Florida Organization Wants ‘Robo-Signers’ Video on the Internet

The Florida office of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed an appeal to a temporary injunction order that a Sarasota County court issued over online postings of videotaped depositions of so-called ‘robo-signer.’ On November 19, Judge Rick DeFuria granted Nationwide Title Clearing’s request to stop uploading and posting of a video that feature four of the company’s employees.


The employees stood as witnesses to a foreclosure case heard at a Sarasota County court. They all testified that they really signed up to 5,000 mortgage documents per day for the company even without proper legal review and notaries public as witnesses. The videotaped admission was uploaded over popular video-sharing Website YouTube.


When Nationwide Title sought the injunction from the court, it argued that the Internet-posted depositions unnecessarily subjected the four employees to instant and irreparable injury. The company claims that the employees have been receiving death threats since the video posting on YouTube. The injunction was sought in behalf of the four employees who want to ensure their own safety.


Judge DeFuria agreed with the argument. In the court ruling, the court said it favors the temporary restraining order in recognition of possible injury to the witnesses.


‘Robo-signers’ are special mortgage loan service personnel who are tasked to file and complete affidavits related to foreclosure cases even without legal review and without confirmation of accuracy. Investigations of the mortgage practices of lenders have discovered that robo-signing is a strategy to accelerate foreclosures of homes.


Consequently, many homeowners evicted from their foreclosed homes complain that they were not given due process and enough time to prepare for the eviction or to resolve any financial dispute over home loans. This led to a collective decision of such banks to halt their foreclosure activities for the meantime while probes are still being conducted over the issue.


ACLU Florida noted that the court injunction was issued a few days following a Florida Supreme Court ruling that all foreclosure courts in the state should practice complete transparency. The state court order stated that all foreclosure cases heard in the court should be accessible to the public.


A representative for the organization said the videotaped depositions are effective in exposing how title companies and banks’ practices affect troubled homeowners who are currently facing severe financial problems. ACLU Florida added that this form of public service should not be hindered by a gag order especially from a court.


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