Deborah Crabtree, Widow, Sues BofA After Being Overwhelmed With Automated Payment Requests

Robo-signing practices have wreaked havoc across the housing market for some time now, allegedly even leading to wrongful foreclosures.

In Hawaii, though, a recent bank-related incident could best be described as robo-dialing.

Bank of America reportedly pestered a grieving widow with up to 48 calls per day over a missed mortgage payment after her husband died, according to the Daily Mail.

Deborah Crabtree of Honolulu, Hawaii, is now suing Bank of America for what she says were computer-generated calls from the bank as often as every 15 minutes, including during her husband's wake, according to the report. That despite her explaining that she would make the payment once she received her husband's life insurance pay out, according to paperwork filed in the lawsuit.

Crabtree's complaint is only the most recent automated mess in the financial industry. Take, for instance, the case of one man who was threatened with foreclosure for failing to pay an overdue balance of $0.00. Also common is confusion over the mortgage modification process, with some being foreclosed on even while they were in the process of negotiating one.

Outside of the mortgage industry, banks have gotten themselves into trouble for technical errors, such as when Bank of America sent $30,000 worth of Social Security payments to the wrong person. Or consider that Chase reportedly had a man arrested for a check that they themselves had issued him.

The automated phone calls for Crabtree remind of the aforementioned robo-signing practices, shorthand for a number of ways in which banks expedite the foreclosure-filing process. It's recently been made aware that the robo-signing practices date as far back as 1998, causing more than a few errors along the way.

Goldman Sachs, for one, recently agreed with a federal regulator to end robo-signing practices all together, on top of compensating some homeowners for wrongful foreclosures.

On Tuesday, it was reported that major banks, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, have been offered a liability-limiting deal to settle claims of wrongful foreclosure practices -- specifically robo-signing -- in an exchange for an undetermined multi-billion dollar settlement.

Comments

[magdalane7]

09:03 PM on 09/22/2011

I loathe Bank of America. Times are tough. Everyone is given a grace period and if you dont pay your mortgage on the first they are calling to remind you to make the payment. Technically it is not late until the 16th. One or two calls ok... but one day I was getting called every 10-15 minutes all day until I gave up and took the phone off the hook. I dont like doing that, I have children in school, elderly parents, and a resume out there. You know what their suggestions are for finding the money quick? Reps have instructed me to pawn anything I can, get a second job, and find family then go after relatives to borrow off of. I dont even talk to them anymore, I wish freddie mac would actually service their loans rather than have bank of america do it.

[Marci Economidis]

12:41 PM on 09/12/2011

The settlement is ridiculous and essentially lets the banks off the hook for a fraction of the money they have made with their dirty dealing.

[many voices]

12:17 PM on 09/12/2011

The leaders of this bank of theives should be thrown in jail. They are a disgrace to the industry.

[mystshy]

02:41 PM on 09/09/2011

THIS BANKNEEDS TO BE CLOSED AND ITS MGR,,JAILED,NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

[appeallawy]

03:30 PM on 09/08/2011

It is to easy for the Banks -- they have no risk and all the penalties are paid by the shareholders after the CEOs take their cuts and bonuses are paid -- to stop bad business practices or cease illegal conduct by paying out money to the Government who otherwise supports their rapacity. The victim is often not part of the equation and the staggering destruction of the wealth of the nation's citizens is unmentioned. The prosecutors got their feathers, the Government some money and the malefactors have their salaries, bonuses, perks, golden parachutes, company limos, private jets and Uncle Dave has his cat food suppers and dog biscuit snacks.

[TFlint]

12:52 PM on 09/08/2011

I was hounded for months by CitiCorp for a missed payment that I actually had paid on a card that had been transferred to another bank. . About $8. Three or four calls a day. Finally they sent a postcard last week saying that they had failed to notice that I paid the $8 in May. They said they would attempt to restore my credit rating they had destroyed.

[Marie Grace Fiordeliso]

01:12 AM on 09/08/2011

I NEED A LAYWER IF THERE ONE OUT THERE THAT CARES MORE ABOUT THE PERSON THAT MONEY , I HAD SOMETHING BAD HAPPEN TO ME BY A DR AND HIS NURSE BUT DO YOU THINK ANY LAYWER CARES ITS LIKE WHEN I FELL IF IT WASNT FOR MY DAUGHTER I WOULDNT HAVE GOTTEN UP AND THE LAYWER I CALLED YELLED AT ME . KNOW I NEED A LAYWER FOR SOMETHING ELSE BUT NO RESPONDES YET THERE GOT TO BE A LAYWER OUT THERE THAT CARES

[Marie Grace Fiordeliso]

01:05 AM on 09/08/2011

ITS FUNNY HOW PEOPLE CAN SUE OVER STUPID THINGS BUT I HAD AND HAVE REASON TO SUE AND NO LAWYER WILL LISTEN TO ME FUNNY WORLD ISNT IT ...

[Jim Biermann]

12:38 PM on 09/08/2011

Please stop yelling(CAPS)...IT IS VERY ANNOYING!!! the court system is already clogged up with frivolous law suits, so we know lawyers are filing for anything they think they can win. IF what you say is true about your cases, no matter how legit and "right" you think you are in you opinion, it must one hell of a waste of time. Just because you fall does not automatically mean you have the right to file a civil suit against someone. Wake up to reality and get over yourself for looking for an easy buck to to blame someone for your station in life. In other words...SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!!!!

[Donna BalmatJantz]

05:39 PM on 09/08/2011

Jim, I agree with most of what you are saying, except that anyone has the right to sue another, for anything. Doesn't mean it is right, nor that a person should, just means that you have the right to sue. If Marie went to a reputable lawyer and her reason to sue is frivolous, that lawyer probably told her to pack sand (in different terms!). It is not necessarily that a lawyer doesn't care, Marie, they get tired of not getting paid by clients and wasting their time and money, on useless cases. Marie needs to go to the lawyers that advertise on TV.

[ILuvFla]

08:27 PM on 09/07/2011

I can really relate to this article. My husband passed in March. I closed our joint account, two months later BOA credited the closed account $.03 in interest. Next month I was charged $12 for a too low account. I have gone to the bank each month since because now I am getting dunned for insufficient funds. Each time I get one of these notifications it opens the wounds all over again.

[Marci Economidis]

12:48 PM on 09/12/2011

That happened to me, too. Bof A's "change back" program was just a way of trickin gpeople into paying unnecessary bank fees.

A friend's identity was stolen and Bank of America refused to allow her to close the account that was stolen! And kept charging fees and fines......

How does this happen?

My friend is suing. But it is my understanding that the settlement deal with the Govt. will prevent individuals from suing. I could be wrong on that. Moveon.com is protesting the settlement, if anyone is interested.

[hollyann1963]

07:53 PM on 09/07/2011

A liability-limiting deal in exchange for an undetermined multi-billion dollar settlement? Deal? sounds more like a Payoff. Why would these idiots be given a limit to the damages they need to pay, when they created these issues for themselves? All Americans who where devistated by the mistakes in services, their repercussions of the banks errors and excess fees should have all their damages reimbursed.

[elgeezr]

07:15 PM on 09/07/2011

This is the kind of story that lends weight to the anti-corporate rants of the Liberals. Well this is y our chance. Go for it!

[Donna BalmatJantz]

05:42 PM on 09/08/2011

Damn, corporate America, sucks, and the above article displays some of the many reasons.
There are you happy?!?!

[parksle2]

06:17 PM on 09/07/2011

apparently the account was in trouble before this fellow died. you might consider giving the bank a little slack since she must have been unable to pick up the management of the home when her spouse went down but apparently she can respond to hearse chasing bottom feeding lawyers.

[bcwms1963]

06:36 PM on 09/07/2011

Give banks slack... that's rich... U Funny...

[bcwms1963]

06:37 PM on 09/07/2011

Let's not get started on lawyers..... just wanted to stay on topic...

[bcwms1963]

05:11 PM on 09/07/2011

And people made Jessie James and robbers like him into folk hero's...Banks have been hated since the beginning of time...wonder why...

[bcwms1963]

05:22 PM on 09/07/2011

Oh yeah, I forgot... they have an obligation to the stockholders....ouch... made myself laugh so hard my ribs hurt....

[cats530]

05:34 PM on 09/07/2011

yeah an obligation, like Goldman Sachs says, to "rip their faces off".

[Marci Economidis]

12:56 PM on 09/12/2011

Well, yeah. And then there are all those government officials and elected representatives to bribe - I mean "lobby".

After they pay their CEOs and bonuses it's a wonder the stockholders get anything.

[babbs0128]

05:03 PM on 09/07/2011

Nothing BofA does surprises me anymore. 30 years ago I banked with them. They made an error on my checking account & they made me pay nsf fees. The next day I closed the account!

[lumleyq45]

05:02 PM on 09/07/2011

I hope this lady gets a billion dollars out of BA. They are the very bank that caused the all the bad loan problems. I used to bank with them. My tellers were great people. However, the institution stinks!