Complaint Review: Siringoringo Law Firm

Alfred Clausen Ordered to Desist and Refrain by Real Estate Commissioner-

 The Commissioner of the California Department of Real Estate, Jeff Davi signs and files Order To Desist and Refrain and complaint blogs light up like a Christmas tree with hits of Clausens name.

Alfred Clausen was ordered to desist and refrain and/or was accused of violations of law relating to loan modification services.  You can actually read the case file PDF from the Department of Real Estate of California of case number H-36637LA at this link: Alfred Clausen Order To Desist and Refrain. or  You can also conduct a Google
search with the above case number H-36637LA to get a direct link to the Department of Real Estate web page.


http://www.dre.ca.gov/pdf_docs/loanmod_drs/H36637LA.pdf
 

Additional but unconfirmed information about Clausens loan modification and/or foreclosure rescue complaints, including a video of Clausen himself can be found at this link: http://getoutofdebt.org/18442/liberty-law-firm-in-california-is-it-brian-colombana-esq-or-american-financial-modifications. You will need to scroll down to the first video to see Clausen. To read the blogs entries about Clausen; you may want to sort the comments with the newest first, and then do a page search (ctrl+f) with Clausens name, and then highlight all the hits, and then click through the page to really see this blog light up light a Christmas tree.

 Alfred Clausen is currently operating under the name of Clausen and Cobb Management Company, Inc. with Joshua Cobb, a capitalist who is the financial partner and who has apparently been funding this entire enterprise. With this entity in place, Clausen has teamed up with the Siringoringo Law Firm which also has been going by the name of Siringo Law Firm and is providing loan modifications and/or foreclosure rescue services.  Here is a link to their web page: http://siringolaw.com/SiringoLaw.com/Siringo_Law_Firm_Home.html

The Siringoringo Law Firm is best known for its current radio, T.V. and YouTube video advertizing campaign
heavily promoting a Free DVD of The Secret to Renegotiating Your Mortgage.  This ad campaign makes a HUGE
point about the companys BBB A rating, offers a cheesy testimonial and heavily promotes a Free DVD,
and then asks unsuspecting troubled homeowners to call a toll free number to receive it.  Apparently the DVD does not
exist nor is anything ever sent out, but if you insist enough they will direct you to the company
web site where you can see a video. 

This video is just over ten minutes long and provides little to no real useful content, but if you stick with to
the end you will learn that the much hyped Secret to a Successful Loan Modification is; A) Having a Complete application, B) Having your financials meeting investors (lender) guidelines, and C) Constant Contact and Negotiation
with servicer (mortgage loan company). This is no real revelation to people who are in the business of modifications
as this simple information is widely known and available, but it does go to prove that the old adage in adverting to sell the sizzle and not the steak is still alive and well today.

Siringoringo Law Firm call center employees are trained to ignore all DVD request and to just starting going through a phone script designed to extract information about the distressed homeowners financials, and once they feel they have enough information they will push to make an appointment to have them come into the office for a consultation.  The phone is then transferred to an underwriter who is actually a well trained closer to verify the appointment and make sure that the homeowner comes in to see him or her.  If a caller does not make an appointment or calls and then hangs up the non-suspecting homeowners number is registered into the telemarketing bank call-back system where the telemarketers are trained to relentlessly call repeatedly until new contact is made.  The worst part is that if a homeowner does not wish to be called again and calls to make this request their phone number will be registered again and now two or more telemarketers will be calling the same number attempting to make contact. 

Siringoringo Law Firms BBB rating has been recently dropping like a rock, from an A rating to a B rating, then to no rating at all and then back to a B- rating again; it appears that the Siringoringo Law Firm struggles to maintain any consistent rating with the BBB and continues to NOT be a BBB Accredited Member.  Although most BBB complaints have been answered promptly by the firm, they are now really starting to stack up. 

There is more trouble for the Siringoringo Law Firm as unconfirmed reports surfaced in mid October that a Costa Mesa Woman and one of the firms top desk managers and contract underwriter in May, pleaded guilty to seven felonies including conspiracy to defraud another of property, grand theft, acts constituting forgery and a variety of sentencing enhancements for her involvement in an identity theft and bank fraud ring. The initial source for this information is a Daily Pilot News Article dated August 26, 2011.

This information only became known to Siringoringo Law Firm when an Orange County District Attorney Press Release surfaced in the office naming this desk manager as one of four defendants charged with; 43 felony counts of forgery, 31 felony counts of grand theft and one felony count of conspiracy to defraud another of property, and one felony count of conspiracy to commit a crime whereas she was immediately terminated by the firm.   

What appears to be in question is whether or not this Costa Mesa woman is one and the same as the desk manager who was terminated following the outbreak of this information, but judging by this firms actions it would certainly appear that way.  Anyone who has had prior contact with the Siringoringo Law Firm and is concerned whether or
not they might be affected can make their own determination themselves by seeing a PHOTO of this Costa Mesa woman which appeared on an F&I agazine News Article originally featured in January 2009. 

These recent developments come on the heels of other major company challenges the Siringoringo Law Firm has been
recently plagued with.  For instance the company grew very fast and opened several offices too soon; two in Upland and one in Glendale, apparently someone made a fatal error in their budget which was based a projected increase of sales that never materialized.  The result was the cannibalization and closure of one of the two Upland offices to justify the more recent opening of the Glendale office.

Some other challenges that the company appears to be struggling with is from the consequences of the law of diminishing returns; sometimes more is not better and in this case more advertizing has had little effect in bringing in additional projected phone calls and additional sales, another reason for less calls is that the Siringoringo Law
Firm and their advertising are no longer the only game in town, for all of these reasons and an advertizing campaign that has become old and stale in spite of their efforts to tweek and revitalize them, the campaign ads have
failed to do their job.  This seemed confirmed when a company insider speaking on the condition of anonymity
disclosed that top management was quite disappointed at the staff during a recent sales meeting because their recent investment of approximately $400,000 on an advertizing blitz campaign had failed to bring in much more than a meager
$43,000 in gross sales, which was not a very good return on investment. 

Another problem which the company has failed to acknowledge or to fully account for is the fact that major mortgage servicers are currently trending toward much tighter guidelines and stricter restrictions in getting loan modifications approved.  In other words loan modifications that where approvable just a couple of short months ago are now dead deals today, and to that fact many are now coming back demanding refunds.  As you can see, an unjustifiable expansion based on a fundamentally flawed projected increase of sales, less effective advertising dollars, more competition after the same market share, a stale ad campaign, less incoming calls and tighter mortgage servicer restrictions have taken a HUGE hit at previously incoming dollars. 

It appears that this company has been going through some really tough times and that some of the staff of the Siringoringo Law Firm allegedly may have questionable backgrounds, but one thing should be stated for the record, Attorney Stephen Siringoringos reputation, integrity and standing are NOT being called into question.  These facts remains true; that the Siringoringo Law Firm has been getting loan modifications approved and assisting many distressed homeowners in keeping their homes, that this is evidenced by the large number of verified success stories, a well staffed modification processing plant in Rancho Cucamonga is also a testament as to their commitment in helping homeowners in distress, and finally where homeowners have been beyond help, refunds have been widely issued by the company.  So remember when forming your own opinion, that no matter how good a company may be, there will always be those who can not be helped and they always seem to be the ones who complain the loudest.
 
The information contained herein is derived form public record and/or online posted content.  This does not provide updated information. A Desist and Refrain Order and/or Accusation(s) have been filed by the Department of Real Estate resulting from a loan modification and/or foreclosure rescue transaction.  In some instances, the person or entity has been ordered to stop providing loan modification and/or foreclosure rescue services because the person or entity is not licensed by the Department of Real Estate.  In other instances, the person or entity has been ordered to stop collecting advance fees.  Before considering engaging the services of any of the persons or entities listed, it would be prudent to
inquire about the disposition of the action that has been filed against the respondent.  Further information regarding any administrative action may be obtained through the California Department of Real Estate at the Sacramento
Office at (916) 227-0906.