On March 6, 2012, K&L Gates LLP filed a federal lawsuit challenging an allegedly discriminatory and otherwise unlawful foreclosure rescue scam targeted to Hispanic homeowners in Northern Virginia. The National and Washington Lawyers’ Committees for Civil Rights are co-counsel with us in this pro bono effort.

We filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and named as defendants Bella Homes, LLC (“Bella”) and a number of its management officials and agents. Plaintiffs Jose and Margarita Viera allege that they have been the victims of Bella’s scheme to target Hispanic homeowners who were having difficulty making their mortgage payments. The crux of the complaint is that Bella and its agents represented to Hispanic homeowners that foreclosure could be avoided by transferring title to the property to Bella and continuing to live in the home as renters.

The complaint alleges that...