About the Author
Brian Mahany and his firm Mahany & Ertl represent mortgage company employees who have been denied commissions or reimbursement and also represent whistleblowers in claims brought on behalf of the U.S. government. Presently they are partnered with HUD in the largest federal false claims act case in the nation against a mortgage company – the government’s $2.4 billion claim against Allied Home Mortgage. Brian welcomes inquiries at (414) 704-6731 (direct) or by email at brian@mahanyertl.com.
Folk legend says cats have 9 lives. People don’t. Anyone following the storied career of Jim Hodge and Allied / AllQuestHome Mortgage might feel otherwise. We are confident, however, that the game is finally over.
Yesterday, HUD’s Mortgagee Review Board started the process to shut down Hodge once and for all. A letter from the Board to Hodge outlines 7 different charges including failure to implement a quality control plan, branch office violations, submitting false certifications and violating FHA underwriting requirements. Allied, which is now known as AllQuest Home Mortgage Corporation, has 30 days to respond to the charges.
Previously, Manhattan’s U.S. Attorney, Preet Bahara, intervened and adopted our false claims action that we filed last year against Allied and Hodge. The government seeks to collect $2.4 billion in that case, thus making our case the largest false claims case anywhere in the United States against a mortgage lender. At the same time that the government sued Allied, HUD suspended Allied’s operation. All this occurred during the first few days of November 2011.
Apparently using one of his “9 lives,” Hodge convinced a federal judge in Houston that he should not be suspended without a hearing. November’s HUD action wasn’t the first “near death” experience for Hodge. Back in August of 2003 Allied settled charges of improper branch operations brought by the Mortgagee Review Board, the same entity that is giving him his hearing now.
In September of 2003, Allied settled “upcharging” allegations brought by HUD claiming that Allied was excessively charging borrowers for credit reports.
Two years later in September of 2005 Allied settles HUD allegations that it improperly inflated the incomes of some buyers. Fudging the numbers on a loan application to get someone to qualify for lending often leads to higher default rates. When a federally insured loan defaults, taxpayers foot the bill. Not Allied.
In September of 2006 a different federal agency took action against Allied. This time the U.S. Department of Agriculture claimed that Allied mismanaged a rural rental housing loan program.
In November of 2007, the U.S. Department of Labor jumped into the fray by accusing Allied of not properly paying hundreds of employees. Allied settled those charges.
Although Allied and Hodge repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, in each case the company paid hefty fines to the government.
The most recent actions against AllQuest and Hodge are bittersweet to many former Allied employees. Although we firmly believe that Allied / AllQuest doors need to be welded shut, the massive federal actions against the companies means that there is little chance that hundreds of ex-employees will ever get paid. Allied may deny those claims too and continue to profess its innocence but the end of the road is near. If the current actions aren’t enough to sink Jim Hodge, USAToday disclosed that there is a criminal investigation by the U.S. Secret Service. That could mean criminal indictments are also forthcoming.
I can’t think of anyone more deserving of a big fall and a long jail term than Jim Hodge. He has no scruples.
I do not wish Mr. Hodge or any of the individuals ill will, but I do hope to be paid my branch income and commissions that I worked very hard to earn and that Mr. Hodge promised to render.
Good luck getting anything from Jim. He promised that we would get what’s owed to us also and nothing. How can he ever give us what he owes? We lost our house, our pipeline, employees pipeline and not to mention a couple months of lost loans while looking for someone else to work for.
Good luck getting anything from him.
I don’t even think he remembers all the lies he has told.
He should be put away anfd the key thrown away too
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