Even Republicans aren’t happy about Trott’s predatory practices. That won’t do him any favors in his bid for the seat held by Kerry Bentivolio, who’s on shaky ground himself.
David Trott’s reputation as a foreclosure vulture precedes him. And it’s going to be a huge albatross hanging around his neck in his campaign in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District.
He’s been vilified for snatching away the homes of Michiganders who were victims of predatory lending practices — practices endorsed by Trott himself even as the subprime mortgage market was already melting down.
Trott is notorious for having played a part in kicking a 101-year-old Detroiter out of her home. But he doesn’t just pick on the poor to make a profit.
In 2009, former Michigan Republican Party Chair Saul Anuzis filed suit in Oakland County Circuit Court against OneWest Bank, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, and Trott & Trott — the law firm led by David Trott that specializes in foreclosure services. Anuzis sued these and other parties regarding an attempt to foreclose on a vacant lot he owned.
His allegations against Trott & Trott included making false claims of default, making false claims about the validity of assignments, and drafting and mailing false letters of abandonment.
Although the case was ultimately dismissed, Anuzis claimed that the attempt to foreclose on the properly was invalid and that he had kept current on his payments. Court documents show Trott & Trott repeatedly claiming they lacked “sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations.”
The bottom line? Anuzis clearly felt the foreclosure proceedings were shady enough to take the matter to court and request a jury trial. Trott & Trott’s business — and profitability — centers around taking away people’s homes to make a buck. It’s not hard to imagine the kinds of decisions he’d make if elected to Congress. He’d come down on the side of corporations and the wealthy over the middle class every time.
Meanwhile, current Rep. Kerry Bentivolio has the dubious distinction of being named to Bill Maher’s Flip a District campaign. The host of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” is asking his audience to nominate the worst member of Congress in a competitive 2014 race. Once a winner is declared, says Politico, Maher will consistently showcase examples on his show of what he views as terrible work by the representative. You can tell Maher your favorite bad Bentivolio stories on Twitter using the hashtag #flipadistrict.
Watch this short clip to see what Maher had to say:
Both Republican candidates vying for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District seat are mired in questionable behavior. Whoever wins the Democratic primary and runs against one of these candidates will be starting with a clear advantage.
