“The clerk does not have authority under the statute to question the validity of a signature on a document presented for recording” and that the issue highlighted in the article did not fall under “our purview to investigate or take action.” ~ Sharon Bock
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“What she and the Occupy people are saying is valid,” said Bock. “I think there is a lot wrong with the banks. You’d be deaf, blind and dumb not to see the problem we have between the haves and the have-nots, what the Occupy people are calling the 99 percent … The problem is the clerk’s role is not the right role in which to advocate for these issues.””The question becomes, do we all become advocates? If we do that, what then is the clerk? Am I a policymaker or am I a keeper of the people’s records,” she said. “By statutory authority, I am not a policymaker, [I’m] strictly administerial (sic). My role is solely to protect the integrity of the public’s records and public’s funds. To do that I must remain independent and neutral.” ~ Sharon Bock
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“Several residents assailed Bock, accusing her of not doing enough to prevent fraudulent bank documents from entering the court record. Defending herself, Bock said she must leave such “policing” to the judges.” ~ Sharon Bock
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Ms. Bock can get involved in one kind of fraud but not another?
Let’s change a few words to see if she could investigate foreclosure fraud…
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Clerk finds nearly $1 million over $300 billion in potential fraud in Palm Beach County’s guardian programs property records
WEST PALM BEACH — Palm Beach County Clerk Sharon Bock said Wednesday her office has found more than $1 million $300 billion in “questionable expenses” “questionable property transfers” by guardians foreclosure mills appointed to act of behalf of wards of the court government in the year since she launched the county’s Guardianship Foreclosure Fraud Hotline.
In the past year, Bock said, her office has also conducted 84 investigations into alleged fraud — including three eighty four cases in which arrests by local law-enforcement agencies are “imminent,” a clerk’s office statement said.
Bock said she began looking for a way to monitor how court wards foreclosure mills are treated a few years ago, fearing that a tightened economy would lead to mismanagement and fraud among those assigned to act on behalf of juvenile, elderly or mentally incapacitated people Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the National Banks.
“There’s a misconception out there that wards of the court foreclosure mills typically have no resources repercussions, and that’s just not true,” she said, adding that there are wards foreclosure mills with access to millions billions of dollars. “With the amount of potential exposure, we knew we needed to put something in place.”
So Bock established a hot line — believed to be one of the first of its kind in Florida — and hired a guardianship foreclosure fraud auditor to investigate fraud claims. Bock said she also reached out to interim Palm Beach State Attorney Peter Antonacci, who on Wednesday said he welcomed the oversight from the clerk’s office.
Antonacci added that the more than $300 billion potential fraud figure didn’t surprise him.
“When there are those kinds of resources out there, there will be people who will try to abuse them,” he said, “and it’s unfortunate.”
Charles Contessa, a West Palm Beach member of the National Guardianship Association, A nationally know and well respected local foreclosure defense attorney said he became acquainted with instances of people trying to defraud the court wards with the first elderly couple he decided to represent as a guardian in a foreclosure defense case. He had to intercede on the couple’s behalf to stop a doctor bank from charging them exorbitant fees, and he chased away an aide the bank’s “home inspector” who stole the couple’s jewelry.
“What I’ve found is that in the case of the elderly, there are people who are well-skilled at befriending them and ultimately taking advantage of them,” Contessa said. “It’s disappointing to hear a guardian lender would do that, given the scrutiny that goes with the process of becoming a guardian making a loan. But unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous people out there who will take advantage.”
Anyone who suspects a guardian foreclosure mill, family member bank, attorney or caregiver loan officer of improper financial activities is urged to call (561) 355-FRAUD (355-3728). Reports also can be made by e-mail to fraud@mypalmbeachclerk.com, or online through the clerk’s Guardianship Foreclosure Fraud Hotline page, at www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/fraud, according to the clerk’s office.
There…
Fixed it…
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Great! How many people will be arrested for all this fraud? None! Only the Sheeple get charged with crimes.
The people of Palm Beach County would have been better served if they had just elected Lisa for that seat, but no….they allow a coward to continue to represent their property records. It’s high time we stop thinking that people with higher educaction degrees are better served by the citizens. You tell me how many of those that signed the U.S. Constitution had college degrees? And yet, that is the basis by which our country was founded! You people in PBC for the most part are just the opposite….totally uneducated to the ‘real’ world. It’s no wonder that this state of Florida is one the top states classified as the worse economies! It’s the people we elect to represent us and as the ‘majority’ rules, the majority are ignorant!
I agree with you. Lisa never had a chance the same way Ron Paul never had a chance. He stands for the constitution. yet the Sheeple elect the ones that Rape & Pillage them. The ones that send our children to war for oil. Lisa would have been great and maybe she did
win. but we will never know. The Bankster and politicians will never let it happen, until We The People say enough!
pawn shops know not to accept stolen goods.
sharon bock is an ostrich and worse…
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm… I wonder why the presentation of obvious fraud does not somehow apply when the standing and authenticity of documents entered into her records are attested to by known Robo-Signers. Perhaps Ms. Bock should contact Jeffery Thigpen or John O’Brien about this……. For those who may not remember these names, they are two Register of Deeds Clerks from North Carolina and Massachussetts, respectively, who have refused to record documents signed and/or Notarized by known “Robo-Signers”. Mr. Obrien even maintains a current listing of known Robo-Signers here… http://www.salemdeeds.com/robosite/pdf/robosigners.pdf
Wonder if Bock would ever consider doing this service for the people she allegedly “serves”?…..
Block is a coward, if you witness a crime and do nothing you are considered as bad or worse than the criminal committing the crime. She has a responsibility to maintain the integrity of everything filed in that county and if she knowingly allows false and fraudulent documents to be filed she is a conspirator. I wonder what her comment would be when she realizes the Banks are doing this to her family, friends and neighbors? COWARD, COWARD, COWARD!!!