Chris Karrenstein

Cris Karrenstein, An attorney who helps HOAs foreclose on property for people unable to pay their dues or fines. Karrenstein was hired by an HOA to foreclose on a property in a small community in Eastern NC, For reasons I cannot include here, I decided to bid on the property. Eventually I won the bid..., paid for the land, and then paid Karrenstein more than 1,200 in fees that included recording the deed in our name. During the bidding process anyone can upset the original bid. Each time there is a new upset bid, those bidding must pay a new deposit based on a percentage of the bid amount. These deposits keep growing until there is no longer an upset bit. Once the bidding was done and we paid for the land, fees, and other items, we were to get our deposits returned. Only the initial deposit from the first bid was used towards the purchase, with the remaining deposits held by the county until the sale was complete and the attorney filed a settlement statement. We waited for several weeks, but no deposit was returned. I spoke with the county clerk, who said that Karrenstein did file a settlement statement; however, it was incorrect and rejected by the court. I have sent several emails and called at least 15 times. The clerk from the courthouse called him, but he has not resubmitted the form and will not take a call from me. I was told by someone in his office that he was too busy. I cannot in good conscience recommend Karrenstein for any legal representation, no matter how small. Please note I did not seek out Karrenstein; much of his business is HOA foreclosures, and if I had an option of not using him for closing and recording the deed, I would have after his first refusal to speak with me. I certainly feel that 1200 is too much to record a deed.