Dealing with embarrassing foreclosure junk mail and calls.

[BrokeIn2011]

Since my NOD was filed on March 8th and arrived on March 9th, I have been receiving about one piece of “stop foreclosure” related email each day. I don’t mind the letters that are discreet which gives no indication on the outside of the envelope that there is a foreclosure issue going on. Yet I absolutely HATE the envelopes and postcards that YELL OUT “We can stop your foreclosure now!” or similar message in bold red lettering on the envelope or postcard, that even a blind man can see and read. Is there some law that stops these kinds of mailings . . . like the way it works for collectors, where they can not send you anything that appears to be a collection letter, and all collection letters must be sent in a discreet manner?

Lastly, is it normal to receive sales calls from foreclosure prevention / help companies? Since I have past due credit card payment issues, I receive tons of collection letters and phone calls each week, but I no longer answer my phone and nor do I have voicemail, so I can avoid all telephone contact with the mob of collection companies after me, while not having to listen to those painful messages left on my voicemail from collection companies. Yet a few days ago, my brother who lives with me, who’s name is not on any of the paperwork dealing with my mortgage OR the foreclosure, who also has his own landline telephone in his name, received a recorded message from someone stating that they have a case file on some property and they wanted him to call them back. Yet they did not state in the recording “who” they wanted to speak to, yet my brother has been getting this recorded call daily for the past 2 weeks. Upon my doing a Google search on the call back number, this is some company that seems to call people once a NOD has been filed by a lender and this company tries to help the people they telephone with foreclosures / foreclosure prevention. Yet how in the HECK did they get my brother’s telephone number, and why would they be contacting people who’s name that is "not on" or "associated" with the mortgage or the foreclosure? To me, this should be illegal to contact random people who “may” or “may not” be related to the person in foreclosure, since that person’s name is not on any of the legal documents.

Up until now, I HAD NOT read about these scum-bag companies calling you on the telephone, since I do not answer my phone any longer. Yet I had not read about this in any of the foreclosure forums I belong to. Yet I was just surprised that these people “may” call you in addition to or instead of sending you junk mail for their foreclosure services.

Your thoughts?

[GWBcasualty]

<<Yet how in the HECK did they get my brother’s telephone number, and why would they be contacting people who’s name that is "not on" or "associated" with the mortgage or the foreclosure? To me, this should be illegal to contact random people who “may” or “may not” be related to the person in foreclosure, since that person’s name is not on any of the legal documents.>>

It's a landline at the physical address of the property that received the NOD... that would be my guess on how they found that number.

[puggymoo]

I deliver mail so don't be embarrassed. I never say anything to people unless they tell me what's going on and I tell them that things will get better. I am in the same position as you are and it really doesn't matter. I have homes on my route that lost 500k in value and the people walked away. My house lost 110k and only paid 200k. As for the phone calls I just ignore. Most of them are scammers anyway.

[shark66]

Have you checked out what Spokeo and Pipl have on you?

My overall advice would be to simply IGNORE all of them...

Good luck.

[chicagoannie]

Several years ago I had a long term lease on a beautiful home....it was the mountains of junk "save your home from foreclosure" mail that was sent to the property address that clued me in on the fact that my landlord was paying his Texas mortgage with my IL rent money.

And yeah, they can send you mail, emails, call you and your relatives...they track 'em down just like the CA's.

[SleepWellNow]

When the NOD was filed on our house, we came home to find a bag of micorwave popcorn with a couple of Realtor's smiling faces on it with the note "Just popped by to see if we can help". It was so insensitive we just had to shake our heads and laugh. Funniest part is, we are Realtors too!

[Flamingo]

Your foreclosure is public information - there are many companies, etc. that get that information as soon as it is available and send you all sorts of mail, flyers in your door/mailbox and start calling on the phone. The same happens when one files BK - it is also public information and the same occurs as to companies, etc. sending BK related stuff.

[BrokeIn2011]

I sincerely apologize to you all for my taking so long to reply back and I also thank you all for being so nice and kind to help me on this subject, however the past few weeks have been a nightmare for me.

I have been tending to a semi-invalid 91 year friend all this year, then I came down with a bad cold 2 weeks ago, my car broke down on me twice (since I made my original posting) and I did not have the money to get it fixed right away both times, and I have been very down and glum over my financial situation. Yet at least I had enough money yesterday to get my car fixed, so now I have a car again.

Based on what you all have shared, it has been a big help. Thank you so very much for your help (GWBcasualty, Puggymoo, Shark66, Chicagoannie, SleepWellNow, and Flamingo).

[BrokeIn2011]

Have you checked out what Spokeo and Pipl have on you?

My overall advice would be to simply IGNORE all of them...

Good luck.

Shark66, I have only heard about Spokeo and Pipl. I do see that you have to pay for Spokeo, yet upon reading your post, I did opt out of it, so that my information does not show up initially, but I do know that my information is still there and is extractable by people that have some other level of extraction on Spokeo. Yet I did not want to have to pay for anything. Whereas Pipl, is a site I had never heard of it before. Can you please tell me why both Spokeo and Pipl would be of use to me? Yet if either or both are a "one stop shop" site for all of my financial information . . . i.e. my credit reports & scores, to learn if I have an past or pending lawsuits against me, list that I have a NOD, behind in my property taxes, etc., then I would not mind paying for that information. However in your posting, you did not clarify why you were recommending both sites to me.

Please review and advise. Thank you.

[BrokeIn2011]

When the NOD was filed on our house, we came home to find a bag of micorwave popcorn with a couple of Realtor's smiling faces on it with the note "Just popped by to see if we can help". It was so insensitive we just had to shake our heads and laugh. Funniest part is, we are Realtors too!

Sleepwellnow, I enjoyed your posting. For sure, I agree with you when you said that the real estate company that left that bag of popcorn on your doorstep was insensitive. I could not agree more! It is bad enough that a person is under MAJOR STRESS as they work to try to avoid a foreclosure, then deal with all of that “SAVE YOUR HOME NOW FROM FORECLOSURE” junk mail that arrives almost daily once the NOD is filed, then dealing with all of those companies calling trying to help one save their home from foreclosure. Yet I can not imagine the lowlife real estate people that would be so insensitive to show up on one’s doorstep, knowing that person has a NOD filed, trying to do business with a distressed homeowner. GRRRRR!!!

Since I originally did not know about the California foreclosure timeline, I grew worried when my mortgage lender stopped calling me everyday towards the end of January (this year) and then a few days later I witnessed two people drive up to my house and take a photo of my house, and then they drove off. So I was very worried from late January to March 8th, because I thought any day that someone would show up on my doorstep to post the “Notice of Sale” on my property. So at least it was a relief in some ways that once I received my NOD on March 9th and then looked up the California foreclosure timeline upon my receiving my NOD, then I knew that the earliest someone would come out to my house to post the required notice on my house, would be 20 days prior to the Trustee Sale. So for now, until I devise a solid plan on how to handle my foreclosure problems, I am thinking there should not be any government or official or law enforcement people (tied to my NOD) showing up on my doorstep until that date.

SLEEPWELLNOW, IN CASE YOU MISSED THE SEPARATE POSTING I MADE TO YOU, HERE IT IS BELOW:

On a side note Sleepwellnow, since I am unemployed and I am thinking about getting into real estate (i.e. getting a Real Estate license, to become a Real Estate Agent), I was very shocked to learn that someone in your field managed to get a NOD. YIKES!!! What basically happened that you ended up with a NOD?

During the past 2 months, I have talked with some Real Estate Agents who told me that due to the recession, the economy, the very poor housing market right now, they are staying afloat by doing short sales. Though I know that it is a bad time to be in the R.E. sector, however I know that one day things will get better. So since I am about 20 years from retirement, I figure it might be a good time for me to start a new career in R.E., so I can learn from the ground up, and take advantage of maybe being able to learn this field better by things being slow in this industry right now.

Right now the way I feel, as long as there are people on earth, there will always be a need to buy and sell property. So there will always be a need for a Real Estate Agent. So if all goes well, I do not think there is going to be any modern technology to take the place of a Real Estate Agent and the many necessary functions that a R.E. Agent does in order to buy and sell property in the next 20 years. LOL!!! . . . Because I figure if I become a R.E. Agent, I should make a decent career out of it until I retire. Because I know that the economy will get much better again . . . sooner or later, and the housing market will pick up again . . . sooner or later.

Do you have any “pros” and “cons” for me, before I take this big step and career change? Yet as it is, I am unemployed, so my being a R.E. Agent can’t do any harm now can it??? By the way, I live in a city adjacent to Los Angeles. So I would be working as a R.E. Agent in the Los Angeles area somewhere.