- Report: #1188533
Complaint Review: Michael W. Lanier - Jacksonville Florida
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Author Not Confirmed
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Michael W. Lanier
2711 Dean Rd, Jacksonville, 32216 Florida, USA
Phone:
(904) 379-3954
Web:
http://www.llgonline.com/
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Michael W. Lanier Lighthouse Law GroupMichael W Lanier PaLiberty & Trust Law Group Michael W. Liar (Lanier) puts the con in con man Jacksonville Florida
Report Attachments
I responded to a letter I received in the mail offering assitance to save my home. At first the staff seemed really involved and helpful until days went by and it's two days until the suppose sale date of my home and after numerous call I still haven't heard from anyone. I tried getting in touch with the man who was in charge of taking my money, John Stepp but he said it was out of his hands, it was his birthday, and started yelling all types of gibberish into my ear over the phone. When I finally got in contact with Michael Lanier he seemed more amused about the situation than apologetic, saying Stepp must have been inebriated from partying too hard.
I was told I was getting a refund after they found out I contacted the BBB, we already discussed we wanted to stop working with them and Mr. Lanier agreed to wire back atleast 1000.00 dollars out of the 1300.00 I had given him total and it'd be in our account come morning. We texted him the account number, our name, and the banks name and he texted back "okay". I sent them all I had some of which I borrowed. I was with my son at his doctors appointment when the tables turned and Michael Lanir said he had good news, got the judge to stop the sale by some sudden miracle, and sent a sort of evidential file through my email which wasn't even opening all after our previous conversation just moments before when he already said things weren't looking good for us.
At this point I was far beyond fed up with these people and wondered if he had done anything the whole time at all. He got a major attitude after we started asking simple questions such as what was the judges name and what happened to getting our money back, we could have atleast looked for a place to rent. He was unable to answer any of my questions, said it wasn't in front of him, excuse after excuse and got extremely rude and nasty saying that we were being "jerks", "putting on a charade", and should be thanking him for "the work he did".
He now insists on keeping any money for whatever he allegedly accomplished between the time we agreed on a refund to him verbally attacking and insulting us on the phone. I put my faith in this man, he and his staff are very unprofessional and heartless. Way to kick someone when they're down. I deeply regret not doing my research first and hope no one else falls for this ploy. I've read countless negative reviews about this guy. What they're doing is not right ethically and I doubt legally either. Not only have I failed in saving my house but I let myself get taken for a fool and advantage of when I was already in a weak spot. I am currently in even worse financial conditon now because of all this then I was before getting involved with Mr. Michael Winston Lanier and his Lighthouse Law Group.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Eve
Port Charlotte,Florida,
liars
#2Author of original report
Fri, November 14, 2014
I would like to know exactly what sale was stopped and when for upon checking my mail I've received the certificate of sale for what was formerly my home. It notes the property was sold to the bank of New York Mellon, The Highest and best bid received for the property in the amount of $5000.00 this is also in the newspaper.
Report Attachments
Lyndi
Jacksonville,Florida,
Client was unhappy even though we did exactly what she hired us to do
#3UPDATE Employee
Thu, November 13, 2014
This client hired my firm on October 14, 2014 to defend the foreclosure of her home, and try to stop the auction of her home scheduled for November 6, 2014 – less than a month away.
She spoke and emailed with her case manager many times over a two week period. Our office sent documents to her that she needed to complete and return, some of which she lost. Those documents had to be resent to her which she had to mail back as she couldn’t scan or fax them back to our office. Naturally, this hindered the work that could be done on her file, and time was obviously very valuable in this case since her sale date was just a couple of weeks away.
On November 3, 2014 she called in to our office to let us know she had made a payment that she was scheduled to make, per the terms of her contract, and also to let us know she would be putting in the mail that day the documents she was still needing to get back to us. At this point, her home was set to be auctioned off in 2 days.
We are unclear as to what changed her attitude, but around 6:30pm on November 3 the client called the office and spoke with Mr Stepp who advised her that the attorney and her case manager were both already gone for the day, but he’d have one of them call her first thing in the morning. She seemed fine with that. She then texted Mr Stepp on his cell phone later that evening while he was at a birthday dinner with his family. He returned the text telling her that he was gone from the office himself now, but had a reminder on his desk to have the attorney or case manager give her a call in the morning. She called his cell phone at 11pm, and she called his cell phone again at 6:58am Tuesday, November 4. He again advised her that he would have the attorney or case manager call her when he got in to the office. At that point, Mr Stepp reached out to the attorney to call her immediately. Attorney Lanier called her from his cell phone as he wasn’t in the office at that time and had no access to her case file or notes.
This client filed a complaint with the BBB on Monday, November 3 at 8:34pm. The discussions that Mr Lanier had with the client regarding refunds were an attempt at explaining the terms of the contract she signed, and no refund was being offered just because she filed the complaint. Her contract simply says funds she pays are put into a Trust account and will be billed against for work performed on her file. Once a client terminates services with our firm an accounting is run of all work performed and any funds paid in excess of those charges are refunded to the client. I have run an accounting and she had an excess of $286.25 which was refunded to her by check and mailed November 11, 2014 at the advice of our attorney.
In the course of work performed for this client we drafted and filed a Motion intended to stop the auction of her home. This Motion was filed and ruled upon by a judge who granted our Motion based on the defenses raised in that Motion. Therefore, her home was saved from auction based on work performed by our office. Since this notification of her complaint from Ripoff Report I checked the docket again on her case. The county did not enter the judge’s Order before the auction of her home went through, and she needs further legal assistance to complete the work our firm began.
