With foreclosures on the Boise real estate market increasing in 20009, consumer complaints of homeowners seeking loan modifications did too. Foreclosures were up 89 percent from the previous year, but complaints about modifications leapt from a handful in 2008 to 353 in 2009, according to the attorney general’s office. Loan modification fraud complaints dwarfed every other complaint type this year with Idaho’s Attorney Generals office.

Idaho’s Attorney General has gone so far to say that the types of fraud being reported are outrageous. To make things worse, many home loans are not being modified by these companies, even though the property owners pay them lots of money to do so. The legal wrangling has led to 2 filed lawsuits, and 3 settlements being agreed upon on behalf of consumers, through the Attorney Generals office. This kind of criminal act leaves nearly all homeowners in the Boise real estate market without any avenue to keep their homes.

The Attorney Generals office even brought in a counselor to help Boise real estate owners avoid foreclosure through modifications or other foreclosure remedies. Two free consumer handbooks were published.

Efforts last year netted the largest amount of restitution ever recovered by the office - $7.4 million, about $12.14 for each taxpayer dollar budgeted for consumer operations, Wasden said. Topping any previous records, the AG’s office also collected $5.9 million in penalties, fines and fees for Idaho taxpayers. In 2009, the office also recovered $31 million through the tobacco master settlement agreement which was agreed upon in 1998 by the two parties. With a total net to date of $254 million, this agreement has helped Idaho tremendously.

While only costing the state of Idaho $833,000 and bringing in a total of $44 million, the consumer affairs operations are a very positive force for citizens in general, but specifically for those who own Boise real estate. No matter the category, the AG’s office was efficient and effective in 2009. Regardless of the size of the business, the attorney general pursued claims against pharmaceutical giants and small businesses alike. In topics as broad as illegal monopolies to anti-trust issues, Wasden is not one to back off or step aside. Not even price fixing vitamin companies were immune from their pursuit.

Phone solicitors have had to adjust their tactics as well, with over 900,000 new phone numbers being added to the “do not call” list to avoid solicitations. Soon the office will release an important DVD which teaches children how to avoid sexual predators online, called “ProtecTeens”.

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