It is the purpose of this Article to benefit the general public by preventing homeowners who are threatened with the potential foreclosure of their properties from being victimized by persons who obtain payment by falsely promising that they are able to assist homeowners in modifying the terms of loans secured by deeds of trust in order to make the loans more affordable.
This purpose is to be accomplished by requiring that persons and entities seeking to obtain payment for such services enter into a written contract with the homeowner describing the services to be performed and that the contract notify homeowners of their rights to cancel the contract, that no fees be charged or collected in advance of performance, and that any aggrieved homeowner will have a private cause of action for treble damages, costs and attorneys' fees.