We have always had hucksters and scammers. They have been a part of history since it was first carved into clay tablets. They were a notable minority in every society. It appears that we have flipped the script on that ratio, now it seems the majority of people have cashed in their character for some chips at the easy-money Casino.
I have been meeting far too many selfish people lately. Not personally, mind you, rather they are things that have happened to clients or consultations I have had lately with people I did not choose to represent.
Most of this kind of whom I am complaining seem nice on the surface, but only when you delve deeper to you encounter the cold hard center of their being.
People with great incomes and savings seeking to take advantage of the situation and entering loan modifications (then wanting to sue because their precious credit rating takes a 100 point hit).
People with significant wealth seeking to hide assets and income so as to be eligible for greater public benefits (and becoming irritated with me when I point out that the social services they seek to defraud are meant to help those in need.)
Large land owners seeking to torment smaller neighbors into giving up their holdings at a deep discount (by interfering with access, disrupting water flow and making noise at all hours with equipment.)
Forging documents, cheating siblings out of wills and trusts, strategic mortgage defaults, taking advantage of elderly relatives, widespread mortgage and Real Estate fraud and the so many other disappointing and disturbing means of weaseling undeserved or unneeded resources by people who simply don’t need what they are stealing.
As the economy gets tougher, the veneer is peeling back on these people, and they are reverting to their hard-wired programming of Me. It is almost as if they never grew past early childhood internally, but took on all the outward signs of adulthood (or even old age!)
It would be easy to say that this is normal, accept it as reality and just take who ever comes through the door as a potential client, represent them and “get mine”, but I can’t bring myself to do it. I am sick of these people and I am sick of the harm they have caused all of us, and I hate the fact that they are liquidating my children’s future knowingly and intentionally.
The greed that has infected so many is the root of all of our problems. From the Welfare Queen to the millionaire spending Social Security on golf dues, from the fraudulent mortgage applications and mortgage-equity withdrawals and the subsequent default, modification and strategic walk-away scams performed by church-going “honest” people.
Individually, these people have done well for themselves. For their children and grandchildren, not so much.
They don’t care. So long as they “got theirs”. The car, the house, the handbag and the belief that they deserve so much more is what drives them.
I believe that this situation is coming to a climax. We will all “get ours” eventually.
Collectively, we will get what we are asking for, that is for sure.
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Opinion and commentary about law and life.
Scott-
You are so right! What is happening to our great country? I recently had to deal with an insurance company because my 84 yr. old father’s house flooded. He enlisted in the Navy when he was 20 and was awarded 3 Bronze stars for his heroic efforts in WWII. He consistently paid his premiums for a Premier insurance policy. I ultimately used the insurance companies’ Contractor because my contractor strung me along. It is clear to me that the Insurance companies’ contractor operates on behalf of the insurance company and not the homeowner. The policy states replacement and they try to cut corners everywhere. I had two matching rooms across from each other–living room and dining room. The insurance didn’t want to paint the dining room because the flood water stopped at the edge of the dining room carpet. They agreed to that but don’t want to pay to replace the baseboards so that they match the rest of the house. Etc,Etc, etc. The line of site and replacement value means replace it to match as it did before. If the same base molding wasn’t available and it previously matched in both rooms–it should continue to match.I shouldn’t have to fight to make them do the right thing!!!
My father lives on a fixed income,he served our country, he always pays his bills and the insurance company should make this easy for him and me. There are Hucksters everywhere!!! I applaud you for all of your efforts on behalf of the trustworthy unsuspecting victims.