EL PASO, Texas - February 2, 2011 - An El Paso sheriff may seize furniture and computers at a local JPMorgan Chase branch unless the bank complies with a judge's order to pay the legal bills of a single mother who was evicted by the bank, a judge froze the foreclosure.

The manager of the Chase branch was served on January 26 with court papers that instructed the company to pay lawyer Richard A. Roman's $5,000 in fees, according to Detective Hector Lara, an El Paso County sheriff's officer.

The manager, Jose Gomez, told Lara that the branch's gear is protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and that he would contact the bank's security staff and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lara said yesterday in a telephone interview.

Lara said he's waiting for an opinion from the county attorney on whether the bank's property can be seized.

"They don't have a problem putting my client out in the street," said Roman. "But when somebody prevails against a bank, they pull every string in the book to avoid paying."

Roman, a former judge, is representing borrower Judith French, whose home was sold in a foreclosure auction on September 7 even though the lawyer had obtained a temporary restraining order the same day.

Roman said he's seeking the legal fees from JPMorgan because he believes the bank was French's mortgage servicer.

Judge Bruce King dismissed French's eviction case on December 15, saying the restraining notice was in effect at the time of the foreclosure sale.

Greg Hassell, a JPMorgan spokesman, said the company was unaware of King's judgment because it wasn't named as the plaintiff. "Now that we are aware, we are taking steps to pay," he said.