Safeguard Properties – Menace or Good Neighbor?
Safeguard Properties… an Ohio based property management company that manages and preserves at-risk and foreclosed properties. Sounds pretty legit, right? Many homeowners and the Illinois Attorney General say otherwise. In the words of the Lisa Madigan, Illinois Attorney General, “Safeguard has unlawfully dispossessed legal occupants of their homes by breaking into their houses, locking the occupants out of their homes, removing the occupants’ personal property, and shutting off utilities in the home, often in the face of clear evidence that the property remains legally occupied.”
Madigan is so troubled by the company’s conduct that she is willing to use the power of her office to shut the company down!
Look at the Safeguard Properties website, however, and you will see that their “corporate values” include, “Safeguard also supports efforts to… help troubled homeowners remain in their homes.”
So who is right? Our bet is on Attorney General Madigan.
Safeguard Properties Lawsuit – Dilene Bishop
According to the state’s complaint, Dilene Bishop is a homeowner in Dupage County, Illinois. Although she fell behind on her mortgage with CitiMortgage, she had not been foreclosed or evicted. The state says Citi contracted with Safeguard Properties for “inspection” services. They say after getting the contract, a subcontractor of Safeguard broke into the Bishop home. While Ms. Bishop was recovering from cancer treatments with her mother, the subcontractor placed glue in the locks and shut off the water to the home.
Ms. Bishop contacted Safeguard but they wrongfully told her that she was not entitled reside in her home!
Lest you think this is an isolated incident, the complaint reveals other similar horror stories.
These problems are not limited to Illinois; we are currently assisting with a case in Cleveland in which a woman says she was wrongfully locked out of her house on Christmas Eve.
We are currently seeking other homeowners who were wrongfully evicted from their homes by Safeguard Properties or one of their vendors. Most states have a consumer fraud law that prohibits a banks and property managers from illegally breaking into one’s home, changing locks, falsely telling homeowners they can’t return and from stealing one’s personal possessions.
In addition to homeowners who may have become victim to Safeguard, we are also seeking to talk to vendors or contractors who have knowledge of Safeguard’s practices.
For more information or to see if you have a potential claim, contact attorney Brian Mahany at or by telephone at (414) 704-6731 (direct). All potential client inquiries are protected by the attorney-client privilege and kept in confidence.
Post by Brian Mahany, Esq.
(tag as Safeguard Properties, Safeguard fraud, Safeguard lawsuit).
*We are located in Wisconsin and have affiliated lawyers in several states. To date, we have handled cases in 28 jurisdictions. Most cases can be handled on a contingent fee basis meaning no legal fees unless we are successful recovering money for you.