Have nothing - getting settlement money - input welcome

[haha]

Not talking about yourself, are you?

Yikes, taking on water and sinking fast...

 

[dsprik]

From my quick read of this posting you haven't indicated what your level of investing experience is. Would recommend you go to the Vanguard.com site and take their little self guided test on asset allocation. When you set your AA then you could talk to them about how best to invest it. Or go to the Vanguard Diehards site, new one is at http://www.diehards.org/forum/index.php. You will find a lot of ideas and advice at this site as well as suggested reading if you want to become a better investor.

I would suggest you do not take up the matter with a broker friend as he would have a built in bias. You are lucky he's on vacation .

Les

Thanks, Les! Looks like a great link. I'm checking it out now...

 

[chris2008]

As a lawyer and legal counsel let me mention that those litigations are the longest, nastiest and most expensive ones where one party (or both) states that he/she does not sue for the money but as a matter of principle.
At the end of it usually everybody wishes never to have started....

As a lawyer in such "principle matters" I would make sure always to receive advances that cover my work up to the minute and to have my own liability docs waterproof. Such clients tend to turn in a minute... as a matter of principle.

I do not say that you are one of those - just be alert.

Take care!

 

[dsprik]

Thanks, Chris. Great advice.

I will definitely tone down that type of rhetoric...

Actually, my law firm will consult (and already has consulted) with the lead attorney of these other two cases that mine would mirror. These other attorneys that successfully litigated are licensed in other states, otherwise I would try to contract their services. I have talked briefly to one lead attorney who won this case in order to get his permission to consult with my attorneys:

U.S. District Court (Jury Trial)
$6,375,000.00

$750,000.00 FOR NEGLIGENCE
$550,000.00 FOR DEFAMATION
$642,000.00 FOR TORTIOUS INTERFERENCE WITH PROSPECTIVE ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE
$3,000,000.00 FOR PUNITIVE DAMAGES
$1,433,000 FOR COURT COSTS, ATTY FEES

The other case is listed as follows:

District Court
$5,029,449.12 + INT, COST, ATTY FEES

--Count as filed: NEGL, NEGLIGENCE (GENERAL)
XXXXXXXXXX MORTGAGE COMPANY Disposed: JUDGEMENT FOR PLAINTIFF , xx/xx/2005. Jury Trial.

--Count as filed: OTHER, IMPAIRMENT OF CREDIT RATING
XXXXXXXXXX MORTGAGE COMPANY Disposed: JUDGEMENT FOR PLAINTIFF , xx/xx/2005. Jury Trial.

--Count as filed: OTHER, DEFAMATION
XXXXXXXXXX MORTGAGE COMPANY Disposed: JUDGEMENT FOR PLAINTIFF , xx/xx/2005. Jury Trial.

--Count as filed: OTHER, INTERFERENCE WITH PROPSPECTIVE ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE
XXXXXXXXXX MORTGAGE COMPANY Disposed: JUDGEMENT FOR PLAINTIFF , xx/xx/2005. Jury Trial.

--Count as filed: OTHER, BREACH OF IMPLIED COVENANT OF GOOD FAITH AND FAIR DEALING
XXXXXXXXXX MORTGAGE COMPANY Disposed: JUDGEMENT FOR PLAINTIFF , xx/xx/2005. Jury Trial.

I hestitate to list the mortgage company's name here in public. May be OK. I'm not sure, so...

Anyway, I was STUNNED to read about these cases. I thought I was the only one...

Now I'm in it for the $$$.

 

[JustCurious]

Those cases that you listed are not helpful because they don't have any identifying information, such as a case name, a case number, and the name of the court. Please post that information as well so we can verify.

 

[ERD50]

Those cases that you listed are not helpful because they don't have any identifying information, such as a case name, a case number, and the name of the court. Please post that information as well so we can verify.

JC, Google is your friend:

not sure what to make of this, but it seems like a match.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff165984.htm

JUDGE: REBECCA B. NIGHTINGALE

CASE NO.CJ-03-4426
DATE NOVEMBER 28, 2005

MELBA GILLEAN VS. AMERIQUEST MORTGAGE COMPANY

 

[dsprik]

A word of caution on that site... Some very emotional victims - over the edge - need to pick through and you eventually will get the GENERAL idea of what happened. I would be careful about getting into that war... Also, some trolls in there and some posers. Not who they say they are. Makes it harder, but eventually you can figure it out.

I have talked to some fine folks on the Vanguard site, and I am ordering a basic investing book suggested by most there. Should be very helpful.

 

[ERD50]

A word of caution on that site... Some very emotional victims

Yes, I am generally very skeptical of any of the complaint sites on the web. It is easy for people to exaggerate, and leave out important points. And just because company XYZ gets a bunch of complaints, well, since we do not know how many satisfied customers there are, we really can't come to much of a conclusion.

I just threw it out there, as it seemed to match. May be of no value at all to anyone. So take it all with a giant block of salt.

On the investment side of things - you will get plenty of good solid advice here. The 'victim' thing is just something people here will jump on. Once you get past that, you will find plenty of help offered.

-ERD50

 

[stargazer08]

ERD50, you hit the nail on the head with the "victim" thing. If the post didn't go into the specifics, there would have been no discussion from others about dsprik's situation. I understand the need to vent and commiserate but people need to realize much is lost in the translation of written words. This is a highly emotional time for this poster. The rest of us have not lived through it and therefore have no emotional attachment. We have ability to step back and analyze the situation. Also, not everyone posting on the internet is truthful so I tend to take all I read with a grain of salt...just like you mentioned in your last post. I think this is what upset dsprik with my previous post. If the OP was only about money and how to invest it, I would not responded because I wouldn't have a clue. I'm a member here to learn such things. Most people don't blindly believe everything they read or are told...that's my "analytical" side showing through.

 

[justin]

Regarding the "MELBA GILLEAN VS. AMERIQUEST MORTGAGE COMPANY" case, it is currently on appeal, apparently at the Oklahoma Supreme Court (not sure why it never went to the court of appeals?). The folks who sued ameriquest still don't have their money. They may walk away empty handed, and potentially with a stack of court fees to pay. And $1.4 million of whatever they get looks like it's going straight to the courts or attorneys. And since it is on appeal, the $$ clock is still ticking (although they may be able to recover costs and atty fees for their appeal, too).

FYI, Oklahoma Supreme Court Case # 103201 is the appealed case #. Currently, both parties have filed their briefs, so I guess their next step is the in-court arguments.

To say that the plaintiff recovered "$5-6 million" is to mischaracterize the true nature of what happened in this case. They have zero right now. Going on 4+ years since they were presumably cheated out of their money (according to the district court's findings).

 

[JustCurious]

Others have pursued and all have won in U.S. District Court $5 mil to $6 mil range for the exact same charges as I will bring.

As Justin pointed out, this statement is not correct. Also, the case was in Oklahoma state court, not U.S. District Court. A lot of incorrect facts being thrown at us here.

 

[chinaco]

dsprik - your situation does sound like you were a little naive... but that is not an excuse for the shark that bit you. While you apparently were not able to size up the situation, you can bet the lender did.

I would sue. However, I would not pay the lawyer anything upfront. Let them for a percent. The only thing that might be worse than what has already happened is t be saddled with a huge legal bill if you lose your case.

An by the way... you might well get punitive damages. Hope you get a sympathetic jury.

 

[loosechickens]

we have no help or comment on many of the things in your OP, but as fulltime RVers for a number of years, I can tell you that the amount of income you were discussing is ample to maintain a fulltime RV lifestyle. While we've know folks who were living a pretty good RVing life on less than $1,000 per month and others who had a hard time making ends meet on $5,000 per month, most fulltime RVers average about $1,500-$2,500 per month.

There are also many opportunities for volunteering and/or paid short term employment that lowers your living cost considerably. For an example, we just spent the last month volunteering at a National Wildlife Refuge here in AZ down along the Mexican border. Worked several days a week helping out in the visitor's center, doing maintenance on their solar photovolaic arrays in several remote locations (an area of expertise for us), and in return received a full hookup site in a beautiful place, use of free washer and dryer in a community trailer they maintain for volunteers and researchers, and propane.

Had a lot of fun, and mostly due to the isolated nature of the area, spent less than $100 last month, and that was for some groceries at the little grocery store thirty miles away and some tacos at the mobile taco wagon near the store.........

Lots of opportunities to live inexpensively as nomads, and to do it in interesting places.

LooseChickens

 

[spideyrdpd]

I still get all those stoopid 1% mortgage papers in the mail. They also have some fool on the radio that the Dj says is his "friend". Slime ! Not sure why it continues.

You can look at what most of the guys here invest in if you read through the posts. Most are conservative asset allocators. Its sounds like a great fit for what your going through.
I believe that aaii.com has some good basic information that doesnt require subscribing.