DISQUS

Duke · 1 year ago

Laura Richardson makes me puke. I'm sorry if that isn't a professional thing to say, but it's the truth. The best part is, I've had the pleasure of telling her so. She doesn't care.

JuanPardell · 1 year ago

Laura is about Laura. Whatever the case, Washington Mutual's tactics are just as despicable. I sure wouldn't bank with them. However, you know what they say about karma. Perhaps this is why WAMU may not survive the banking crisis. Also, wouldn't this open up the flood gates for others seeking to have their foreclosures rescinded?

John_B · 1 year ago

However one feels about Laura Richardson (and I assure you I am no fan), the fact remains that businessman James York elected to settle the lawsuit he had filed against both Laura and WaMu. No one forced York to do so and if he was thoroughly convinced of the merits of his suit then he had every right, and reason, to press the suit and let the court sort it out.

He did not.

The true reasons appear to be restricted to the parties to the lawsuit, at least for now.

Perhaps this comment on York’s part is the most telling: "I think you guys can figure out what happened. I only make business decisions and nothing else." This infers that his decision to settle was, indeed, a business decision. This, in turn, implies that Laura (or, as is more likely, the bank) made settling *very much* worth York’s while.

If York’s a *good* businessman it’s safe to surmise that the cost for his settling was not, to any degree, nominal.

So maybe we should let it go. Laura has her investment property (and its payments) back and forever gets to deny (or at least try to) that she was ever foreclosed upon. Does anyone really believe, already well entrenched inside the beltway as she is, that Laura will make the place her residence?

York got his price for settling. Whatever else it was, it apparently was agreeable to him else (businessman that he is) he would not have settled. It's also just possible that, as part of the settlement, York retains right of first refusal when Laura decides to sell the place, which I'm thinking will be fairly quickly. Her credit report has been cleared of at least one big red blotch and really that's all this whole thing was about to begin with.

And WaMu? Well, WaMu still holds the paper on a property that has probably already sky-rocketed in value and for no other reason than it is now “the house that Laura didn’t build, lost, found again and will probably re-sell as quickly as one might say ‘Creditors? We don’t got no steeenking creditors….!’”

Juan Pardell · 1 year ago

Yes, Mr. York made a business decision. However, it doesn't erase the cloud of suspicion as to why Washington Mutual would grant preferential treatment for Richardson. Have they given the same courtesy to others that they've foreclosed on? Its worth looking into.

John_B · 1 year ago

Juan: In the absence of a specific victim (and, as mentioned, by settling his lawsuit Mr. York has voluntarily abdicated his status as a victim in this case) your best method to proceed with your inquiry would be to contact the FDIC Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection (DSC).

bill90814 · 1 year ago

I heard Laura has been dating Daniel Lowenthal....Hmmm Laura Lowenthal, well it worked for Suja!