Real Estate Fraud
There is no such thing as a "cheap" house in Arizona. If you think you got a deal, you may have been taken for a ride. At Platt & Westby, P.C., we represent homeowners who believe they have been victimized by unscrupulous sellers into buying a house with defects. Real estate fraud takes many forms, and is a more common phenomenon than one would expect.*
What is Real Estate Fraud?
Real estate fraud is any illegal activity done with the intent of misrepresenting information in any real estate related documents that involves the transfer of money.
According to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), there are some common types of real estate fraud:
- Two different sets of settlement statements are prepared by the buyer. One set is given to the seller which reflects the accurate selling price, the one given to the lender shows a grossly inflated selling price. This is done to yield a larger loan. When the larger loan is given, the excess is divided among the conspirators.*
- Some buyers use money for the down payment of a home that has actually been borrowed from a friend or relative and claim it as a gift. While this can be an acceptable form of down payment, if that buyer then repays the amount that is considered fraudulent because a "gift" by law is not to be repaid.
- Where the servicer of the mortgage uses unethical and even illegal methods to entice people to obtain or change their mortgage. Once done, the mortgage terms are somehow incredibly damaging, (e.g. the interest rate is so inflated the borrower can no longer afford the mortgage and goes into default). Although this type of fraud is commonly called real estate fraud, it is actually referred to as "predatory mortgage servicing."
While the above are common schemes, there are other actions that qualify as fraud in real estate transactions. Such as non disclosures, or misrepresentations by the seller to the buyer about the condition of a property.
We Represent Victims of Real Estate Fraud
Our lawyers at Platt & Westby, P.C., are experienced litigators who know their way around a courtroom. Our real estate attorneys also possess unique understanding of business functions and real estate investment. This combination of knowledge and skills equip our law firm to provide effective representation to homeowners who have fallen victim to real estate fraud.
We represent homeowners, buyers and tenants in real estate fraud claims arising when a homeowner or tenant becomes aware of undisclosed defects in the property or title, such as:
- Undisclosed property defects: such as undisclosed water leaks, mold, foundation problems, defective construction and other property defects
- Title defects: such as prior liens, underlying foreclosed mortgages, easements and other problems with the title
Our Arizona real estate lawyers are also available to represent victims of fraudulent mortgage lending, or predatory mortgage servicing, who purchased property at an inflated price as a result of an inflated appraisal or other fraudulent scams.
Our Firm Has Been Trusted by Clients Since 1974
Our real estate fraud attorneys handle cases of nondisclosure of defects and fraudulent sale of lands or conversion of property. Contact us or call 602-277-4441 to speak to a real estate fraud lawyer at Platt & Westby, P.C., for experienced legal advice and representation. We are committed to prosecuting cases of real estate and mortgage fraud to the fullest extent. For your convenience, we serve clients from six office locations in the Phoenix area, including Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Goodyear, and Glendale, Arizona.
*Lenders are also common victims of real estate fraud however Platt & Westby, P.C., does not represent lenders.
Daniel T
05:29 09 Sep 23
Mr Rahtz is a compassionate, knowledgeable and strong lawyer. He set reasonable expectations for my case and delivered results exceeding my goals! Mr Firas, another associate in the firm, is also great! Thank you!read more
Rhonda Rolf
23:56 08 Jun 23
Mr. Rahtz was attentive, extremely knowledgeable and confident with the available options he presented to address my situation. He did not make me feel rushed or insignificant. I very much appreciate the time he devoted to my consultation.read more
J.D. Purves
20:37 24 May 23
I've worked with both Pete Westby on a real estate contract and Andy Rahtz related to family law. In both situations they provided excellent service, I am both happy and confident in the work they performed as well as felt the prices are very fair. They offered free initial consultations and their were no surprises outside the initial prices quoted.read more
Cindy Morris
22:43 09 May 23
The people in this office are the nicest people I hired them and they got my case done in less than a week. They worked with me every step, answered all questions I would recommend them to everyone. Thank youread more
Zanzibar Vermiglio
17:51 01 Feb 23
I have gone to these guys for years now. I'm so happy to my friend Allison for turning me on to them. From Real Estate Contract to business formation, they always know exactly how to engineer the right result. Beyond that, they just seem to care. Thanks guys.read more
Kimberly Just Kimberly
00:24 15 Jul 22
EXCEPTIONAL - EXCEPTIONAL - EXCEPTIONAL!SO glad I did the free consultation!I have a dear 83 year old friend, I'm his POA, and a Trustee on his Revocable Living Trust.My friend wanted to make changes to his Trust, some which were just complicated enough to cause me concern about whether his original Trust could be amended to accommodate those changes, and whether I'd legally be able to enforce those changes -- to make sure his last wishes are honored -- when he passes.Our free consultation with Andy Rahtz, was invaluable in helping sort out our concerns! I am SO grateful, for my friend's sake!Andy went through our long list of "what if" questions, and gave SUCH great advice, taking the time to walk through the pros and cons of several ways we'd considered moving forward to accomplish what my friend wants to do.I appreciated SO much Andy's direct, frank, objective legal views, and because of this call, understand the best course of action, going forward, so *I* am able to best help my friend have his last wishes honored.I can't possibly give Andy a high enough endorsement for the peace of mind and GREAT legal advice he gave. Wow. Just wow.read more
Katie Filous Malka
00:23 25 Mar 22
I had a consult with Andy today, and as an attorney myself, I really appreciated his candor, honesty on Platt & Westby's expertise, and overall assistance. While it turns out they do not handle the type of case that I have, if you are looking for lawyers with integrity, these are your people. Their consult scheduling process was also very organized and easy. Thank you all!read more
MOhamed kone
01:23 24 Jan 22
I recommended this law farm to anybody need help need a classic Mind set you should got to them if you need fight for your case or not they will not waste your time or waste your money very straightforward honest great people great customer service tell you truth is not about money it’s about trustread more
Arteemaker
14:13 04 Jan 22
The team at Platt & Westby is very professional and competent. They take the time to talk to you and come up with smart solutions. They are very hard working.read more
Steven Levy
17:04 24 Dec 21
Got a free consultation and the attorney was very helpful. Highly recommended.
Ken K
11:54 11 Oct 21
It's ok if you already know you'll win otherwise you're just suing yourself trying to communicate with them. I guess it's the same everywhere now days. Not like the old days when you were not a victim on both ends 😆read more
Ben Cook
17:05 18 Oct 19
Andrew Rahtz is the most knowledgeable and professional attorney I’ve ever met. He handled my case with care and helped me navigate the complications of my case. With him, I was able to get near 100% custody, legal decision making and child support. I cannot recommend the the legal team at Platt and Westby highly enough. Thank you Andy!read more
Dani Buskohl Cook
16:57 18 Oct 19
Thank you Andy Rahtz (and rest of the P&W team) for taking such great care of us! I highly recommend this firm, especially Andy. He helped me with both personal and business cases. He is knowledgeable and helpful and I couldn't have accomplished what I did without him.read more
Courtney Laabs
07:27 28 Aug 19
Elizabeth Westby has been my ally in a long running family law issue. She has been accessible, responsive, kind and supportive. I’m incredibly thankful I found her.read more
Ramsey Bergeron
10:37 08 Aug 18
I was referred to Andy Rahtz by a mutual friend to review a situation that I was told by other firms would be fruitless. Right from the start, Andy gave me incredibly helpful advice. He explained things in a way that was easy to understand and gave me hope. Extremely knowledgeable in all the different facets of law surrounding my business case, he answered any questions I had quickly, courteously, and (just as important 😉) accurately. I always felt he always had my best interest in mind and made it a priority to keep me in the loop with the progress being made on my case. I highly recommend Andy and the team at Platt & Westby! Thank you for helping me get justice!read more
Paulo Soares
01:38 11 Jul 18
Mr. Westby really knows his stuff, and gave me some excellent advice. I will be back to move forward on my situation.
Kenneth Crayton
07:30 22 May 18
RahtzHe gave me his undivided attention and seemed to genuinely care. In my experience, it has been very tedious and daunting to begin a conversation with an attorney, especially one at a law firm with other partners, etc. That is, usually law firms won't lend an ear, it seems, unless you pay $100-300 initial consulting fee, which is basically a $15 overview of your case and whether they think it's worthwhile$$$.However, not only was I surprised to see Attorney Rhatz offer a no-cost consultation, but he also kept it "real." He advised me with information that even seemed to work against his assumed interest in profit (i.e., he didn't try to exploit me for money), such as by providing me with self-help research suggestions, and even helped me put together an outline for my case.He didn't want me to lose more money winning with him (he didn't want me to spend so much money to retain him, that even if winning the case, I'd still be at a net negative dollar-loss).He gave me his undivided attention, asked questions that showed he actually paid attention, and was very resourceful with directing me towards credible sources of jurisprudence.What's more, is that he didn't throw me out after 15 minutes, but rather stayed with me until he felt I was sufficiently informed with the material and answers to questions to send me along my way.This man even read through all my notes and connected with me as a person.I also appreciated his aggressive, but civil, nature towards vanquishing the countering party. He is strategic, he is prepared to preempt the countering party's legal arguments by first calling them out himself, and sparks reassurance that he is sedulously and astutely on the case.Obviously, I would recommend attorney R Andrew Rahtz for the aforementioned reasons, despite only meeting with him one time on an preliminary consultation.read more
Melissa Keiper
00:40 22 Feb 18
I wrote in to a law message board asking about a step in my case and Mr. Peter Westby replied with some sound advice. I emailed him to thank him for his advice and shared with him I was not being represented. He offered to meet with me to go over my case and possibly about representing me. In our meeting he allowed me to give him all the details of my case and he spent a good amount of time offering advise and insight to the law pertaining to my situation. Mr. Westby was very patient and allowed me to ask multiple questions and was thorough in his answers. Because I live 2 hours away and in a different county (Tucson), and because my case will most likely go to trial and the cost of travel for him to represent me I am unable to retain Mr. Westby as my attorney. However, if this were to be taking place in Phoenix I would hire him in a heartbeat. I appreciate his willingness to talk with me and spend his time assuring me about the steps i'll need to take in my case. He was very prompt in his reply to my question and then for scheduling a phone conference to go over a case he prob knew he wouldn't be able to take given the distance.read more
Lance Wallace
16:44 04 Jan 18
I've worked with Pete Westby on a few matters over the years and I do recommend him and his firm. It is nice to talk and work directly with a principal of the firm who has both integrity and tons of experience.read more
David Hughes
17:08 08 Nov 17
Mr. Westby was great and very knowledgeable and the staff was friendly and very responsive and kept me informed every step of the way... I would and will definitely recommend Platt & Westby P.C. to friends and family.read more
John Rukavena
23:25 12 Oct 17
Meet with Peter today and was very impressed. I had a large tile job that was done improperly and was not sure if a lawsuit made economic sense. Peter was straightforward and told me that if the contractor did not have sufficent assets, a lawsuit would be risky because a favorable court decision might not result in a payout. I now know what I need to do thanks to Peter.read more
Jordan P
19:07 04 Sep 17
We went in for our free consultation regarding our legal concerns and we were very happy with our experience and outcome of our situation. Mr. Rahtz was professional, informative, and helpful. I would recommend him for anyone seeking legal counselling. Thank you to Mr. Rahtz and the rest of the team at Platt & Westby.read more
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