Visit our Borrower Outreach Center

In Alliance With
Members Of
  • USFN*
  • American Legal and Financial Network*
  • Mortgage Bankers Association
  • American Bankruptcy Institute*
More >>

*Membership maintained through allied companies Routh Crabtree Olsen, P.S., Routh Crabtree, apc or FEI, LLC

About Our Company

We are a full service trustee company providing default services to mortgage lenders in the Western US.

We have conducted (or monitored) more than 100,000 non-judicial foreclosures in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

We are the leading provider of foreclosure services in our coverage area and our non-judicial foreclosure staff consistently meets or beats all state timeline standards for investors, mortgage insurers and servicers.

Northwest Trustee Services, Inc. operates with custom computer software systems. All tracking, workflow and scheduling is 100% automated. With a rapid flow of valuable information, all files are handled accurately and on time to protect rights and interests.

Professional Affiliations, Designations and Awards

In addition to its USFN ties, Northwest Trustee Services and its affiliated companies are members* of the national and local chapters of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America, the American Land Title Association, the American Association of Loan Managers, The USFN (America’s Mortgage Banking Attorneys), and the Association of Professional Mortgage Women. We are also members of the Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Seattle Mortgage Bankers Associations and Washington Mortgage Lenders Association.

Stephen Routh, CEO, has been elected to four terms on the Board of Directors of the USFN, has served as Vice President (1996-1998) and President (1998-2000), and presently serves on the Board of Directors and the Liaison Committee.

Affiliated law firm Routh Crabtree Olsen, P.S. has received the USFN's highest award, the Diamond Award of Excellence, for each of the past 13 years.

Affiliated law firm Routh Crabtree Olsen, P.S. also serves as designated counsel for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the State of Washington. Northwest Trustee Services handles foreclosure processing of all designated counsel files.

*Certain memberships maintained through affiliates Routh Crabtree Olsen, P.S., Routh Crabtree, apc, and/or FEI, LLC

Executive Bios

Stephen Routh
CEO

Stephen co-founded Northwest Trustee Services, Inc., the largest provider of non-judicial foreclosure services in the West, in 2000. A graduate of the University of Hawaii, Manoa (B.S., 1972) and the McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific (J.D. 1975), Stephen is a shareholder and founding partner of Routh Crabtree Olsen, P.S. Stephen represents lending institutions, major investors, and creditors concerning loan delinquencies, foreclosure, bankruptcy and unsecured debt collection.

Stephen is one of the leading voices nationwide in the mortgage lending and default servicing industry. He is a main program speaker for the Credit Union League State Convention; Institute of Real Estate Management; Alaska Bar Association; Alaska Land Title Association; Alaska Mortgage Banker’s Association; Credit Union Roundtable; Alaska Professional Mortgage Women; and the American Banker’s Association.

Stephen has been a member of the USFN from 1988 to the present. Stephen’s involvement in the USFN has included three terms on the USFN Board of Directors from 1991 to the present; President-Elect from 1997 to 1998; President from 1998 to 2000; Immediate Past President from 2000 to 2002; and Chair of the Liaison Committee 2000 to 2002.

David Fennell
Vice President

David E. Fennell co-founded Northwest Trustee Services, Inc., the largest provider of non-judicial foreclosure services in the West, in 2000. A graduate of Lewis and Clark College (B.S., 1980) and the Marshall-Wythe school of Law at the College of William and Mary (J.D. 1984), Fennell was formerly a partner in the West Coast regional law firm of Preston Gates & Ellis before establishing the Bellevue office of Routh Crabtree Fennell (now Routh Crabtree Olsen, P.S.) as managing attorney, focusing his practice in the areas of residential and commercial foreclosures, document preparation and review, title packages, reconveyances, workouts, collections and regulatory compliance.

Cathe Cole
Foreclosure Manager, California Office

Cathe Cole serves as the California foreclosure manager for Northwest Trustee Services, a full-service trustee company providing real property trustee services to mortgage lenders throughout the Western United States. Cathe Cole’s extensive 10-year history on the loan servicing side includes her time as a foreclosure manager for Amwest Mortgage, foreclosure and collections manager for Butterfield Savings & Loan and as vice president and creator of the Commercial Trustee Division for Bank of America. Additionally, she served as director of operations for the Law Offices of Steve Melmet for 14 years, overseeing legal, bankruptcy, eviction, loss mitigation and foreclosure operations. Cole is a member of the United Trustees Association, the Mortgage Bankers Association – Loan Administration Committee, the California Mortgage Bankers Association, the Mortgage Bankers Association, the Association of Professional Mortgage Women and the USFN Education Committee. Cole is frequently a panelist and/or facilitator at the USFN Conferences and provides "best practice" training for servicers.