ABN AMRO Mortgage Group, Inc. dismissed an action in South Carolina District Court alleging manipulation of real estate values.  Each of the defendants was dismissed from the lawsuit.

As previously reported by Mortgage Fraud Blog, ABN AMRO Mortgage Group, Inc. filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Columbia Division against the following defendants:

SAJJ LLC dba US Capital of South Carolina dba US Capital Funding

Mark Anderson aka Mark D Anderson dba Creative Solutions Group

Mark Stewart aka Mark A Stewart aka Creative Solutions Group

Alex J Newton (attorney, alleged to have acted as closing attorney for some of the mortgage loans which are the subject of the lawsuit.)

Morris Hardwick Schneider LLC (alleged that members are engaged in practice of law and that firm was created by merger of law firms of Jackson and Hardwick and Morris & Schneider and that attorneys practicing in the law firm of Jackson and Hardwick acted as closing attorneys for some of the mortgage loans that are subject of the lawsuit.)

H Michael Spivey (attorney, alleged to have acted as closing attorney for some of the mortgage loans that are the subject of the lawsuit.)

Nicholas D Atria (attorney, alleged to have acted as closing attorney for one of the mortgage loans that are the subject of the lawsuit.)

Vision Enterprises Inc

Next Generation LP

James Byrd

Eric Byrd

Charles Byrd

Dionne Byrd

Michael Shane McMorris aka Michael McMorris

Myra Elaine McMorris

Isaiah McMorris (alleged to have sometimes done business as McMorris Renovations)

Charles L Grogan

Charles W Grogan

Eunice F Grogan

James W Fayssoux (attorney, alleged to have been owner of at least one piece of real property on which Plaintiff had a mortgage lien.)

Anderson Fayssoux and Chasteen, Attorneys at Law, PA (alleged that attorneys practicing in the lawfirm acted as closing attorneys for some of the mortgage loans that are the subject of the lawsuit.)

The Trustees and Plan Sponsor of the Anderson and Fayssoux Pension and Profit Sharing Plan

The Epps Company Inc (real estate appraising business)

Byron B Epps (appraiser, alleged as owner of at least one piece of real property on which the Plaintiff had a mortgage lien.)

Wilmer Raymond Ammons (appraiser)

The complaint alleged that ABN AMRO entered into a wholesale lending agreement with U.S. Capital on September 13, 2000 and that Plaintiff purchased and funded over 100 loans submitted by U.S. Capital secured by properties in Richland, Spartanburg, Greenville and Cherokee Counties, South Carolina during 2000, 2001 and 2002. The complaint involves allegations of inflated appraisals, purchase transactions disguised as refinances, fictitious or improper obligations reflected on settlement statements, false and misleading information in loan documentation and transfer of title among several specific defendants at “exaggerated and progressively increasing false values in an attempt to deceive the Plaintiff and others as to the true value of the property and to create a record in the offices of the registers of deeds to support the valuations.  The Complaint included causes of action for violation of the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act, Fraud, Negligent Misrepresentation, Civil Conspiracy, Violations of the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act Section 1962(c) and (d) (RICO), Breach of Contract (against U.S. Capital) and Professional Negligence.