Complaint Review: The Law Office of Ronald I. LeVine

My name is Lorraine G. I lost my husband at 37 years old after his long struggle with stomach cancer.  I have four children, the youngest being in diapers at that time. My oldest son, Jimmy, started working with his father at the age of 6,and at the age of 8 acquired a paper route to help pay the bills because my husband had two surgeries and was in critical condition for several years. When my husband John passed at the age of 45, Jimmy, being the oldest brother, took on the role of being the father of his three siblings.

Jimmy went to school and worked around the clock to support myself and my sons. Jimmy has never abandoned his role as older brother.  In 2005, with the money left from my husband, I purchased a commercial property with my son Jimmy. With the financial collapse of the housing market starting in 2008, we faced very difficult times as a family. 

Jimmy hired attorney Ronald Levine to represent him in a chapter 11 reorganization in which our jointly owned property was included. In order to comply with the chapter 11 conditions, Jimmy hired a CPA, a quick books pro book keeper, and several assistants to process the massive volume of paperwork.

The chapter 11 reorganization plan resulted in a cramdown of principle balances, including our jointly owned building and unsecured debt of my son as well, in addition my son paid approximately $170,000 in good faith to the banks.

BCB Bank, which was the lender of our building, reduced the principle to approximately $220,000. BCB Bank started sending our new joint statements with one account number for my son and I stating the new principle reduction. Attorney Levine had run at least a dozen required searches to determine that I, Lorraine, was the joint owner. My son has all the paperwork in which Ron Levine billed him approximately $50,000+ to file this chapter 11. Mr. Levine ran the title, the mortgage note, the assignment of rents, the deed, and all listed my name as the joint owner.

However, Ronald Levine never listed my name on any of the paperwork. BCB Bank sold the loan to 110 Skyline LLC. 110 Skyline LLC took a closer look at the (in hindsight) unsuccessful chapter 11 filing by Ronald Levine. My son's chapter 11 filing, which initially was approved by federal judge Stockroth, was now reversed. My son, after having millions in equity and unsecured debt lowered, now owed millions to the banks because Levine failed to list me on my son's paperwork initially, which is the first thing you do when filing a bankruptcy.

I, Lorraine G, and my son Jimmy owe approximately 2 million dollars on the building which was crammed down to approximately $220,000.  In severe depression, I went to Ronald Levine on August 24th, 2015 and paid him a retainer to represent me. Mr. Levine advised me in late August of 2015 that he would investigate why I was not named in the foreclosure complaint in spite of ownership. I did not receive one phone call or any correspondance for at least 8 months.

Meanwhile, Mr. Levine was well aware that he did indeed know years before that I owned the building with my son. I scheduled several appointments with Ronald Levine explaining that his malpractice and intentional cover up now put my son and I millions of dollars in debt. 

He stated on several occasions that he would contact his insurance for both my son and I and that they would cover the millions in losses. He has never reported anything to his insurance and I have dates and witnesses of him stating that he would report his gross neglegence thus legal malpractice.

I implore anyone out there, an attorney, an ethics committee, a prosecuter, or a group that protects senior citizens can please reach out to me, I would greatly appreciate that. I am getting older and my health is not good. I do not want my husband's blood money lost in vain.