What do you think of this...

[John.]

My wife works in real estate and sells new homes. She used to work for a fairly large national builder, but recently took a new job at a smaller builder but it's a better job. She gave notice at the old builder, did her 2 weeks and left on good terms (they even said they would love to have her back).
She just found out that the old builder has sent out letters to all of her buyers saying that she left and other sales people in the community would take care of closing up their home purchases. this would normally be no big deal, but the builder wrote this letter and signed my wifes name to it. They wrote the letter in a first person format so it was like she wrote it. She didn't do it, didn't sign any letters and didn't approve for this builder to do this. The letter doesn't say anything bad about my wife, but she's ticked that they wrote a letter (in a format that makes the buyers think she wrote it) and signed her name on it.
How illegal is that?

[vmjtc3]

I would think that if you sign her name to any paper with out having p.o.a. it would be against the law.

[RitcheyRch]

If she didnt sign it than it is illegal.

[RiverDave]

I think she should write a letter to all those people saying she didn't write it.. LOL and sign her name to it with her REAL signiature..
RD

[djunkie]

I'd be looking for a lawyer.

[buzzaro]

My wife works in real estate and sells new homes. She used to work for a fairly large national builder, but recently took a new job at a smaller builder but it's a better job. She gave notice at the old builder, did her 2 weeks and left on good terms (they even said they would love to have her back).
She just found out that the old builder has sent out letters to all of her buyers saying that she left and other sales people in the community would take care of closing up their home purchases. this would normally be no big deal, but the builder wrote this letter and signed my wifes name to it. They wrote the letter in a first person format so it was like she wrote it. She didn't do it, didn't sign any letters and didn't approve for this builder to do this. The letter doesn't say anything bad about my wife, but she's ticked that they wrote a letter (in a format that makes the buyers think she wrote it) and signed her name on it.
How illegal is that?
I would call that companys (that wrote the letter) legal department and ask them, Im sure they would love to know about it. On a side note, my wife just found out she got a job today with a home builder here in Roseville, well their Roseville office anyway.

[ChumpChange]

I'd be looking for a lawyer.
Exactly. Does Larry H Parker do Real Estate Law???? Ask him...afterall...he is here on the boards.

[Drift]

LAME! I would consider that forgery, illegal. Although they did not say anything bad about your wife is irrelevant. They did this as stop gap measure to keep business from leaving. Your wife could possibly seek council on this and force them to send out a retraction letter stating that your wife was in no way associated with that letter.
If I was her, that's what I'd do, then send out a letter to those same clients and try to drum up business. :)

[TRUMP TIGHT]

Wouldn't forgery fall under Federal Law?

[THATJEFFGUY]

Typically a PC 470a (forgery) charge is filed if there is intent to defraud the victim. If it was just a letter with your wifes signature, I would say it's not a big deal. Even though it's morally wrong and not good business practice, the company didn't do it to defraud your wife or for financial gain. So if she is that pissed off about it, maybe a phone call letting them know her feelings on it. Just my $. 02

[John.]

The old boss was just doing house cleaning. It would have been better for them to ask your wife to write the letter herself. She should write her old boss a letter explaining that she doesn't care for someone using her name etc., but since there was no bad blood between them, I'd let it go.
Of course I've heard Larry H. Parker's around... :)
you know what's wierd and what we don't get is that these are professional people and it's a nationwide builder with 10's of thousands of employees. you'd think that someone (maybe the person writing the letter) would stop and think a minute that writing a letter like that might be illegal and at the very least not right. Why not just have the old boss write a letter saying that she left and some other new person will take care of the buyers. It's just wierd that they wrote it in a 1st person format and signed her name on it.
so, paging Larry H. Parker...what do you think?

[John.]

Typically a PC 470a (forgery) charge is filed if there is intent to defraud the victim. If it was just a letter with your wifes signature, I would say it's not a big deal. Even though it's morally wrong and not good business practice, the company didn't do it to defraud your wife or for financial gain. So if she is that pissed off about it, maybe a phone call letting them know her feelings on it. Just my $. 02
yeah, that's what I figured. she doesn't actually want to see a lawyer and try and get something out of it as it's really not that big of a deal. but would like them to acknowledge that what they did was wrong and maybe send a letter out to the same people saying oops...shouldn't have done that.
i think they were trying to make sure none of her buyers left to go to my wife's new community (which is 30 miles away so it's not like that would happen). so i guess that they may have technically done the letter for financial gain...

[Outnumbered]

Call the News. They would eat this shit up :D

[ratso]

My wife works in real estate and sells new homes. She used to work for a fairly large national builder, but recently took a new job at a smaller builder but it's a better job. She gave notice at the old builder, did her 2 weeks and left on good terms (they even said they would love to have her back).
She just found out that the old builder has sent out letters to all of her buyers saying that she left and other sales people in the community would take care of closing up their home purchases. this would normally be no big deal, but the builder wrote this letter and signed my wifes name to it. They wrote the letter in a first person format so it was like she wrote it. She didn't do it, didn't sign any letters and didn't approve for this builder to do this. The letter doesn't say anything bad about my wife, but she's ticked that they wrote a letter (in a format that makes the buyers think she wrote it) and signed her name on it.
How illegal is that?
PM Holy Moly and he can contact them and let them know that they are opening theirselves up to a lawsuit... :rollside:

[doesitfloat?]

Is it bad business practice? Yes. Is it going to cost your wife anything ($, reputation, future business)? NO.
Just chalk it up to a dumb move by them. Do you really want to spend money on a lawyer in an effort to get a retraction letter written (because that's all you'll be entitled to)? Probably not.