November 10, 2005 MEDIA RELEASE
RE: Relocated New Orleans
attorney helping Legal Aid of North Carolina
 |
|
David Capasso |
(Durham, NC) –
When Hurricane Katrina knocked David Capasso
out of his home in New Orleans, he had no idea that he would be answering the
call to help others save their homes in North Carolina.
“No one can truly imagine how abruptly a natural disaster can change one’s
everyday life,” remarked Capasso, who was a practicing private attorney in New
Orleans. “Hurricane Katrina completely destroyed thousands of homes, not
to mention hundred of my clients’ families being displaced –even my law office
was under eight feet of water. We were all in the same boat, so to speak.
My family and I moved to Charlotte to stay temporarily with family members.”
Searching for temporary employment motivated Capasso to respond to the job
opening at the
Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) office in Durham. LANC was seeking an attorney to help
with cases that they were handling pursuant to a grant from the NC Attorney
General’s office. The cases involved low-income persons who had allegedly
been fraudulently enticed to buy over priced mobile homes in Vance County and
were then unable to meet their payments.
“It’s one thing to lose one’s home due to a hurricane, but it’s quite another
to do so by perhaps unfair marketing schemes,” noted Capasso. “Call it
fate or whatever, but while I’m in this temporary displacement, perhaps I can
help others avoid the loss of their homes.”
In October, Capasso joined LANC’s legal team that is reviewing the business
practices of Donald Gupton in Vance County, NC. LANC is representing
clients who feel that Gupton used deceptive trade practices, fraud, broken
promises and inflated appraisals of manufactured homes to make huge profits at
the expense of families trying to buy their first home. Capasso also
observed that bankruptcy and foreclosure rates are presently tripling in already
struggling communities such as Vance County, NC and wanted to help.
“We are fortunate to have David on staff for this project,” said
John Van Alst, LANC staff attorney and the supervising
attorney for the project. “As an experienced attorney and as a person who
had recently experienced his own loss, David was able to jump right in and help
our legal team immediately with the project. Sometimes great things can
happen following catastrophe.”
Capasso is a graduate of Loyola Law school in New Orleans, was licensed to
practice in Louisiana in 1997 and had been practicing for six years in his own
firm, Capasso & Associates, in state and federal court throughout Louisiana.
Although he has not yet been licensed in North Carolina, he is able to work
under the supervision of an NC State Bar-licensed attorney (Van Alst) on this
project.
Capasso’s involvement with the Vance County /Gupton cases will end in January,
but he is interested in possibly assisting LANC in the future, as well as
sitting for the North Carolina Bar.
“Yes, I want to help rebuild my city, New Orleans, and resume my law practice
there,” said Capasso. “But I have decided to permanently move my family to
North Carolina. I was married in Montreat and my wife’s family has lived
in Greensboro, Chapel Hill and Charlotte. We have a 28-month-old son, and
are expecting another child in April 2006.
“I am very thankful that I could work with Legal Aid of North Carolina doing meaningful
work and helping others in this manner. And I’ve experienced and learned
many things from the LANC and the legal community of North Carolina.”
Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC)
is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil
matters to eligible, low-income people in all 100 counties in North Carolina
through 24, geographically located offices in North Carolina. LANC’s clients
typically have an annual income of 125% or less of the federally established
poverty levels.
CONTACTS:
-
John Van Alst (Staff Attorney, LANC-Durham Office, Durham, NC);
919-688-6396
-
David Capasso (LANC-Durham Office, Durham, NC); 919-688-6396
-
Gina Reyman (Senior Managing Attorney, LANC-Durham Office, Durham, NC);
919-688-6396
-
Dock Kornegay (Director, Public Relations & Development, Raleigh, NC);
919-856-2564
Disclaimer
The materials contained on this website are for information and educational
purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Please contact your
Legal Aid of North Carolina office or a private attorney if you need to speak to
an attorney regarding your particular situation. See our complete
disclaimer.
Mission Statement
Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that
provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in
order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers
to economic opportunity.