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Class Action Law Suits Lawyers Mitchell Wine, of MSTW Professional Corporation and Margaret Waddell of Sotos joined forces in prosecuting five proposed class actions relating to syndicated mortgage loans (SMLs) promoted by Fortress Real Developments Inc. and Fortress Real Capital Inc. Details of the proposed class actions, as well as statements of claims, and settlements can be found on the Sotos website. (search Fortress). The actions relate to the SMLs registered on five different real estate developments: Collier Centre – (2012 syndicated mortgage loan only) Progress Manors Ten88 Sutton/The Link Harmony Village Lake Simcoe/The Kemp Orchard Calgary – only in respect of the charge registered as Registration No. 141 112 373. CURRENT PROPOSED CLASS ACTIONS PARTIAL SETTLEMENTS There have been 5 partial settlements thus far. Please refer to the Sotos website, (search under cases/Fortress) or the FAAN website for details https://www.faanmortgageadmin.com/fortress/english . Sutton/The Link Settlement BDMC and Ildina Galati Estate FFM, Rosalia Spadafora, and Saul Perlov FMP, Tonino Amandola, Michael Daramola, and Graham McWaters Derek Sorrenti, Grant Morgan, and Sorrenti Law Professional Corporation It is important to understand that a class action certification hearing the initial procedural step where a judge will determine if a lawsuit can proceed as a class action law suit. The judge will not decide the merits of the case, but will decide if the claim has a valid cause of action, a defined class, common issues, a suitable representative, and is the preferred method for resolution. UPCOMING CERTIFICATION HEARING FEB 24-26, 2026 Outstanding claims against Fortress Real Developments and the Appraisers (for Progress Manors/Ten 88 & Harmony Village Lake Simcoe/the Kemp only) will be pursued in an upcoming class action certification hearing from Feb 24-26, 2026. To attend the hearing via zoom, please register here: When : Feb 24, 2026 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Topic: MCDOWELL v. FORTRESS REAL CAPITAL INC. et al | CV-16-00560268-00CP Register in advance for this webinar: https://ca01web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rjWIh5YRQKa45NGD4QFKVA How can I get my money back? Many investors have asked us how they can get their money back. We have carefully looked at various avenues for recovery. Other Class Action Pursuits An investigation team comprised of a lawyer, researcher and a forensic accountant had worked diligently with the help of Rose Ray , to create a report that would be used to highlight potential law suits pertaining to Fortress. A potential Class action lawsuit against Lamb Development Corp was filed, however unfortunately the law firm Groia advised they were unable to pursue the lawsuit further. Archived communications regarding this endeavour can be found here . Another law firm, Kallochlian Myers LLP filed a Statement of Claim in 2020 against Olympia Trust Company for the registered funds investors. However, on June 19, 2023, the Court of Appeal for Ontario has dismissed the appeal of the order dismissing the motion for certification. A copy of the decision is available here . If you are an investor who has approached a law firm regarding a class action law suit against other Fortress related parties not mentioned on our website, please let us know. Q & A Current Proposed Class Action Law Suits & Settlements 1. Why wasn't my project / developer chosen for the class action law suit headed by Mitchell Wine and Sotos? This would likely be due to the fact that the lead plaintiffs invested in the particular projects listed above. 2. Why does it take so long to recover the funds for a class action law suit? We understand this is the question most victims ask. Unfortunately, recovering money through a class action lawsuit is not quick or simple. • Class actions take years to move through the courts. • Defendants often fight every step, which adds delays. • Even if successful, legal costs and fees are deducted before any money is shared. Class actions can hold wrongdoers accountable and sometimes lead to financial settlements, but they are a long, uncertain process with no guarantee of full recovery. 3. I didn't receive my class action law suit settlement payment. Who do I contact? Please contact the Claims Administrator - FAAN Mortgages . They can be reached at 1 (833) 495-3338 or by email at info@faanmortgageadmin.com.

Coming up! February 2, 2026 Sentencing Hearing Courthouse Details: Location: 10 Armoury Street, Toronto, Ontario (walking distance from subways & City Hall) Room # TBD Start Time 10 am Court is Open to the Public Tried by judge only (no jury) Zoom is not available. JOIN US! About the trial Fortress Criminal Trial R. v Rathore & Petrozza Fortress Real Developments raised more than $920 Million from thousands of everyday investors through syndicated mortgage investments. It is alleged that the company's founders misrepresented the nature and risk of these investments during sales and promotional activities, leading to significant financial losses for investors. In June 2022, following a lengthy investigation by the RCMP Integrated Market Enforcement Team (IMET), Jawad Rathore and Vince Petrozza were criminally charged with Fraud and Secret Commissions. The prosecution chose to focus on 2 projects during the trial: Sky City and Collier. On May 28, Justice D. Moore delivered his guilty verdict. The trial summary can be read here. Key dates: April 13, 2018 : RCMP executed their search warrants and production orders. June 22, 2022 : Rathore & Petrozza are charged with Fraud & Secret Commissions May 28, 2025 : Trial Commences December 3, 2025 : Sentencing Submission Hearing February 2, 2026: Sentencing Hearing Q & A 1. Who are Jawad Rathore and Vince Petrozza? Rathore and Petrozza are the founders and principals of Fortress Real Development. Rathore is the CEO, and Petrozza is the COO. Petrozza was also the principal broker for Centro/BDMC. Fortress and its affiliated brokerages raised over $920 million in syndicated mortgage investments to help fund the "soft costs" of their developments. Investors who were everyday "mom & pop" investors were led to believe the SML investments were secure and low risk. In total, over $900 million was raised from all syndicated mortgage investments. Thousands of investors have lost their life savings investing in Fortress SMLs. 2. Why are they being tried in a criminal court? Rathore and Petrozza were criminally charged with Fraud and Secret Commissions after a lengthy RCMP investigation. It is alleged that the founders of Fortress Real Developments engaged in fraud by orchestrating an ongoing scheme whereby they did not disclose the various risks to brokers and investors of syndicated mortgages. The Crown later chose to focus the trial on the fraud charges. 3. What is a syndicated mortgage? A syndicate mortgage is a group of individuals who lend money privately to a borrower to finance real estate developments, such as residential condo buildings. In the case of Fortress Real Development Inc, loans were secured against a major development proposal known as a Syndicated Mortgage Investment (“SMI”).These funds were primarily to finance the ‘soft costs’ of a real estate development. They are also referred to as Syndicated Mortgage Loans (SML) as the investors in effect leant money to the borrower (developer). 4. Is zoom available for this trial? Unfortunately there are technical issues that prevent the trial from being shared over zoom. If you are able to attend in person, there are many TTC options for those of you in the GTA. Please go to the Trip Planner site for assistance. https://www.ttc.ca/trip-planner 5. What should I expect at the courthouse? What can I bring? Please refer to the courtroom guidelines and etiquette. 6. Which projects are the focus of the trial? Even though Fortress raised money for over 70 projects, (there were about 45 at the time of the RCMP raid), the RCMP narrowed their investigation on Collier, Crates Landing/South Shore, Harmony Village & Sky City. 7. Who is the prosecutor? It is crown attorney Scott Patterson. 8. Who is the defence? Gerald Chan for Vince Petrozza, and Scott Fenton for Jawad Rathore. CBC Developers found guilty of defrauding investors out of retirement savings in Barrie, Winnipeg Read More Global News Fortress Real Developments co-founders found guilty of fraud Read More Investment Executive Fortress pair convicted on fraud charges Read More

VOSMI is a group of investors of Syndicate Mortgages through Fortress Real Developments Inc. We are sharing our stories, and joining together so that our voices can be heard. About VOSMI is a non-profit organization formed by victims of the largest mortgage investment fraud in Canada's history. We are the individuals directly impacted by the Fortress Real Developments Inc syndicated mortgage fraud, coming together to share resources, raise awareness, and support one another. Are you a victim? You are not alone. Our group was first formed on Facebook in 2018 by a victim of the Fortress fraud who felt she had to connect with other Fortress investors. Slowly, the group grew to over 800 members, with hundreds of additional subscribers on our website. We hope this website provides victims and their families with some resources, information, and support. Are YOU a VOSMI? You're not alone. We were promised: 8% fixed interest with with principal secured Investment's backed by the security of the physical property much like a bank with a regular mortgage Loan to Value Ratios were not more than 80% Repayment of principal at end of mortgage term RRSP, TFSA, LIRA eligible Safe & Low Risk Investment What we discovered: The Investment was indeed high risk The Current "as is" value was Grossly inflated The Loan to Value Ratio exceeded 100% up to over 300%. Read more here about the importance of LTV. Failed projects (eg. Collier, Harmony,) resulted in no funds remaining to repay the syndicate investors (ie VOSMIS) The independent legal advice was paid for by Fortress RDI Undisclosed commission fees of 35%, were deducted from investor's principal 8% fees were deducted from the investor's principal Questions about your particular project and investment with Fortress? Please contact FAAN Mortgage Administrators . They were appointed by the courts as trustee over all of the Fortress projects. Linda "I was ashamed that I was duped into doing this investment - I thought that I was smarter than that. This just proves how we were conned." Andrew “The way it was sold to me – and I think everybody – is... you’d be a fool to not want to invest; it was so lucrative. This was a no-brainer. You were investing on real properties and developments. Back then, there was a big condo boom, especially in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)” you are not alone Thousands were affected. Together, we stand stronger you are not to blame The responsibility lies with those who orchestrated the fraud. Justice takes time The legal process can seem slow and frustrating, but every step brings the truth forward. your feelings are valid Anger, grief and frustration are natural. Healing takes time. Your feelings are valid. You are not alone. We created a word cloud with our investors emotions and reactions as they navigate through this emotional and financial journey. Do these emotions and thoughts resonate with you? Helpful Resources Join our private VOSMI group on Facebook. Sign up for our Newsletter! Helpful victim resources from these sites: CRVC (Canadian Resource for Victims of Crime ) Navigating the Justice System Helping Victims of Fraud Recover The Serious Fraud Office Ontario-Victim Resources “There’s this unfair sense from others who hear these stories that these people should’ve known better, and that’s unfortunate because every one of us in this day and age is susceptible.” Vanessa Iafolla, Anti-Fraud Intelligence Consultant. ‘The forgotten impact’: Helping victims of financial fraud deal with emotional distress CTV News Sep 6, 2025- Pat Tenney

Petition Thank you to the honorable Doug Shipley for presenting our petition to the House of Commons on April 13, 2021, for an inquiry into the Fortress Real Development Syndicated Mortgages. A special thank you to Rose Ray, the petition committee and to all who signed this petition.

Regulators in the news 202 0 FSRA Imposes administrative Penalty of $250,000 on Fortress Real Development Inc. September 19, 2020 2018 Ontario watchdog revokes licence of Fortress' lead mortgage broker Feb 2, 2018 Financial Post FSCO reaches $1.1 million settlement over syndicated mortgages Feb. 2, 2018 Financial Post Regulators leave Fortress investors exposed to mortgage industry Dec. 16, 2018 The Globe and Mail Fortress investors call for restitution from regulator Dec. 17, 2018 The Globe and Mail 2017 The lax oversight of syndicated mortgage is hurting Ontario investors with little relief in sight April 24, 2017 Financial Post Canada regulator ignored warnings on risky mortgage investments Nov 30, 2017 Reuters 2016 Regulators put syndicated mortgages in their crosshairs Nov , 2016, MacLeans Ontario urged to boost financial protection for consumers June 20, 2016 The Star

October 4, 2019 Protest-Legislative Assembly, Toronto Protest at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Queen's Park, Toronto. The protest took place to highlight the following: Increase Public awareness of the Ontario Regulators’ Failure to Protect the public with respect to Syndicated Mortgage Investments (which impacted Investors across Canada) Warn the Public they too shall become Victims of Fraud unless the Regulators radically change their processes, investigations & penalties by being proactive in intercepting perpetrators vs reactive & complaint based. Demand increased Funding for the Police to investigate White Collar Crime. Increase Public’s awareness of VOSMI, encourage investors to come forward & join our group Highlight that the Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, & the NDP have done nothing to show support or advocacy for 16,000 victims of Fraud. (14,000 Fortress Victims & 1600 Tier 1 Victims) Huge thanks to Roy Long from the Green Party, who took the time to speak to the investors about his concerns over white collar crime, specifically on seniors. Over 80 members attended the Queen's Park protest! Since Andrew Scheer was in the vicinity, we marched over to his bus, hopping to voice our concerns. We waited over 2 hours meet him- however he snuck through the back door.

VOSMI is an information & resource website for Fraud Victims of Syndicated Mortgage Investments, related to Fortress Real Development Syndicated Mortgages. VOSM I is a non-profit group formed by victims of the largest mortgage investment fraud in Canada's history. We are the individuals directly impacted by the Fortress Real Developments Inc syndicated mortgage fraud, coming together to share information, raise awareness, and support one another. Fortress Real Developments raised over $920 million in syndicate mortgage investments from 14,000 "mom & pop" investors between 2008 and 2017, to help finance over 50 development projects. Investors were led to believe these were safe, low risk investments. After a lengthy and complex investigation which began in 2018, the RCMP charged the principals of Fortress on June 22, 2022 with Fraud and Secret Commissions. On May 28, 2025 the duo were found guilty of fraud. They were each sentenced to 5 years in prison, and served a fine. Read here for further details on the sentencing.Rathore and Petrozza are appealing the decision while they are currently on bail. Guilty of Fraud Read More Vince Petrozza and Jawad Rathore were the co-founders of Fortress Real Developments. Fortress partnered with over 25 real estate developers on over 50 projects. Read the timeline to learn more about the Fortress Syndicated Mortgage scheme. Timeline "I find beyond a reasonable doubt that they both intentionally misled investors about the value of their secured interest in order to induce them into investing." Justice D. Moore FORTRESS TRIAL R. v Rathore & Petrozza The Real Numbers 14,000 investors The number of Canadians that invested in Fortress Real Developments syndicate mortgage loans $920 Million The total amount raised by Fortress Real Developments from the syndicate mortgage investors $420 Million Total funds lost to date by the Fortress syndicate investors.

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Mitchell Wine & Margaret Waddell legal team About the legal team Click here to read Mitchell Wine's bio. Click here to read Margaret Waddell's bio. Class Action Law Suit The actions relate to the SMLs registered on five different Fortress real estate developments: Collier Centre – Barrie, ON (only with respect to the original loan) Progress Manors Ten88 – Toronto, ON Sutton/The Link – Burlington, ON Harmony Village Lake Simcoe/The Kemp – Barrie, ON Orchard Calgary – Calgary, AB Partial settlements were reached and approved by Justice Perrell on January 13, 2023. Further details, including the statements of claim, and contact information are available on the Sotos Class Action website -(enter "Fortress" in the search bar) Settlement and payouts are carried out by FAAN Mortgage Administrators, Further details on payouts can be found on FAAN's website .

April 1, 2020 Watch Rose Ray's latest update below on the progress in the potential Class Action law suit. Also, if you are able to contribute towards the funding of the investigation and research related to the law suit (to whether the law suit is viable), please complete this form . You can make a payment via credit card (link will take you to Paypal) or you can do a e-transfer to info@vosmi.ca after you completed the form. Thank you!

How to contact us, whether you have a general inquiry, or whether you are an investor. INVESTOR / GENERAL INQUIRIES Please complete your information below and we will get back to you. If you have any project specific questions, please contact FAAN Mortgages . Thank you. Thank you. We will get back to you shortly. Send