PA Lawsuit: Bank of America, contractor sued for faulty foreclosure

2010-03-14 05:45:23 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Business Litigation, Justice News Flash)

Legal News for Pennsylvania Business Litigation Attorneys. Bank of America and their contractor have been sued for the wrongful foreclosure and seizure of a woman’s home.

Bank of America was named in a lawsuit, filed in connection with the unjust repossession of a Pennsylvania woman’s home.

Hampton Township, PA—A lawsuit has been filed against Bank of America and Snyder Property Services, the bank’s contractor, in connection with the faulty repossession of a woman’s home, which included the changing of locks, shutting off of utilities, furniture damage, and the seizure the owner’s pet parrot. The attorney representing 46-year-old Angela M. Iannelli filed the suit in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on Monday, March 8, 2010. Iannelli’s lawyer allegedly noted that the wrongful de facto foreclosure of the residence and miscellaneous flawed seizure proceedings caused her to endure “severe emotional distress, embarrassment and ridicule”, reports the Post-Gazette.com.

According to information regarding the case, Iannelli’s mortgage payments were made in a punctual fashion, though for unknown reasons, Snyder Property Services employees were ordered to “enter, seize, padlock, ‘winterize’ and take possession… cutting water lines and electrical wiring, pouring anti-freeze down her drains and “stealing” her pet parrot, Luke”. When Iannelli arrived at her home, she found that substantial damage had been done to her furniture and carpets, while her doors had been padlocked and her parrot was nowhere to be found. A notice was left on her front door, informing her to contact Bank of America in regards to the foreclosure. Upon doing so, however, representatives at Bank of America seemingly denied liability for the repossession and told her to stop calling.

The bank finally admitted to its wrongdoing approximately one week later and informed the distressed plaintiff of her parrots’ whereabouts. The bank also reportedly offered to fix all damage done through the unjust foreclosure, though she denied the offer, apparently claiming it to be insufficient. The suit contends the bank’s contractor was “knowingly deceptive and lacks a policy to check the validity of it’s foreclosures or stop wrongful ones from happening.” Unspecified compensatory and punitive damages are being sought out through the lawsuit.

Legal News Reporter: Sandra Quinlan- Legal News for Pennsylvania Business Litigation Lawyers.