9 Investigates: Banks accused of "robo-signing"

FLORIDA,None — 9 Investigates reporter George Spencer found that illegal foreclosure tactics may affect your family.

State leaders tried to stamp out the practice of robo-signing documents.

However, Spencer found a lawsuit with stunning new allegations about the problem.

A Winter Springs home is one family's American dream. But it is now at the center of a bombshell lawsuit, which claims fraudulent foreclosures tactics by banks continued two years after Florida's Supreme Court tried to rein them in.

"It's all about how they're bending the rules. It's not about me losing my house," said homeowner in foreclosure Carlos Ramos.

Ramos does not deny missing payments, but said he's furious about the process.

During the housing crisis, watchdogs realized that banks were robo-signing foreclosures, which means signing them without verifying any information.

The Supreme Court demanded that under penalty of perjury, employees must read the foregoing documents and verify they're "true and correct."

Florida's attorneys general also cracked down.

But the lawsuit that WFTV found claims Wells Fargo bank may have ignored the rule long after it went into effect, 10 months after the court order.

One employee, who reviewed foreclosures statewide, was asked under oath:

"Do you get a look at any documents?" the employee was asked.

"No, I do not look at them, but I don't need to look at them," he answered.

According to the defendants, that was "standard and systematic procedure" at Wells Fargo.

Attorney Karen Wonsetler said the foreclosure process may soon be less regulated.

"Florida banks are trying to go the way of California by trying to go the way of Texas, where they can foreclose outside the court system," Wonsetler said.

Wells Fargo hasn't said how many mortgage notes it holds in Florida.

Ramos said he is confident that his family is not alone.

"These are basic laws that are written and they're being pushed aside, and it's happening on a daily basis," said Ramos.

The Ramos' attorney asked a judge to find that the Wells Fargo employees perjured themselves when they signed the Ramos' foreclosure documents without reading them.

That same request was previously denied.

WFTV received the following statement from Wells Fargo Home Mortgage after the story aired on Monday.

"The challenges raised by the Ramos' motion have already been before several courts in Florida, and have consistently been found to be without merit. We believe the court will find that our practices in this case were compliant and consistent with Florida state rules."

WFTV