Customers Picket Mortgage Firm Advantage, Owner Have Been Targets Of Suits In Past

Disgruntled customers of a mortgage and credit company took their complaints to the street Tuesday, but the company calls it just a misunderstanding.

Customers of Advantage Mortgage enlisted some friends to picket the company’s office on Government Way.

Arlene Hendrickson of Coeur d’Alene said that Cindi Farnam of Advantage failed to return $2,104 in fees and money she paid to secure a loan.

The loan Advantage gave her didn’t meet her terms, Hendrickson said, so she rejected it, and wants the money back.

Farnam said her company set up the loan - and collected fees for the service - so Advantage fulfilled its obligation. Hendrickson rejected the loan after signing papers for it and consequently, forfeited her money, Farnam said.

Addie Daryanari and her husband Narain got an $800 judgment against Farnam this year that has not been paid, Daryanari said.

Farnam said the company continues to appeal the judgment so it hasn’t paid it yet.

The company has had four civil suits filed against it in the past two years, according to Kootenai County records.

The State of Idaho also filed suit against Advantage in July for failing to withhold worker’s compensation from employee pay. The state wants $3,350 from Advantage for worker’s compensation along with $500 in legal fees.

Farnam said she and her business partners bought the company from previous owners in July and that the state lawsuit involves the former owners.

Farnam has three other civil suits on record against her in Kootenai County. Her wages were garnished to pay the judgment in one of those cases.

“We have hundreds of satisfied customers,” Farnam said. “With only two complaints, I’d say that’s pretty good.”

, DataTimes