IRELA President Ralph Schumann was recently interviewed by Super Lawyer Aurora Abella Austriaco on WSBC 1240 AM regarding IRELA's mission and current activities, TRID Issues, Cybersecurity and Wire Instructions scams.
In April, 2017, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (“IDFPR”) initiated prosecutions of two Illinois attorneys for alleged violation of the Real Estate Appraisal Licensing Act of 2002 (225 ILCS 458/Art. 1) (the “Appraisal Act”). The two attorneys were engaged in representation of clients and were attempting to obtain reductions in the assessed value of certain real estate parcels.
Read MoreRalph J. Schumann, who serves as President of the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association (www.irela.org) recently participated in a TRID (TILA / RESPA Integrated Disclosure) Panel Discussion in Springfield with industry professionals. The Panel Discussion was sponsored by the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR).
Read MoreRalph J. Schumann, President of the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association (www.irela.org), recently testified before a Senate Committee in support of Senate Bill 2688, which provides a mechanism for the IDFPR to curb certain abuses in the title insurance industry, and specifically authorizes IDFPR to take steps to prevent kickbacks and other practices which violate Section 8 of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA).
Read MoreRalph J. Schumann, who serves as President of the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association (www.irela.org) was recently interviewed by the Illinois State Bar Assocation as part of a series of short videos. Schumann was selected to discuss issues of interest to attorneys practicing in the area of Real Estate Law, and commented on changes to Forms affecting Real Estate practitioners with the implementation of TRID (TILA / RESPA Integrated Disclosure).
Read MoreRalph Schumann, President of the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association (IRELA), recently presented a check from IRELA to the Lawyers Feeding Illinois program. Pictured below are Ralph Schumann (right) and ATG Vice President and Special Counsel John O'Brien (who is also the Founder of IRELA). For more information, call 847.273.8700.
Read MoreRalph Schumann recently spoke at an NIU Law Review Symposium on The Mortgage Foreclosure Crisis
as part of a panel of national speakers on the topic of "Foreclosure Defense and Alternatives:Litigation Steps, Practice Suggestions, and Recent Developments."
Read MoreRecently, former employees of Bank of America admitted in sworn statements filed in a civil lawsuit pending in federal district court in Massachusetts that they were "told to lie" to homeowners, fraudulently denied loan modifications and were given bonuses, gift cards, and other incentives to intentionally push into foreclosurepeople who would have otherwise qualified for a HAMP or other loan modification.
Read MoreRalph Schumann, President of IRELA, recently spoke recently at a Greater Illinois Title Company CLE Seminar on the Multi-Board Residential Real Estate Contract at Maggiano's Little Italy in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Read MoreRalph Schumann was recently interviewed by The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin regarding recent developments affecting real estate practitioners.
Read MoreRalph Schumann, President of the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association (www.irela.org), recently participated in the recording of a CLE program for ISBA's "Illinois Law" series on Landlord-Tenant issues. Pictured above (L to R) are former IRELA Board Member Samuel Levine, Joel Chupack, Ralph Schumann, and program moderator Marty Dolan.
Read MoreRalph Schumann was recently interviewed by veteran political reporter Dick Kay of WCPT 92.7 FM on the housing market, short sales, and mortgage foreclosure defense basics.
Read MoreRalph Schumann was recently interviewed in his capacity as President of the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association for a story aired on National Public Radio’s on property flipping: "Flipping Houses in a Post-Bubble World." (PDF)
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