Friday, June 01, 2001

Disbarred Attorney Causes Client to Lose Home

Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon today announced the arrest of a disbarred attorney whose illegal representation of a client ultimately resulted in her losing her home to a foreclosure.

Norman Ushkow, 67, of 2061 Deer Park Avenue, Deer Park, had been sanctioned twice: having been suspended from the practice of law in 1970, then disbarred in 1982. Both cases involved his handling of real estate transactions, including escrow accounts. Nevertheless, he continued to practice law, and, in another real estate transaction case, is now charged with Grand Larceny and Practice of Law by a Disbarred Attorney.

According to Dillon,

“An Elmont woman, experiencing financial difficulties, sought to sell her home to avoid foreclosure. Through a prospective buyer, she was introduced to the defendant. When that deal fell through, she was approached by another prospective buyer, and she referred that buyer to the defendant. He proceeded to represent both the seller and prospective buyer—accepting $16,500 from the buyer to be used for a down payment, and placing the money is his escrow account. The buyer obtained a mortgage, but the defendant, after repeatedly postponing the closing date, contacted her in August 2000 to tell her that the deal had fallen through, and the seller had lost her home. Outraged, the Ushkow prospective buyer contacted her bank, which told her that the defendant had done nothing to close on her purchase of the home. After repeated contacts with the defendant, she was forced to hire another lawyer in order to finally get her money back.

“In the meantime, the defendant had told the homeowner that she would have to leave the home before the buyer�s mortgage was approved. He directed her to appear in District Court in Hempstead to sign papers which he said would allow her top remain in the house longer. It now appears that this was actually an eviction proceeding. The owner has since lost the home, and it is now being sold by a holding company.”

mortgage fraud

1. I feel for this women. I just lost my home because the lender’s agent and Counsel would not return my calls for pay-off amount and of course buyers backed out. This way at the forclouser sale they now will make or charge me an extra $15,000.00. Not to mention advertized a false redemption period. I have repeatly tried to phone a local Attorney with no return but will be back at it tomorrow. I have had it with these type of WHITE COLLAR crimes. Those men COST ME the sale of my home and then some. If tomorrow works with a Attorney I have contacted hopfully you will be reading about this ordeal.

   Posted by  on  04/23  at  03:17 PM