan modification to file a lawsuit. All foreclosure lawsuits are assigned to the same judge and the judge sets a loan modification mediation. At the mediation a HUD approved housing counseling agency is present along with the homeowner and the judge. The judge asks the housing counselor if the homeowner qualifies for a loan modification. If the housing counselor responds "yes", the judge asks the servicer why they are refusing to give the homeowner a loan modification. The servicer is also reminded that they are to negotiate in good faith. If the Judge does not like the response he sometimes orders a continuance and orders the servicer to bring someone with authority to the next hearing. We are seeing at these hearing that many times the servicer used the wrong numbers when they ran the NPV test. It has been my experience that servicers usually short the homeowners monthly income by a few thousand a month and then deny the loan modification. The beauty of this court program is that the program has teeth. The servicers are held accountable. The program is getting loan modifications for OC homeowners. The program has now spread to the Federal Court as well. The servicers do not like the Program and in the past have removed the lawsuits to Federal Court. However, the Federal Court started the same program so the servicers are having to face housing counselors in Federal Court as well. I hate to have to advise homeowners to file a lawsuit, but for many homeowners its either get foreclosed out or save your home by filing a lawsuit.
I am a victim of BOA and the so called "making home affordable" modification program!! I have just made my 20th trial period payment in A 3 MONTH TRIAL PERIOD, for MHA modification. Every month since I started paying (May 2009-Current), I request info and status updates and have always been told, "your still in the review process" and to "keep making your trial payments"!! It is so convoluted and upsetting that every time you call its nothing but run around and each of these so called representatives knows nothing about our file, or what the other hundreds of reps have told us before!! They accept my payment EVERY month, but can offer me NO information of the finality of my modification!! This January 2011, when I called to make my 20th payment, I was horrified when I was told(after many transfers to different departments) that i was "declined from the MHA back in July 2010, because of "lack of financials"!!!! How come I was never notified in writing nor in any of the many calls in the previous months when I would make my payments!!!!! How absurd, they actually told me they sent a FedEx, THAT I NEVER RECEIVED, and when I asked if someone signed for this so called FedEx, I was told, "they just drop it off, without a signature". It is nothing but a rat race, with no end. Now as of February 10th, they are going to begin foreclosure proceedings, when I NEVER defaulted on one single modification trial period payment, NOR WAS I EVER INFORMED OF SUCH A DECLINE from the program. The amount now due to be current is so exorbitant, I could never, never pay that amount. They have put in another so called "escalation email to appeal the decline", but lets be real, nothing is going to be done!!! I risk foreclosure now, when I had all intentions on fighting for my home, by paying for almost 2 years in a modification program which I now feel DOES NOT EVEN EXIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All these experts reporting on and stating the lack of oversight, broken promises, violations, etc, BUT NOBODY DOES ANYTHING!!!!! All the government agencies we pay for thru our taxes, will not even respond to written complaints. The Treasury Secretary and Jamie Dimon of Chase are VERY CLOSE FRIENDS! Of course, Treasury isn't going to do anything. We need Class Action Suits, we need lawyers to conduct them, we need Attorneys General to file suit against these banks. We, The People, means nothing anymore. We are lied to by our government, ignored by our elected representatives, but expected to pay, pay, pay.
What good is reporting all the grievances, if it doesn't result in any action??
During the financial crisis over the last three years, nobody has taken real ownership to help the public. The govt has bailed out the financial corporations that started this mess; govt has passed laws without any teeth; politicians keep on talking hot air; corporations keep on thumbing their noses and lining their pockets; and the public keeps on getting the short end… and people wonder why there is voting apathy and distrust of govt!
There is a good bit of information at this blogspot about what to do about the banks/servicers trying to impose a fake mortgage debt that does not exist on all of us. I received this tip from 4closurefraud.org though ProPublica's website deserves a ton of credit to for their spot on reporting on the Foreclosuregate Crisis that raised my suspicions about the deceptions behind the whole loan mod program and began my journey looking for the truth behind all of the lies and deceptions. Here is the blogspot with Homeowner's Motto for 2011:MODIFY,BUT ALSO NULLIFY!: http://bryllaw.blogspot.com/2011/01/homeowners-motto-for-2011-modify-but.html
"The new policy is "not only like putting the fox in charge of the hen house," said Cohen of the National Consumer Law Center, "but asking the fox to fine itself for each chicken eaten."
Until the banks are actually put in the position of loosing money they will do nothing for the consumer. I think the answer is to stop the f.d.i.c. from covering the banks losses in the foreclosure fiasco thereby forcing the banks to negotiate with homeowners. And please, no one post another "homeowners bought more than they can pay for stories". and how no one should be helping them out.
We need to stand together as Americans and STOP PAYING these crooks (ie:banks). If the majority of us do it they will be crippled and they will have to DO something. DO NOT PAY any trial period payments without the advise of an attorney and everything in writing. DO NOT PAY if you owe more than your home is worth. Here in Florida that is everybody (almost). The banks ran the prices up (with the help of realtors) and they CAN NOT POSSIBLY take back all the homes in the state. Tell everyone you know STOP PAYING, worst case scenario you will live for free for 2 years, which will get some of your equity back and then move on or modify legally and DO NOT ACCEPT a huge balloon payment at the end just cuz you are so grateful to the thieving banks that they temporarily lowered your payment. You are then just postponing the inevitable. I have met with 3 independant lawers and they all said the same thing (STOP PAYING). If WE ALL STOP PAYING WE ARE IN CHARGE. They have treated us like suckers for years let it end NOW. Know that is is starting: my friend paid $450K for a beautiful house a mile from the beach, she has been trying to modify for 30 months, to no avail. The bank just had an auction for it with a stop/loss of $110K and NOBODY BID!!!! No one wants a Florida house (sorry don't know much about other states). There is too much inventory (1500 forclosures in my zip code according to Realtytrack) Prices are not done falling. STOP PAYING and force the scum banks to fall, WE ARE THE ONES WHO BAILED THEM OUT!!!!
We have been trying to get Chase to help us for 2 years….not asking for a handout, just a break!! They have come up with every excuse in the book, so I am just going to let God take care of all of their greedy selves in his time!! Life is too short!! We make to much for Loan Mod, too little for refinance, and supposedly don't qualify for the Freddie Mac no qualify refinance, because our loan has 2 investors, which it doesn't. It is owned by Freddie Mac & serviced by Chase. They even made up a new word "refrapricated???", and the majority of the supervisors don't know what it means!! Obama needs to get in the real world. This is the biggest "joke" against the American people I have ever seen!! Keep up the great work!!
What do you expect from banking industry exec's who make all policy decisions for the gutless lower end woking lawyers to follow their directions no matter how one sided industry oriented.
What else would you expect from oversite by politico's dependent on industry money and then appoint them to high positions and set the policy for the enforcement. If it looks like a duck >>>>>!
Last year, I finally gave up, abandoned my home of more than 20 years, and moved into my travel trailer. What the banks are doing, they're doing because they're being allowed to do it.
The officers and board of directors at Chase and the other major lenders should be stripped of their wealth and imprisoned for their part in defrauding the American people. Millions of homes are now in foreclosure.
What do the lenders do with this glut of homes? They put them out on short sales, then collect their taxpayer-funded insurance from Treasury. Meanwhile, the short sales depress the legitimate market even further. If there was any real interest in resolving the problem, the homeowners who are losing their homes would be allowed to repurchase them at short sale prices, then provide mortgages at affordable interest rates.
Will any of those things happen? Unlikely!
Maureen, wait until crybaby Jamie reads the following report - which essentially demonstrates that these banksters all had plenty of warning signs, and concludes it was avoidable.
Earlier today the Financial Crisis Commission released their report which can be viewed and downloaded from their website at FCIC dot gov. You can also view many of the thousands of docs they used to compile the data. I've only just begun….
A snippet from the conclusions of the commission (pg xv):
"As this report goes to print, there are more than 26 million Americans who are out of work, cannot find full-time work, or have given up looking for work. About four million families have lost their homes to foreclosure and another four and a half million have slipped into the foreclosure process or are seriously behind on their mortgage payments. Nearly $11 trillion in household wealth has vanished, with retirement accounts and life savings swept away. Businesses, large and small, have felt the sting of a deep recession. There is much anger about what has transpired, and justiiably so. Many people who abided by all the rules now find themselves out of work and uncertain about their future prospects. The collateral damage of this crisis has been real people and real communities. The impacts of this crisis are likely to be felt for a generation. And the nation faces no easy path to renewed economic strength."
Last year, we finally gave up, abandoned our home of more than 20 years, and moved into our 15 year old travel trailer. What the banks are doing, they're doing because they're being allowed to do it.
The officers anddirectors at Chase and the other major lenders should be stripped of their wealth and imprisoned for their part in defrauding the American people. And make no mistake about it: what has happened has been deliberate.
Millions of homes are now in foreclosure.
What do the lenders do with this glut of homes? They put them out on short sales, then collect their taxpayer-funded insurance from Treasury for the difference. Meanwhile, the short sales depress the legitimate market even further. If there was any real interest in resolving the problem, homeowners losing their homes would be allowed to repurchase them at short sale prices, then be provided mortgages at affordable interest rates.
Will any of those things happen? Unlikely, considering there's no incentive for the banks to do so.
Can homeowners use the Findings from the recently released Report of the Angelides Commission? These Findings are based on real EVIDENCE of lenders' fraud.
It is true there is a dissent to the Report. The dissent frankly proves that the Commission with its public hearings and large number of experienced witnesses and participants gave them every opportunity to present their case. They failed.
Of particular interest is the "dissenter" who dissented from the other dissenters. Representative Wallison is an interesting Boehner appointment to the Commission. He is the lawyer who helped author the "deregulation of financial services" that eventually became law in 1999. Now, Wallison is blaming the 40 million homeowners who manipulated the equity in their homes and cheated those poor bankers who were finally provided the opportunity to pillage their own institutions. Does it make sense to blame homeowners who were subjected to intense marketing of OptionARM terms that even the bankers cannot calculate?
Look who Wallison is:
# 1981-1985 General Counsel for the Department of the Treasury, under Don Regan. He was important in developing Reagan administration proposals to deregulate financial services that, with some changes, became law in 1999.
# 1999–present American Enterprise Institute, codirector of AEI's financial markets deregulation project. He is a paid lobbyist/ sitting Congressman.
He is a PAID apologist for the Financial Industry that destroyed itself, billed the tax payers, gave themselves bonuses, and now blame everyone else. His dissent contains interesting attacks on "Government", as if the idea was invented two years ago by some Democrats. Just attacks and speculations, no real facts.
LISA!! Please go check out being middle class dot org website. There are dozens of letters and guidelines for you to follow there, not to mention countless other victims of every bankster imaginable, all in various stages of this horrendous nightmare, and ALL willing to share their experiences, write letters, direct you to Escalations teams, and support you in every way!
I too have been scheduled for a sale next month (my third one!) after Chase sent me an official denial letter for a permanent mod based on failing their NPV results after being in the program over a year. HOWEVER, same letter gives me 30 days to review their NPV and another 30 to dispute their results, and even states "Important Notice!" that they will not foreclose on me during this time! HAHAHAHA!!!!! Today, they posted the sale notice on my front door and I received the notices in the mail from California Reconveyance of my sale date of Feb 18th! Guess I better tell them again to re-read the terms of the letter they sent me!
Should you pay your Morgage? Of course. Unless it is a fraud—such as an OptionARM. If a banker lured you into a financial arrangement that was inappropriate, and defrauded you with a term that makes it impossible to calculate your obligation, and then defrauded you and the Government by falsely promising to provide a Loan Modification, then you should re-think any obligation to pay.
Legally and morally you have no obligation to pay installments to gangsters.
If you cannot afford to hire your own licensed real estate attorney, at the very least, please report the financial institution to the State Bar. If the corporation hires non-attorneys to practice law, they are violating the law in every State. Unlicensed practice of law by corporations is illegal.
Any HUD Counselor or anyone advising a homeowner how to save the Lender money by entering into a short sale or deed in lieu, is "advising you about your legal obligations". Many of those people are scammers or were trained by the Lending Industry to protect them.
It is only reasonable to stop paying gangsters. Report them to the authorities.
This month, the long-awaited US House Committee on the Financial Crisis (a bipartizan investigation chaired by Rep Phil Angelides) issued its Findings. Those "Findings" are a form of evidence, and the evidence justifies recovery of damages for Fraud. Use those Findings in your "negotiations" with the attorney for the Lender.
And again, if the Lender is not negotiating with a licensed attorney, then report them to the State Bar.
This is an OUTRAGE! Thank you for this important journalistic investigation. Shame on all responsible for continued violations or deceptions. May I suggest that everyone move money from the bad banks to those not tainted? Perhaps that is the only leverage the American people have left.
Jean - thank you for the info on that report!!! Poor Jamie. See? I told you guys what goes around comes around. SOmetimes it just takes longer than we'd like.
Although I'm not doing the "yippee dance" yet, I have a good feeling we will be soon. I'm one of the lucky ones with a stable job - Thank God - but they STILL won't offer me anything more than the dreaded Chase CHAMP (I wrote the latest development - if that's what you could call it - on BMC - it sounds like a sitcom). According to the "new rep. on the block," "FHA loans are invested in by the gov. (no way!! really??) so they won't allow us to review for a HAMP or FHA-HAMP first because our Chase CHAMP is the REGULAR FHA mod." Not buying it.
fantastic coverage by ProPublica… all bright, informed
What I for one as a tax payer would like to know is where did the 75 Billion provided by the current administration go, you know money provided by hard working Americans. From what I read here it has been sent down a rabbit hole of no return and accountability. Was this then just a back door bailout of the "servicers" who have been able to string hard strapped homeowners on only to end up in foreclosure!
Where did 75 BILLION go? And who benefitted, apparently not the struggling homeowner!
"With millions of homeowners still struggling to stay in their homes, the Obama administration's $75 billion foreclosure prevention program has been weakened, perhaps fatally, by lax oversight and a posture of cooperation—rather than enforcement—with the nation's biggest banks. Those banks, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, and Citibank, service the majority of mortgages."
Pastor Dave is right, they collect the insurance for the loss in forclosing and then resell (or not) at auction. If they sell it's icing (money on top) as they have already collected, fully funded by you and I thank you very much. It is legal robbery, STOP PAYING!!! THAT is why they won't modify, they don't make as much. STOP PAYING THE ROBBERS FORCE THEM TO THIER KNEES!
Anyone who has seen what I have written on various articles here knows that I have been skeptical of the government's role in this thing. But I guess I always told myself maybe I was just into it on too personal a level to be objective and maybe I was crying FIRE where there wasn't one.
But I can see now, and I take no joy in it, ProPublica which has stood with us throughout this ongoing tragedy, has come to the same conclusion as I have or else I have come to the same conclusion as they.
The facts are what I have been stating all along, we have been sold a bogus bill of goods.
The taxpayers and citizens and voters of the U.S. were told that we were bailing out these "too-big to fail" institutions of money grubbers but that they were in return going to have to adhere to and follow rules and regulations and help a lot of people in return. The facts don't back that up.
As ProPublica has stated, the government has been insincere from the beginning and as bad as it is to feel like you've been "had" by a business, to feel you've been "had" and lied to by your "trusted representatives" is a major blow to my trust in anything my government says or does.
How do we decide when/if they give us the truth. We now have to suspect everything we are told which is wrong. We should have trust in our government, we are entitled to a government that is worthy of trust but the facts say that ain't the way it is.
This is a shocking realization to me and it makes me very sad and very concerned too. What other lies are up their sleeves to tell us next? When they swear that things like 9/11 and Waco were honestly disclosed, that we know the truth about Tim McVeigh and Oklahoma City, how now do we trust them when they are proven liars? The answer is, if you are smart and willing to look at facts however scary they are, is WE CAN'T.
Maybe CHASE won't do so well now that the guy responsible for their lobbyists, William Daley, has left the company for another job.
Oh, wait a minute; his new job is Whitehouse Chief of Staff!
Never mind.
Pat in your comment Today, 4:09 p.m Can you please elaborate more? who file this kind of law suit and how?
I ll appreciate the info
July 09 we recieved a supposed permanent loan modification from BofA. Made my payments on time every month. Had my credit report pulled 9 months later and found that I was 9 months behind on loan! Started making multiple phone calls daily, finally a month later told " it was not funded"! And I was given no further information no matter how many calls I had made. Finally after writing letters to my senators, congressmen, governor… I received a phone call from the customer service CEO's office. They told me that there was an error in the escrow calculations in my batch of loan modifications and they took it back and had sent me a new loan modification! Never got one phone call, letter or paper work on new loan modification. And the thousands of times I called not one of those horrible customer service reps told me anything of this error, they told me to keep making the modified payment and that the system had not been updated. So now we are being reviewed for another loan mod, but they are adding in all the remainders of what they say are the partial payments we were making and late fees! Unbelievable! At my wit's end don't know what to do to get this fixed!
So glad to know that they are finally being exposed for all of there wrong doings and hope that they get caught for all that they have done to ruin peoples lifes.
Come on everyone this is not new Bank of America Became the richest bank in the world by foreclosing on the Japanese Americans land and homes while they were in relocation Camps remember "Manzanar
Iwould not be in this position if my father in law could have left me our inheritance . Banks have not changed! Maybe we have had enough!!!!! But they have always been there. Doing the same stuff we were working and did not have time to notice.
The whole program needs to stop now! Let the banks take all the properties, then nobody buy them.Take all the bailout money back and redistribute it those who lost their properties perhaps that would really shake up the banks.
The HAMP prgram shoul be call the Making Home Delaying Foreclosure Program This program was made only to delay foreclosures while the Banksters Stick you up with Inspection Fees, Interest, Late Fees and most of all the payments you make while in a trail a period, those payments are not being apply to your mortgage nor being return to you either they keept them in a suspend account and then when the foreclose they keep them ROBING YOU of your money
HAMP= License to rob you!
God Bless America !
Commenting on this story is closed.
Foreclosure Crisis: Banks and Government Fail Homeowners
Banks and the government have fallen short in helping homeowners in danger of foreclosure.
The Story So Far
Systemic failures at the country's banks and mortgage servicers have exacerbated the most severe foreclosure crisis since the Great Depression, and government efforts to limit the damage have fallen short. ProPublica created an unrivaled database of homeowners who have faced foreclosure, opened a Facebook page to encourage homeowners to share their stories, wrote profiles of some of them, and incorporated their experiences into our reporting. We also provided a comprehensive rundown of the numbers behind the crisis.
Latest Stories in this Project
- Bank of America Lied to Homeowners and Rewarded Foreclosures, Former Employees Say
- For Most Homeowners, Gov't Foreclosure Deal Brings A Few Hundred Bucks
- Feds Replace Flawed Foreclosure Review With Vague $8.5 Billion Settlement
- As Foreclosure Crisis Drags On, So Does Flawed Government Response
- Cheat Sheet: BofA Supplied Default Answers for 'Independent' Foreclosure Claims Reviewers


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natural french linen, charmingly simple, this would look great in a country house or a city loft.
French toile looks fab in country cottages & modern lofts alike when its blocked with bright white linen in this adorable stocking.
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subset: commoncrawl


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We remember our first trip to Door County, in the spring of 1993. Our purpose for that trip was to come up and visit friends, and stop for lunch in Sturgeon Bay. As we were driving, we saw a flash of blue beside the highway. A bluebird had flown up from the ditch and perched himself on a wooden fence post. We were so excited to actually see a bluebird! Bryon is originally from Chilton, WI and I grew up in Brooklyn, WI. I had never seen a bluebird, and Bryon had only witnessed one as a child. That spring day in 1993 would be the beginning of our passion with bluebirds.
After purchasing the property that would eventually become The Chanticleer Guest House, we set out to bring more bluebirds to our little patch of Door County. We installed 3 bluebird houses and waited for our little blue friends to arrive in flocks. They didn't. Well, not right away. We were too late in setting our bird houses and they had already found suitable nests. While nesting, bluebirds are quite scarce, and in reality, we really were too busy renovating our farmhouse to be searching for bluebirds. Summer came and went and all of a sudden, we noticed bluebirds on our sheep fence posts and in our bird bath. We were ecstatic! The bluebird parents had fledged their chicks and were busy flying down from our fence posts, plucking bugs to feed their hungry offspring.
That first autumn the flocks of bluebirds came in groups of 10 to 20 birds. They would hang out, searching for food and then all of a sudden, vanished. Without warning, they all had flown south. We were so excited to have been able to witness not only a single bluebird that spring, but flocks of them migrating to warmer climates! When, and how many, would return that next spring?
18 years later, and after countless batches of bluebirds popping out of our bluebird houses, we are still excited when we see those beautiful little birds. While still not as common as robins, we seem to notice more and more pairs coming back to Chanticleer in the spring. Our winter ritual of cleaning out bluebird houses has surprised us with some bluebirds staying until December, using our nest boxes as a cozy home. We know spring is here when we hear the unmistakable melody of the bluebird's song, floating over our barren sheep pastures in March.
For all you avid bird watchers, we would love to have you come in early spring to witness the spring migration of our Door County bluebirds.


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Product Highlights
Ideal Industries 45-120 T-Stripper Wire Stripper - No tool kit should be considered complete with this item. This heavy duty stripper can make the difference between a neatly done job and a sloppy one.
Solid construction, a firm grip and quality steel make this tool a basic necessity for anyone doing wiring.


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Youth Aggie Adventures Available this Summer
Writer: Julene Reese, 435-797-0810, email@example.com
Contact: Scott Williams, 435-752-6263, email@example.com
USU Extension 4-H Announces Aggie Adventures and Summer Camps for Kids
To help avoid the "I'm bored" syndrome this summer, Utah State University Extension 4-H provides opportunities to keep youth active and engaged.
Aggie Adventures and Summer Camps for Kids educational day camps are offered in many counties around the state. The camps are geared for children and youth in first through eighth grades. All camps emphasize hands-on learning and explore a variety of subjects including archeology, robotics, art, history, astronomy and others.
According to Scott Williams, USU Extension 4-H agent for Cache County, the structured yet fun camps can help fill the summer days in interesting, productive ways.
"Every day is an adventure as they make new friends with similar interests and explore things they may never experience anywhere else," he said.
To see event schedules and registration information, visit http://utah4h.org/aggieadventures. Information on the website is included for Box Elder County, Cache County, Davis County, the USU Botanical Center in Davis County, Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter in Park City, Utah County, Weber County and Washington County.


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HALESOWEN Cycling Club is holding an event aimed at getting more people involved in the sport as well as raising charity funds.
Following the nation's enthusiasm for the Tour de France, Halesowen A and CC is calling on people to take part in their sportive race.
The Halesowen 100 will take place from 8am on Monday, August 25 and take competitors through the scenic countryside south of the club.
It will offer a challenging route that requires a moderate level of fitness. The route starts and finishes from the clubhouse at Halesowen Manor Abbey Stadium with an undulating ascent into the Worcestershire countryside before descending five kilometres into the first of several picturesque villages.
It continues south through country lanes before a welcoming feed station at 50km in Hampton Lovett.
Participant then continue south towards Himbleton on a relatively flat section of road before looping back through Droitwich. The final 25km return features a challenging tree-lined climb over the Clent Hills followed by the long descent through Romsley village.
Charity fundraiser Sam Greatrex will be taking on the challenge as he embarks on an epic journey around the world to break 11 world records.
Sam will be using only human power by cycling 18,000 miles and rowing 14,000 miles.
The Halesowen 100 marks the start of Sam's 18 month journey in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and people are invided to support his cause.
Find out more at laptheworld.com


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Alex Walsh '10
Spring 2012 TRINITY Magazine, Real World Success
Alex Walsh '10
Major: Political Science, Communication Arts
Title: Doctoral student and graduate teaching assistant, West Virginia University
Alex Walsh earned his master's degree from DePaul University in 2012 and is pursuing a Ph.D. in interpersonal and instructional communication at West Virginia University. As a doctoral student at a "research one" level institution, he is expected to complete his studies, teach undergraduate level classes, and research communication in both romantic relationships and instructional settings.
Learning beyond the books: "At Trinity, I got to know my professors, see their personal passions in the academic world, and apply my own interests in their classes. I learned to think critically about what I was studying, to explore different perspectives, and to create my own opinions. Trinity professors showed me how to be passionate about my studies while maintaining my faith. Dr. Craig Mattson, professor of communication arts, challenged the students in their academic work and found ways to tie the academic theories back to the Christian faith. Professors also tackled tough issues head on. Today as an instructor, I don't shy away from the tough questions either; I charge at them with an open mind."
Collaborative research: "During my senior year, Professor John Sianghio and I conducted a critical analysis on how digital technology creates and reinforces political identities. I was treated not as a student, but as a fellow researcher. I brought John ideas, he critiqued them, I critiqued his responses, and we would refine our goals for the study. We would wrestle over ideas that neither of us knew the answer to. This mentor/mentee process is exactly what occurs at the graduate level."
Plans for the future: "I hope to become a professor. My research in instructional communication observes what factors encourage or discourage student interactions with their professors and their academic work. As a Christian, I think it is important that we know how to engage the students in their academic work, but challenge them in their faith."


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About the Book
My grandmother Rita lived and died in Ireland from 1899 - to 1963 - these are her favorite recipes - full of love and warmth and nourishment for the mind, body and soul
About the Creator
Named Deirdre Margaret Keating, born in Limerick Ireland in 1963, raised in Dublin, lived in London, Howth, Roundwood, Killester, Minnesota and Erie, Pennsylvania. Only talent - I really enjoy my life, love my husband, babies, family & friends, am intoxicated by nature, & words, strive to be available to the moment, love to ski, like to golf, am addicted to really good coffee. Ambitions want to live on skis a season in the Rockies from the fall of the first snow flake until the first melt, a year on Clare Island, and a year with my man in Manhattan - but will die happy dreaming about it if it is not to be........favorite thing to do - sleep out under the stars in the North Woods. Favorite book, oh so many, okay 'When the trees say nothing' by Thomas Merton, Favorite movie - 'Princes Bride. Best quality - never hold a grudge. Worst fault - I cant see them! Best bit of advice I would give anyone - dont listen to advice. I hope you enjoy this little book - thank you Rita - peace today
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YahtzeeProbability puzzles require you to weigh all the possibilities and pick the most likely outcome.
The game of Yahtzee is played with five dice. On the first turn, a player rolls all five dice, and then may decide to keep any, all, or none of the dice aside before rolling again. Each player has a maximum of three rolls to try to get a favorable combination of dice "kept" on the side.
If a player rolls two 2s and two 4s on his/her first roll, and keeps all four of these dice aside, what is the probability of getting a full house (three of one value and two of another) in one of his/her next two rolls? (ie what is the probability of getting either a 2 or a 4 in one of the next two rolls?)
HintThink of the probability of NOT getting a full house.
The answer is NOT 2/3 because you cannot add probabilities. On each roll, the probability of getting a 2 or a 4 is 1/3, so therefore, the probability of not getting a 2 or a 4 is 2/3. Since the die is being rolled twice, square 2/3 to get a 4/9 probability of NOT getting a full house in two rolls. The probability of getting a full house is therefore 1 - 4/9, or 5/9.
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
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"Resource" refers to a stream corridor, wetland or tree grove identified on the City's Sensitive Lands Atlas. Stream corridors and wetlands are identified as Resource Protection (RP) districts, and tree groves are identified as Resource Conservation (RC) districts on the Atlas. A resource enhancement project improves the quality or quantity (area) of the resource.
Additional information is provided in the document listed below.


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Spring Semester in Thailand
"As I look back on my time in Thailand, I can honestly say it was the best time of my life. We got to experience so much on the Spring Semester in Thailand progam that can not be experienced in any other conventional study-abroad program. We did so much more than study in Thailand, we went and were immersed to the extent that the experience touched us and changed us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I know that I personally experienced and learned things that will stay with me for years to come, and made friendships that will stay with me longer. This is something that can only be experienced for oneself so I encourage anyone looking to experience another place and another culture to go beyond what you know and do something other than ordinary, and that's what Spring Semester in Thailand is."
-Steve Carriere, SST 2004
For more student statements click here
For more information Contact:
Dr. Michael R. Leming, Program Director
503 East Fremont Street
Phone: (507)645-6237
e-mail: email@example.com


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PHIL Wylie is upbeat about 2013 after getting his new year racing programme off to a flying start, writes KEVIN FAHEY.
The Trowbridge-based Great Britain international duathlete had the best cross country performance of his career to date as he finished fifth in the fourth event of the prestigious McCain Cross Challenge in Cardiff.
"I felt really fluent and strong and I am very pleased with my fifth," said Wylie.
"Compared to the McCain Challenge race in Bristol last October, which was really hard work, it was one of the those days I felt like I was running with the wind!"
The morale-boosting result comes on top of an exciting move to top French duathlon team Metz, which promises an exciting season for Wylie.
He had previously been a long-serving member of the French semi-professional team Les Tritons Meldois near Paris but, following the recent death of their team chief, Wylie explained the outfit was undergoing a restructure.
"They wanted me to stay but with everything that was going on I thought it was the right time to move on for a new challenge," he said.
"Joining Metz is a big step forward for me. They have been one of the top three clubs on the French Grand Prix circuit in the past few years and individually their guys always finish in the top ten.
"That means I am going to have to perform really well to even earn the right to be in the starting team.
"In one sense that is going to be a great challenge that should push me on to become a better duathlete but on the other hand it is a little nerve-wracking. This is a new team for me and I have everything to prove."
The French Grand Prix season and the European Championships remain Wylie's big target for the year.
"I will run the final McCain Challenge race in Birmingham, which is also the trials for the World Cross Country and hopefully I can get a top 20 finish there," said Wylie, who works as a sports-coordinator for Trowbridge schools.
"Then it will be the start of the duathlon season and I am really excited about that."


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What feature is used most on a cellphone? Hint: say cheese
0. phoneArena posted on 28 Nov 2012, 01:16
The latest study from Pew Internet shows that a whopping 82% of cellphone owners use the camera on their handset, slightly beating out the percentage that use their device to text; online banking was last, used by just 29% of cellphone users...
This is a discussion for a news. To read the whole news, click here
1. syedzain (Posts: 175; Member since: 08 Oct 2012)
well if thats the case, iphone has a better camera.
Note : i like apple.. but changed to android,purchased galaxy nexus 4.. 4.2 brought a lot of lag.. now i am selling my nexus 4.. anyone interested do contact me.
buying an iphone 5 .
5. XPERIA-KNIGHT (unregistered)
how much you letting the nexus go for? I might be interested
you can let me know at my gmail
8. Droid_X_Doug (Posts: 5993; Member since: 22 Dec 2010)
Yeah, but I bet those pics don't stay on the phone all that long. I suspect the pics get shared before 12 hours pass. If my theory is correct, the radio (cellular or WiFi) is the most heavily used feature....
12. nnaatthhaannx2 (Posts: 820; Member since: 19 Oct 2011)
lol obviously
13. SleepingOz (unregistered)
Galaxy Nexus 4? Sounds like a cheap chinese KIRF.
2. Commentator (Posts: 3722; Member since: 16 Aug 2011)
3. Commentator (Posts: 3722; Member since: 16 Aug 2011)
Funny there isn't a statistic on what percentage uses their phones for phone-calls.
14. speed4evr (Posts: 79; Member since: 05 Oct 2011)
I rarely use my phone for calls now days, mainly texts, FB, and email
4. bohdan4ik13 (Posts: 111; Member since: 10 Feb 2012)
Let's say Gaming may be on the first place, because almost everyone plays games on their device.
6. Commentator (Posts: 3722; Member since: 16 Aug 2011)
Maybe, but I would've also thought that almost everyone surfs the internet on their device too.
7. eisenbricher (Posts: 973; Member since: 09 Aug 2012)
Not necessarily. Interest in games fade away as you grow up. I've played quite a huge share till now, and I already can see it.
Also if you play REAL games on desktop/console, like Skyrim, CoD, WoW, Starcraft there's very less chance that those phone games would provide you that much entertainment. I mean, there's no comparison at all.
15. Commentator (Posts: 3722; Member since: 16 Aug 2011)
Not to single you out or anything, but I'm getting pretty tired of the elitist notion that mobile games are not "real games." Tell that to the developers making hundreds of millions of dollarson the App Store and Play Store.
16. eisenbricher (Posts: 973; Member since: 09 Aug 2012)
I'm just stating that fact. Mobile devices can't handle the sheer amount of processing yet. It doesn't mean that the mobile games shouldn't sell well.
17. Commentator (Posts: 3722; Member since: 16 Aug 2011)
Well, you implied that mobile games are NOT REAL, which, by the definition of a game, is not fact.
18. eisenbricher (Posts: 973; Member since: 09 Aug 2012)
I mean, nearer experience to the real world. Complex game engines these days make the games look so real, almost like real world. For example you can try playing Skyrim in Ultra mode, with a sufficiently large display. Can't overlook that feeling!!
20. Commentator (Posts: 3722; Member since: 16 Aug 2011)
But I don't subscribe to the idea that better graphics and more accurate physics engines equal a better game. There are times when I would much rather play Jetpack Joyride than Battlefield 3.
22. eisenbricher (Posts: 973; Member since: 09 Aug 2012)
Then you are't making sense. You can't compare two different games that way...
Correct way would be, imagine a slimmed down version of BF3 on phone, or a total eye-candied version of Jetpack Joyride on console. Or, any NFS on PC, and on phone. Tell me which one would you prefer. Portability of device aside, that isn't my focus.
23. Commentator (Posts: 3722; Member since: 16 Aug 2011)
If your focus isn't on portability (or ease of use) then you've missed the point entirely.
And I sure as hell can compare them that way. I think the NES Super Mario World looks a damn sight better than the new Wii version, despite all its newfangled graphics. I honestly couldn't say whether I'd like a souped-up version of JPJR, but I love its simplistic graphics as is, and I sure wouldn't play it on a console or PC; having it on my phone is way more convenient. And I wouldn't like BF3 on a phone because FPSs suck on phones anyways, no matter how good the graphics (using a touchscreen to aim, move and shoot is not fun). Some games are meant for mobile, and some are meant for PCs and consoles. To state that "real" games are better than mobile games because of their higher graphical ability is like saying an airplane is better than a car because it can fly... But what if where I'm going is just 2 miles down the road? A car is obviously a better choice, and an airplane would be useless, confusing and wasteful.
9. tiara6918 (Posts: 2111; Member since: 26 Apr 2012)
No surprises here, even a feature phone's camera is mostly used
10. Thephonegeek (Posts: 118; Member since: 22 Nov 2012)
Say cheeeeeeee....................eeeeeeeeeee@%*#sssre while using panorama.
11. phil2n (Posts: 487; Member since: 30 Apr 2012)
Then my Lumia 920 will be the best if i want a Say Cheese..
19. bluescreen (Posts: 154; Member since: 22 Nov 2012)
i'd have to say the send/end call button are running in a dead heat for 1st place on a phone before the camera button...isnt that still a feature :P


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The Venue Scottsdale, the premiere special events venue in Old Town Scottsdale, is launching Boogie Nights – a recurring party that will merge 70s and 80s dance music spinning from DJ Pauly. Guests are encouraged to come dressed in their best attire from that era and dance the nights away to a state of the art sound system, lighting and more. EVA 95.5 FM, "the Valley's old school station" has partnered with The Venue to create a party filled with your favorite groovy dance music.
The event will run from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. and reoccur every 6 weeks beginning April 20. There will be a $15 cover for each night which will include costume contests, drink specials and a really funky time. Tickets can be purchased at www.boogienightsscottsdale.eventbrite.com/ or at the door.
The Venue Scottsdale is located at 7117 E. 3rd Avenue in Old Town, Scottsdale.
"This is our opportunity to bring back some of the great events The Venue has a history of hosting," says Director of Marketing David Twigger. "We've had the idea to host a themed dance party and Boogie Nights will allow guests the chance to let loose, dance to their favorite tunes and dress up in their outrageous retro threads costumes if they choose."
The Venue Scottsdale has reinvested in the 29,000 square foot event space to upgrade the facility to a sleek upscale look. The roughly $1 million remodel includes Israeli limestone work throughout the venue, granite countertops, a re-inspired entry way, new doors and flooring, a new HVAC system, grass roof covering, an upgraded audio visual system and more.
The Venue Scottsdale has also announced plans to open a new concept, V&V. The two story lounge will be complete with a beautiful spiral staircase leading to a third floor roof top experience. V&V is slated to open to the public in fall 2013.


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Third databook
I was able to find a scan of Itachi's article in the third databook (thanks to whoever uploaded it). If you want to see it, go here. I'll add some of the details. --ShounenSuki 19:15, 5 September 2008 (UTC)
Shadow Clone: Haze
What is this jutsu? It links to Shadow clone so there is no piont listing it. Jacce 13:29, 29 September 2008 (UTC)
It is in the Naruto Ultimate Ninja Series (video game).
unown lover?
is there any proof that itachi had a lover.
- Yes, just read the reference. Naruto manga chapter 401 page 10
o thanks(i dont read magna much)
Anyone know the gender? They never specified...--Kim-chan 02:51, 1 April 2009 (UTC)
i think itachi knows chidori because sasuke used it infront of him while he had sharngan wouldnt u agree
- I would say it's possible, but let me quote Dantman when someone wanted to ad Shadow clone to Sasuke's jutsu list, because he had seen Naruto use it. "That would be an assumption. We don't list general or academy jutsu, and we also don't list jutsu someone could have copied using the Sharingan. We only list non-general jutsu that a character actively uses. General jutsu are only listed when a specifc character uses them a lot, almost as a signature jutsu. ie: Naruto using the Shadow Clone." Thats what he said. Jacce 19:28, 17 October 2008 (UTC)
mmmm i think i added shadow clone jutsu to sasukes page or was it lightning blade
- Diden't se it now, so everything is as it should be. Jacce 19:34, 17 October 2008 (UTC)
I don't think that he can use chidori as he isn't lightning nature...
yea i thought that at first but no because sasuke did what kakashi did when he met orochimaru at the chunin exams, he used the chidori without handseals so itachi jsut saw him activate it without handseals so he couldnt copy it.
Also, itachi might not have the speed to use chidori sasuke had to copy speed from rock lee to use it. No Itachi is ALOT faster than Sasuke and Lee combined.Glad I can help.Vegerot 20:33, 28 January 2009 (UTC)
can sharingan copy an element technique that differs to the users element? Tsujiraoro07
Itachi first Akatsuki (indirecly) mentioned
Orochimaru may have been the first Akatsuki to appear but we knew about Itachi long before we knew about Orochimaru. How? Because Sasuke mentions a "certain man he has to kill" which is undoubtly Itachi. He mentions this in the first or second volume. He may have not said "I have to kill Itachi" or "I have to kill a certain Akatsuki member" but still he was talking about Itachi and Itachi is both those things ...Um i think you can only post things that can be discussed.
Itachi's rank
Is ANBU a rank or position?
- On some other sites, Itachi's Rank is Chuunin with Jounin level skills.
- Some said that you can go from chuunin to ANBU, Jounin and ANBU are around the same skill level....
I need to get this stuff of info right because I'm working on a Game project(naruto-abunai.com)
- ANBU is a rank. One completely separate from the normal ranks. Someone in the ANBU does not hold a regular rank, although they can sometimes assume one when needed for a mission. --ShounenSuki 00:07, 15 January 2009 (UTC)
ANBU is a position - like Academy Student.
-CandyChicklet 22:22, 24 January 2009 (UTC)
- I'm gonna go and say ANBU is a Position, just like Hokage is a position. The only Ranks are Genin, Chuunin, Special Jounin and Jounin. SuperN 22:46, 24 January 2009 (UTC)
- Actually, both ANBU and Hokage are ranks. They have unique positions in the shinobi organisation and are treated as separate ranks in the databook. Neither the Hokage, nor ANBU members hold 'normal' ranks. --ShounenSuki 22:49, 24 January 2009 (UTC)
If ANBU is a rank then is it higher than Jounin or lower? And isn't ranks linear( you have to go trough all other previous ranks to get to get ANBU?)—This unsigned comment was made by Pctopgs (talk • contribs) on 16:58, 11 February 2009 (UTC).
- The databooks list ANBU between jōnin and Hokage. However, it is completely separate from the normal ninja ranks.
- Imagine the shinobi troops of Konoha as being split in two parts. The first part is controlled by the Hokage and the councillors. This part comprises all the jōnin, tokubetsu jōnin, chūnin, and genin. The second part is (officially) controlled directly and only by the Hokage. This is the ANBU.
- Someone can theoretically become an ANBU without even going to the Academy. The Hokage appoints them whenever they think the person is worthy. So no, a person does not have to go through the other ninja ranks to become an ANBU. --ShounenSuki 19:37, 11 February 2009 (UTC)
What is his rank?Jonin or higher than Jonin? File:Orochimaruitachi.jpg How did he use genjutsu without pointing Orochimaru or looking into Orchimaru's eyes?
Itachi's secret lover
Did the book that proves Itachi has had a secret lover come out yet
- I don't know if it goes as a book, but it was mentioned in chapter 401, page 10. Jacce 05:56, 13 March 2009 (UTC)
The power he passed to Naruto
I think that power is a technique like for example Tsukiyomi or Susanoo bec. he said it can be used by Naruto when Sasuke attempts to attack Konoha.Tsujiraoro07
- I hope it has something to do with controlling the Kyuubi. Or negating Sasuke's Sharingan--Inferuno Ryuu 16:21, 16 March 2009 (UTC)
Most likely, considering Sasuke and Naruto are bound to butt heads. So Itachi most likely did something that would not really give him power over Sasuke but rather save Sasuke instead. --Kim-chan 02:54, 1 April 2009 (UTC) i think the power must be powerful... coz itachi said "I HOPE THE DAY NEVER COMES WHEN YOU HAVE TO USE IT"--184.108.40.206 (talk) 05:12, 1 June 2009 (UTC)
Candidate for Hokage?
Had he not been forced to live as a missing-nin, he'd probably been an obvious candidate for Hokage, don't ya think? Since he's more powerful than Kakashi (who Tsunade mentioned was an obvious candidate for hokage should she die or leave the village), and (this is just my personal opinion), he also seems more powerful than Tsunade as well.
22.214.171.124 21:41, 15 March 2009 (UTC)
- Talkpages are not places to discuss speculation. Please see the Narutopedia:Talkpage policy. ~NOTASTAFF Daniel Friesen (DanTMan, Nadir Seen Fire) (talk) Mar 15, 2009 @ 23:00 (UTC)
Sorry, forgot about that :P
18.104.22.168 15:58, 16 March 2009 (UTC)
Before this starts into a revert war, itachi, joined akatski, to keep an eye on the organisation frm the inside, hense his affiliation was always konoha, evn before he died he gav sum of his powers to naruto to protect konoha, in case saske ever attacked...i'd say that his true affiliation was konoha, and that his "face" affiliation was akatski, and Vegrot, before u re edit it...y not wait for sum other users opinion....I WILL NOT let Itachi's page be abused....AlienGamer
- It said that he never lost love for it. That doesn't mean he was working for it. Vegerot (talk) 13:28, 5 April 2009 (UTC)
Itachi's eyes
I heard that Itachi's eyes are in a jar with madara. Is it true if so what chap and page pleasse.Saimaroimaru 07:23, 19 March 2009 (UTC)
I dont think Thats true...i nev came across that bit of info....then again i mite hav missed sumthin, cause i wouldn't put it past madara to do that....AlienGamer
- yes they are in a jar, but they are with sasuke(this is shown when one of his team mate says he should use them, he replys he will not(and no i not talking about the abilities itachi planted in his eyes)) Fawcettp (talk) 07:55, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
- I highly doubt Sasuke will take itachi's eyes....and i think u'r referin to wen madara asked sasuke if he wanted itachi's eyes, and sasuke said no..AlienGamer | Talk 08:10, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
- no there is a scene showing a pair of disenbodied eyes in a jar of fluid, near sasuke Fawcettp (talk) 08:46, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
- do u mind tellin me the chapter?? AlienGamer | Talk 09:40, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
- i believe it to be the scene with sasuke during pains attack, but i could be wrong(and i will back down if i am)
- plus madara did say that itachi wanted old to increase sasuke's strength as far as he could
Fawcettp (talk) 13:36, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
- Is It Chapter 403 pg 17?? AlienGamer | Talk 13:39, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
- Ya Exactly....cause sasuke said he see's things differently frm itachi, and hense doesn't want hs eyes..AlienGamer | Talk 13:43, 10 May 2009 (UTC)
Genjutsu Prowess
it was shown in the latest shippuuden episode, that during he was confrontation with Oro, that itachi was able to cast a genjutsu without even looking at oroc eyes or without even lifting a finger. he had his back on oro, and was held in place by snakes. he just blinked an eye and oro was caught in his illusion.—This unsigned comment was made by 18.104.22.168 (talk • contribs) .
- Unless Orochimaru was alrrady trapped in the illusion when Orochimaru send out his snake. Jacce | Talk 08:17, 22 June 2009 (UTC)
- How can he already be trapped in an illusion? He was following Itachi from behind. And we clearly see how he performed the genjutsu(the eye blinking and sound effect was seen and heard) right after he was under the coils of Oro's snake...—This unsigned comment was made by 188.8.131.52 (talk • contribs) .
- I was asking that very same question myself. Since it was an illusion, casted by the uchiha, I suspect he made it look like there is no snake. And since it was a paralyzing genjutsu, and if oro was indeed under its effect from the very start, how come he was able to move "from the very start" when oro was under its effect prior to his provocation on itachi?—This unsigned comment was made by 188.8.131.52 (talk • contribs) .
- The short and simple answer is that the anime crew screwed up (again). The manga only shows Itachi facing Orochimaru while the latter is bound by the genjutsu. Then Orochimaru tries to perform a technique and Itachi cuts off his hand. (ch.345, pp.8-10). The anime crew tried to expand this scene, but forgot that Itachi usually has to face people to put them in a genjutsu and in an effort to recreate the panels of the manga forgot that they added a snake. --ShounenSuki (talk | contribs) 05:36, 24 June 2009 (UTC)
- yeah, your right. They often complicate things that are sometimes, already complicated... And I can see that your implying that the manga is the only reliable source of facts, not the anime - which I definitely agree...—This unsigned comment was made by 22.214.171.124 (talk • contribs) .
Eye Color
I noticed in the most recent picture of Itachi posted (ep 114) of him as a child that the eye color was a reddish shade instead of the customary black. Would this imply that the Sharingan may develop with no tomoe present. If someone would clear this up, that would be lovely.—This unsigned comment was made by 188.8.131.52 (talk • contribs) on 05:41, 23 June 2009.
- This is nothing to be confused about. His sharingan was just activated. If you watch shippuuden episode 114, his sharingan was activated the whole time. -- I.Sakura-Uchiha —This unsigned comment was made by 126.96.36.199 (talk • contribs) on 06:01, 26 June 2009 (UTC).
- I'm not talking about whether it was activated or not, I am asking if it can form with no tomoe present because it states in another article that it forms with one tomoe and considering Itachi developed it as well as mastered it at such a young age I wonder if this is something he was only able to do. I find myself with no answers and probably never will. —This unsigned comment was made by 126.96.36.199 (talk • contribs) on 18:57, 29 June 2009 (UTC).
- The simple answer is no, it cannot form without tomoe. Even the most immature, the most recently activated, Sharingan had at least one tomoe in each eye. That picture is either an animation error or a lighting effect. --ShounenSuki (talk | contribs) 19:10, 29 June 2009 (UTC)
Thank you very much!
Itachi's Age
I'm wondering about Itachi's age. While reading through the data on him and Sasuke, I noticed the ages seemed off. If Itachi's only 5 years older than Sasuke, how did he kill the clan when Sasuke was only 7? He wasn't even in ANBU at that point. Might seem like a minor detail, but it kinda bugs me.—This unsigned comment was made by 220.127.116.11 (talk • contribs) on 04:35, 29 June 2009 (UTC).
- Sasuke and Itachi weren't born on the same date. This creates a short period every year where Itachi is 6 years older than Sasuke. From Itachi's birthday on the 6th of June to Sasuke's birthday on the 23rd of July, to be exact. --ShounenSuki (talk | contribs) 05:48, 29 June 2009 (UTC)


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Note from Blogmama: Good morning all! Before we get to our last guest blogger as Carp's usual extended summer date with Mr. T comes to a close, a couple of things:
1) Thanks again to all the guests for pitching in, writing great stuff, and keeping the Report rocking during the July hockey doldrums. I had a great time myself, as usual, but will happily cede the reins back to my buddy, who, by my count, owes me about 100 Walter's hotdogs, 17 curly fries, and 25 chocolate shakes.
2) Thanks to all the boneheads for supporting our guests, and nice to see a whole bunch of new ones! Stick around for when season starts why don't you?
3). Thanks to ilb, but just so you all know, I had nothing to do with the content of this post (oy). He made me do it, I swear. The man treats fish more gently than he did me involving this post. ilb, you're an opex, but spasibo :)
P.S. I'm so glad it's August! On my Ranger calendar page for the month, guess who I get to look at for the next 31 days?
I now you give the uniqueness that is ilb, who wanted to remain under the radar, but I wouldn't let him. Ha! I can be stubborn, too!
Under the Radar
I want to talk about things that often fly under the radar.
For example, do you know what the best fruits are? In terms of combined nutritional value, antioxidants, vitamin C content etc? The starfruit is arguably number one, followed by guaba. But number three? Wait for it … As rated by Nutrition Magazine, watermelon! This one flew under the radar, eh? Eat watermelon, folks, and be happy.
I asked Mama to edit my post and eliminate all my Russian interpretations of the English language, but she wasn't allowed to edit the content. I can be stubborn, and she knows. So I'm going to mention that she often flies under the radar. She does this on her own time. Just for the love of the blog and our team. And she makes it work, oftentimes when Carp has his meetings (ahem), and when the place gets a little too … gibberish.
But we are here to talk hockey. So I thought I'd throw in a few things that fly under the radar. I'd like to mention, this is only my personal perception, so keep your shineboxes for better occasions. Please?
The best player who ever played this sport? TGO, period. And period again. The best hockey player overall (combination of leadership, toughness, goal scoring, passing etc.) It's a toss between Messier and Gordie Howe. But the best pure goal scorer who ever played? He flew under the radar. Valeri Kharlamov. I was lucky enough to watch him play in his prime for years. He could score from anywhere, using his shot, speed and stick handling.
The best goaltender who ever played? Roy or Brodeur? I'd say this one flew under the radar. Vladislav Tretiak. He played for 16 years and his resume includes three Olympic gold medals (and one silver), 10 World Championship gold medals, Canada Cup etc. He retired at 32 because he wasn't allowed to play in the NHL after he was drafted by Montreal. He'd also had enough of Tikhonov.
Two players flew under the radar during that famous game 6 against the Devils. Messier got all the credit and spotlight. But there were two better players than him: Kovalev and Leetch. In that order. No way that epic game ends the way it did without both of them.
Another thing I think needs to be mentioned is something that keeps happening quietly, but may have a serious implication on us, the hockey fans, when the new CBA is being negotiated. I will use Sean Avery as an example.
I'm sure everyone remembers the "Avery Rule." But what apparently flew under the radar is that the NHL amended the rules within 12 (twelve!) hours. Even though it was suggested that it was with NHLPA's blessing, nowhere did the NHLPA come out with any statement that it was endorsing the rule, or disagreeing for that matter. Do you think 12 hours is enough time to come up to an agreement between two parties AND publish the new rule? Maybe…
But then, within seven months, still in 2008, right after Avery's infamous remarks regarding "sloppy seconds" things escalated. The NHL suspended him without a hearing, apparently violating the CBA. Here's what Paul Kelly, then the director of the NHLPA, said in a statement:
"The PA believes NHL commissioner Gary Bettman handed down a summary suspension before the hearing, constituting a violation of the collective bargaining agreement. The CBA suggests for off-ice discipline a hearing must take place before action is taken. The NHL suspended Avery on Tuesday, preventing him from playing in the game in Calgary. Action taken, without a hearing."
The NHLPA eventually did file the grievance. Avery asked the NHLPA not to do that.
The point is, the NHLPA doesn't have enough weight when it comes to dealing with the NHL. The commissioner is a bully, and he knows very well that the NHLPA is weak. They have no leadership at the moment. The players do not even show up for their meetings in meaningful numbers. Guess what? They will lose. They will be looking at much less percentage of gross revenue, more escrow etc. For us, the fans, get ready for another looong off season in a couple of years.
And the last thing I'd like to mention that has been flying under the radar this off season is our beloved team. Because what they are doing isn't allowed on 7th Ave. The phrase that describes it isn't in the vocabulary of Mr. Dolan and all the corporate ticket holders. Admittedly, New York is a difficult stage to pull this off. But we real fans are entitled to use it. So I'm going to call it the way it is. We are in a full REBUILDING MODE. And that makes me happy. They said at the beginning of off season that they will not go after any big names, will give the youngsters their chance, and continue to do that. I'm not willing to give Sather any more credit than he deserves, and perhaps he has no choice at the moment. And every day I'm afraid they will do something dumb. But so far, so good. That also requires our support. We have to be willing to wait. We have to stop begging for unnecessary trades. Let's just enjoy the game, enjoy our team and watch what develops. This team needs their true fans. Not the flashy ones who buy the most expensive tickets and rarely show up to watch the game. Or the ones that show up with their expensive clients but without any hockey knowledge. They need us. The real fans, who often fly under the radar.


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