• Address: 2 South Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33131 (map)
• Date Posted: 12/18/09

Hollander and Associates, LLC. established in 1988 located in downtown Miami offers representation for cases in Probate, Estates, Guardianship, Trusts, Fraud, Consumer Protection, Criminal Cases, Civil Litigation, Business Disputes, Real Estate Disputes, Civil Lawsuit Summons Defense, Foreclosure Defense, Annuity Cash Conversions and Condo. Deposit Refunds - both state and federal courts.

Our 4 lawyers, and staff of 10 assist you in all of your legal needs.

Frank L. Hollander
Attorney at Law
Hollander and Associates, LLC
One Biscayne Tower, Suite 1650
2 South Biscayne Boulevard
Miami, Florida 33131-1808
Telephone: (305) 373-9999
Toll Free: (800) 966-4041
Telefax: (305) 373-7777
E-mail: frankh99@aol.com
Web: http://www.attorneyatlaw.bz
We focus on criminal mortgage and real estate fraud and are focused on cases with investigations of all aspects of real estate transactions. We understand the complexities involved in real estate sales and purchases. We have represented real estate brokers, mortgage brokers, property owners, property sellers and property buyers in different cases in which we have been involved.

The most common frauds related to real estate deal involve straw buyers or purchasers of real property; the unreported or concealed payment to one or more parties involved in the real estate transaction; the use of inflated real estate appraisals; the falsification of mortgage documents that are then relied upon by a federally insured bank which lends money based upon the false information; and the agreement between buyer and seller to increase the purchase price of the property to obtain more money from lender than would otherwise be provided.

Other forms of mortgage and real estate fraud include property flipping, equity skimming, chunking, false down payments, double selling, foreclosure fraud, and bait and switch schemes. Often these criminal prosecutions involve false documentation, appraisal fraud, and identity theft. State and federal prosecutors are bringing formal charges against real estate agents, under writers, mortgage brokers, title agents, property appraisers, and straw purchasers/buyers.

Mortgage and real estate fraud cases are normally complex and require significant investigation and the critical analysis of all evidence collected and presented by the state or federal government. All suspects of alleged mortgage and/or real estate fraud must be aware that there are several defenses to these cases, including a lack of knowledge and being used or manipulated by others for purposes of another defendant’s fraudulent practices.

We aggressively represent parties involved in fraudulent real estate transactions. Although a real estate deal has a fraudulent component, that does not necessarily mean that everyone involved in the deal is involved in the crime. While law enforcement officers may take the view that anyone involved in a fraudulent real estate deal had to know it was a “bad” deal, the law does not support such a view. There are innocent participants in real estate deals where fraud has been committed.

We always want our clients to speak with us before they speak to investigators who have contacted them to discuss a real estate transaction where fraud is suspected or detected. We can and have made a difference between our clients being witnesses in a fraudulent real estate deal as opposed to defendants charged with a crime in a fraudulent real estate deal.