18 September 3 - 16, 2011


Women get Christian perspective on business


Local businesswoman and author Vickie Mullins keynotes the 6th Annual Christian Women’s Business Conference, held from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat., Sept. 17 at Arizona Community Church (ACC), 9325 S. Rural Rd. in Tempe. The event is open to women business owners and those wanting to start their own businesses, as well as gain an understanding of the Christian outlook on business.


Mullins, a Christian woman, wife and mother, is active on the Women’s Ministry Board, serving on the board of trustees, mentoring other women and committed to volunteering with the American Diabetes Association. Attendees also choose three of four breakout sessions on “The Network You Need to Succeed” with Kathe Wunnenberg of Hopelifters; “Facebook Business Pages - Keeping Your Fans Engaged” with Jennifer Mathus, Women of Faith in Business;”Leading with Vision” with Kendra Tilllman, TheSavvyWAHM.com; and “The Power of Relationship Management in Business” with Kim Herring, founder and principal of Needanassistant.com and Jim Hayden, founder and CEO of Board Developer.


The event is coordinated by Ocotillo resident and businesswoman Janet Drez, director of women’s ministries at ACC, which is co-hosting the daylong program with Women of Faith In Business. Other sponsors include Arizona Women’s Experience and the Women’s Ministry at Arizona Community Church.


The $35 cost includes a continental breakfast, boxed lunch, keynote and three breakout sessions with networking opportunities. Women are reminded to bring business cards to be used during networking sessions and for door prize giveaways.


Attendees are encouraged to bring school supplies such as rulers, colored pen- cils or calculators to be sent to needy boys around the world through the event’s benefi ciary, Operation Christmas Child at www.operationchristmaschild.org. To register or for more information, contact Drez at jdrez@azcc.org or 480-491-2210, or visit the conference website at www.christianwbc.com.


Business


www.SanTanSun.com Mortgage lawsuit scam hits Arizona


Consumers should be wary of any notices or advertisements that claim to offer homeowners facing foreclosure “complete forgiveness of the loan” or other monetary relief if they join a class-action lawsuit, according to Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne. He says such ploys are likely a pretext to collect illegal up-front fees for foreclosure assistance.


In class action litigation, Horne explains that consumers generally do not have to pay to join, and most reputable fi rms will not charge a fee for attorneys to review your case or to determine if you are eligible to join a lawsuit. “The mortgage crisis is only made worse by predators who take advantage of consumers who are already facing the loss of their home,” Horne says. “State and federal law bans almost all types of up-front fees for foreclosure assistance. I am committed to prosecuting anyone who engages in this type of consumer fraud, and it is just as important that consumers be vigilant against these types of scams.” He says notices are being mailed to homeowners or posted on their doors, typically claiming that the fee they are charging is for a “forensic audit of loan documents to see if you are eligible to join the class action litigation.” However, the Federal Trade Commission’s Mortgage Assistance Relief Services (MARS) Rule contains a broad ban on requesting or collecting up-front fees for almost all types of mortgage assistance, including forensic audits related to foreclosure relief. Arizona’s foreclosure consultant statute also prohibits companies from collecting an up-front fee for assisting homeowners in foreclosure.


Foreclosure rescue companies may promise to refund consumer fees if they are not eligible to join the litigation. However, the Attorney General’s Offi ce’s experience with guaranteed refunds indicates that they are very diffi cult to obtain, or the company may disappear before the refund is paid.


Horne notes the California case where 20 different legal groups, charged with deceptively marketing class action lawsuits, are believed to have taken more than $7 million in fees from homeowners in 17 states, including Arizona, after sending out hundreds of thousands of fl iers advertising the program. For those facing foreclosure, refuse to pay up-front fees and instead contact the Arizona Foreclosure Prevention Helpline at 877-448-1211 for free assistance provided by HUD approved housing counseling agencies.


Victims of a class joinder scam or any other type of consumer fraud can contact the Arizona Attorney General’s Offi ce Consumer Information & Complaints Unit at 602-542-5763, 520-628-6504 or 800-352-8431. Consumer complaints may also be fi led online at www.azag.gov/consumer/complaintform.html.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80