AmeriFirst Mortgage

Find out more about AmeriFirst Mortgage:

BBB Accreditation BBB Rating Business Contact and Profile Business Management Additional Locations and Phone Numbers Licensing Customer Complaint History

BBB Program Participation Government Actions Advertising Review BBB Copyright and Reporting Policy

BBB Accreditation

AmeriFirst Mortgage has been a BBB Accredited business since July 2002. This means it supports BBB's services to the public and meets our BBB Accreditation standards.

BBB Rating for AmeriFirst Mortgage

Based on BBB files, AmeriFirst Mortgage has a BBB Rating of B on a scale from A+ to F.

• Government action(s) against business.

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Business Management

Additional company management personnel include:

Mr. Craig Wise - Vp
Mr. Anthony Latona - Loan Officer

Additional Locations and Phone Numbers

Licensing for AmeriFirst Mortgage

This company is in an industry that may require licensing, bonding or registration in order to lawfully do business. BBB encourages you to check with the appropriate agency to be certain any requirements are currently being met.

These agencies may include:

Division of Financial Institutions, ODC
77 S High St 21ST Fl
Columbus, OH 43215-6108
(614) 728-8400
http://www.com.state.oh.us/ODOC/

Mortgage Broker License ODOC
(614) 466-2221
http://www.com.state.oh.us/ODOC/

Customer Complaint History for AmeriFirst Mortgage

BBB processed a total of 0 complaints about AmeriFirst Mortgage in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period.

BBB Program Participation

Government Actions

AMERIFIRST MORTGAGE and ANTHONY LATONA, after denying the allegations of wrongdoing, approved and signed an AGREED FINAL ENTRY AND ORDER in settlement of charges filed and brought by the Attorney General of Ohio. The charges brought related to alleged violations of Ohio's Consumer Sales Practices Act and Substantive Rules, R. C. 1345.01 et seq. and O.A.C. 109:4-3-01 et seq.

The charges brought alleged that Defendant Latona on or about June 20, 2007, on behalf of Defendant Amerifirst, in connection with residential mortgage loans, faxed to a Franklin County based licensed real estate appraiser two "comp requests" for comparables of residential property located in Ohio. The requests for appraisal were on pre-printed forms with the phrase "Value Needed" with $410,000 on one form and $165,000 on the other. These actions were viewed by the Attorney General as unconscionable practices in violation of R. C. 1345.031(B)(10) and O.A.C. 109:4-3-24(B) by attempting to compensate, instruct, induce, coerce, or intimidate the appraiser for the purpose of improperly influencing his independent judgment with respect to the value of the dwelling in question.

The defendants denied the allegations that they had engaged in unfair or deceptive acts or practices.

Thereafter, the defendants agreed to the following orders of the Court:
1. The acts alleged by the Attorney General violated the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act, R. C. 1345.031(B)(10) and 1345.02(A) and its Substantive Rule OAC 109:4-3-24(B).
2.The Agreed Order will not be admissible as prima-facie evidence of the facts upon which it is based in any future proceedings under R.C. 1345.09 or any other action given that the Agreed Order is entered prior to the taking of testimony.
3.The Defendents are permanently prohibited from violating O.A.C 109:4-3-24 of the consumer Sales Practices Act.
4. AmeriFirst agrees to pay $15,000 with $10,000 suspended for strict compliance with the Agreed Order, and Defendant Latona agrees to pay $5,000 with the entire amount suspended for strict compliance with the Agreed Order.
5. The Defendants may not represent in any manner that the Court or the Ohio Attorney General has sanctioned, condoned or approved any part of the Defendants' business operations.
6. The Agreed Order shall not be deemed to preclude investigation or enforcement actions against the Defendants which are not the subject of the Order.
7. The Defendants must maintain in their posession and control all business records related to requests for appraisals of residential property in connection with residential mortgage loans.
8. Should the Attorney General need to take any action to compel the Defendants to comply with the Agreed Order and prevail thereon, all suspended monetary amounts under this Order must be submitted to the Attorney General.
9. Defendants agree they are responsible for their attorney fees and costs related to this matter.
10. Defendants wil pay all Court costs related to this matter.

For further information regarding this government action, please contact the Ohio Attorney General Office Consumer Protection Service regarding case number 07 CV 017061 at toll free 1-877-244-6446 or website www.ag4ohio.gov.

Advertising Review

BBB has no information regarding advertising review at this time.

BBB Copyright and Reporting Policy

As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business.

BBB Reliability Reports are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. Information in this BBB Reliability Report is believed reliable, but not guaranteed as to accuracy.

BBB Reliability Reports generally cover a three-year reporting period. BBB Reliability Reports are subject to change at any time.

If you choose to do business with AmeriFirst Mortgage, please let them know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Reliability Report.

ID: 14007154
Report as of November 8, 2009 02:39
Copyright^© 2009 Better Business Bureau