Bank Mortgage Settlement

Document Actions

Joint State-Federal Mortgage Servicing Case

Settlement Highlights

· This settlement makes wrongdoers pay, provides real financial help for homeowners, and requires mortgage servicers to treat homeowners fairly.

· It’s the result of a years-long effort by state attorneys general to hold the five largest mortgage servicers accountable for their misconduct and mistreatment of homeowners.

Financial relief for homeowners

· Homeowners will get at least $17 billion and likely as much as $32 billion in direct relief

· This relief will help many homeowners avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes with affordable payments.

· Many homeowners whose mortgages exceed the value of their homes can tap into a fund of $3 billion to refinance their mortgages.

· $5 billion in additional penalties will go to the states and federal government and will be used to fund housing counselors, legal aid, and other assistance for homeowners, including cash payments for borrowers who experienced servicing abuse.

Treating homeowners fairly

· Stops many past foreclosure abuses, such as robo-signing, improper documentation and lost paperwork through new mortgage servicing standards.

· Requires strict oversight of foreclosure processing.

· Mortgages servicers will have to evaluate homeowners for other loan mitigation options first, making foreclosures a last resort.

· Restricts banks from foreclosing while the homeowner is being considered for a loan modification

· Sets procedures and timelines for reviewing loan modification applications, and gives homeowners the right to appeal denials.

· Creates a single point of contact for borrowers seeking information about their loans and adequate staff to handle calls.

· These tough new standards will be enforced by court order and overseen by an independent monitor.

OCC Program Correcting Foreclosure Practices

Homeowners whose primary residence was part of a foreclosure action between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010, and whose home loan was serviced by a participating servicer, may be eligible for an Independent Foreclosure Review by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). This program may assist you in obtaining financial relief.

The deadline to apply is April 30, 2012.

More information may be found on the OCC website at the following address: http://www.occ.gov/topics/consumer-protection/foreclosure-prevention/correcting-foreclosure-practices.html

For more information on the settlement please go to:

http://www.nationalmortgagesettlement.com/

Mortgage Settlement Q & A

Attorney General's Press Release on the Mortgage Settlement

Email the Attorney General's Office

Here are the links for each servicer:

Ally/GMAC GMAC's Homeowner Assistance site
800-766-4622

Bank of America BofA's Home Loan Assistance site
877-488-7814 (Available Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Central time, and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time)

Citigroup Citi's Homeowner Assitance site
866-272-4749

J.P. Morgan Chase Chase's Homeownership Center
866-372-6901

Wells Fargo Wells Fargo's Help for Homeowners
800-288-3212 (Available Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central time)

Last modified 2012-02-14 02:10 PM