Great news!! we are in the midst of settling a fee dispute with an agency in PA. The contract with the agency calls for arbitration but it is just the first step, a civil suit will follow naming this agency and another agency for conspiracy, consumer fraud, defamation of character, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The arbitration, however, is being stalled by the first agency with constant excuses, manipulation, etc, similar to the business practices which they used to get them in this position in the first place...wish us luck!

Mimi,

Would you be willing to contact me? I am also dealing with an agency in PA whose contract indicates arbitration as well. We feel we have been frauded by them. I would really like to talk to someone else who may be using them.

Good Luck Mimi!

We are with the same PA Agency and I don't see why we can't name them, its Main Street Adoption Service, and I'm hoping and praying soon the authorities will hear us and rain down on them. They are far worse then WA, RAI, etc., etc., getting the authorities to hear us is key. Keeping quiet lets these formidable agencies continue to do business. Any other MS families out there and in trouble, please contact guatadopt and they can put you in touch with other MS families. Together we can stop the abuse.

Hey Kevin & Kelly,

Lisa Novak is the lady who tried to discredit Guatadopt and the ADA by claiming the Executive Order was a hoax, right? Interesting.

Is this the same agency that Angeldance International in Denver was partnering with after Belarus closed. We were Angeldance clients for Belarus but left that agency after learning some things about it that we couldn't tolerate. One of the people w/the agency called me and asked if I would stay w/them and use an agency they were partnering with to adopt from Guatemala. She wouldn't give me the agency's name, but I believe it was Claar.

It'll be interesting to see exactly what they've got Nowak on--what charges stick. In the past agency/adoption fraud cases have been prosecuted on conspiracy, etc. with little jail time--with the most egregious example of Lauryn Galindo who clearly was involved in bribery and child trafficking in Cambodia and only got about 2 years incarceration. This looks like complete financial mismanagement in terms of illegal behaviors, including passing a bad check. BTW, this agency (or Nowak) has opened and closed under different names with "Claar Foundation" as the latest identity (a common practice of those who are in need of tossing out their bad reputation under an old name). Good news is that Colorado is apparently reviewing a number of agencies and licensing practices in part due to Nowak's unscrupulous activities. I wish that all states would review their standards (they are far to lax on the whole). For example, I have been told that SC is aware of some problems there, but no intervention from the state. Frankly, it has just been way too easy to hang a shingle and PAPs are easily seduced with photographs, testimonials, and promises. Of course, Waiting Angels (MI) had a huge photolisting and was using false testimonials and stashing $500,000 in a spare bedroom of the owner's house! I don't mean to sound flippant about this situation, I recognize that there is so much money and emotion caught up in all this--not to mention the future of children. Finally, how many class action suits are brewing right about now?

I wish Lisa Nowak (Novak?) and other principals of the Claar Foundation (and whatever other names of convenience they may have used) a vigorous defense and a fair and speedy trial. Then, if they are judged guilty, a fair and stern sentence.

If judged guilty, it will be because they have victimized families not only by stealing not only their treasure, but also their dreams. I have no sympathy.

I applaud the Boulder authorities for arresting Novak. I just still cannot understand how Nila and Tom Hilton of Reaching Arms escaped a similar fate!

Yes, Lisa Nowak was a "spokesperson" for Ethica. Also, a foreign diplomat's daughter, very "in the know" regarding Guatemalan adoptions (although she was doing about 8 per year!!) and "gifted" according to her own self reporting to me! This lady was definately full of herself! From our dealings with her, she was definately not on the up and up and I thank God we steered clear. Just yet another example of why not to let your hearstrings be pulled by a photolisting.

kst are you sure about Nowak being a "spokesperson" for Ethica. She certainly was not staff of Ethica from what I know of the organization. She may have misrepresented herself on that too...as she was obviously slippery. Just trying to stay true to Kevin's promise that Guatadopt posts accurate info.

karenms1,
I don't know how Lisa Novak presented herself to kst, but if you read the post on Ethica that Kevin links you to above, she presented herself as a one woman diplomat confirming with all that the manual of good practices was a hoax/forgery in Oct 2006 and personally guiding the first lady to issue a denial of the MGP (back when Lisa was presenting to the conference in GC what the Hague meant to the US and Guatemala).
It seems that Ethica has had egg on its face back then and recently (with the two central authorities in two locations in Guatemala story), where ethica went with what the state department told them was true - which obviously wasn't true about the two CA. The state department informed ethica that MGP was a hoax and they used Lisa Novak's letter to back up the hoax/forgery story. What we'll never know is did the state department actually *lie* or mislead Ethica deliberately to help Guatemala save face or did they truly believe it was a hoax - we'll never know. I believe, and I know the adoption professionals I knew and talked to at the time all believed that the hoax was not a hoax, but real as guatadopt reported at the time, Lisa Novak notwithstanding. Probably the publicity at the time delayed the MGP until early in 2007.
And Karen, Kevin says *Guatadopt* posts accurate information; he never implies or certifies that the information posted by the rest of us is accurate. He would have to quit his job and work guatadopt full time and even then it would be tough ;-))

Wee too lost 2 referrals and lots of money through Main Street. We have been receiving monthly payments to receive a portion of it back. But yesterday we got a "release", put together by an attorney stating that to send us the last check we must sign it releasing them from all harm and any future lawsuits. It made me think someone must be preparing a suit. I do not want to sign the release until I find out what is going on with other Main Street families. I would be interested in getting in touch with these other families.