Steven J. Baum P.C., Law firm That Hosted Foreclosure Costume Party To Layoff One-Third Of Employees
BUFFALO, N.Y. — An embattled New York foreclosure law firm that was criticized for a Halloween party that mocked the homeless and was recently shunned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will close.
A statement issued Monday originally said Steven J. Baum P.C. filed notice of mass layoffs with state labor officials but did not mention closing.
Firm spokesman Earl Wells confirms it will shut down completely. In a statement, Baum says the firm will fulfill its remaining work.
The firm employs 89 people in suburban Buffalo and on Long Island.
After pictures surfaced of employees dressed like homeless people for Halloween in 2010, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac stopped referrals.
Last month, the firm agreed to pay $2 million amid federal scrutiny, and its practices are being investigated by the New York attorney general.
I hate to see anyone lose their jobs in this economy, but I hope some of the ones who went to the party dressed as "homeless people" think of this--OFTEN--when they start wondering how to make the mortgage payments on their respective homes...
But then, I guess all of them shouldn't have bought more than they could afford...Should have enough put away to cover themselves in the event of such an "emergency."
Side note, NY state takes the longest to get foreclosures finished because they have to go to court and other reasons. I read it would take decades to clear up the backlog. So I would imagine, some of those homeowners, er, squatters, are doing pretty good as long as they can afford to keep up utilities.
Back on Topic. See, sometimes politically correct works, even if this firm still has cases to finish up, months and possibly years later.
Irony? If some of the sacked employees get foreclosed on...
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
I can understand the anger and relishing of the irony here that people who mocked those getting foreclosed on are now losing their jobs.
But I also wonder how much of that "mocking" was really the kind of gallows humor people engage in when they feel uncomfortably close to a very uncomfortable reality. People put on humorous plays about plague even as the Black Death ravaged Europe. While it's possible the employees of this company were all a bunch of soulless sociopaths, it's equally possible this was just their way of dealing with the unpleasant reality of their jobs.
AspenValley wrote: I can understand the anger and relishing of the irony here that people who mocked those getting foreclosed on are now losing their jobs.
But I also wonder how much of that "mocking" was really the kind of gallows humor people engage in when they feel uncomfortably close to a very uncomfortable reality. People put on humorous plays about plague even as the Black Death ravaged Europe. While it's possible the employees of this company were all a bunch of soulless sociopaths, it's equally possible this was just their way of dealing with the unpleasant reality of their jobs.
Good point.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
