New Announcement About Uncashed Checks for Independent Foreclosure Review

Posted on February 18, 2015 by CustomerBullHorn

Just the messenger folks, contact Rust Consulting for more information:

Joint Press Release

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

For release at 1:00 p.m. EDT

February 18, 2015

Agencies Announce Reissuance of Checks Related to the Independent Foreclosure Review

Replacement checks are being mailed this week to borrowers eligible for payment under the Independent Foreclosure Review Payment Agreements and who have not yetcashed or deposited their check, the Federal Reserve Board and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced Wednesday. The checks are being sent by the paying agent, Rust Consulting, Inc., to replaceuncashed checks that have now expired.Agreements reached in January 2013 between federal bank regulatory agencies and 13 mortgage servicers provided $3.6 billion in cash payments to borrowers whose homes were in any stage of the foreclosure process in 2009 or 2010. The mortgages were serviced by one of the following 13 companies, their affiliates, or subsidiaries: Aurora, Bank of America, Citibank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, MetLife Bank, Morgan Stanley, PNC, Sovereign, SunTrust, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo. The payments ranged from several hundred dollars to $125,000 plus lost equity.

Beginning in April 2013, payments were mailed to all of the nearly 4.2 million in-scope borrowers of these servicers. As of January 2015, more than 3.4 million of these checks, totaling more than $3.1 billion, had been cashed or deposited. This represents approximately 87 percent of the total amount of funds these servicers were required to pay.

Nearly 600,000 checks mailed to borrowers of these 13 servicers remain outstanding, and have now expired. As part of the agencies’ ongoing efforts to reach these borrowers, the paying agent was directed to conduct additional searches of updated addresses. The current mailing represents the third attempt directed by the agencies to provide checks to in-scope borrowers. Borrowers who have already cashed or deposited their checks will not receive additional payment. Borrowers must cash or deposit the replacement checks within 90 days of the issue date or the check will be void.

After January 2013, similar agreements were reached with federal bank regulatory agencies that provided cash payments to borrowers whose homes were in any stage of the foreclosure process in 2009 or 2010 and whose mortgages were serviced by GMAC Mortgage and EverBank. As of year-end 2014, payments were mailed to all of the in-scope borrowers of these two servicers. Replacement checks for borrowers of GMAC Mortgage who have not yet cashed or deposited their checks are expected to be mailed by Rust Consulting, Inc., by May 2015.

Borrowers whose mortgages were serviced by one of the 13 servicers that entered into agreements in January 2013 or by GMAC Mortgage should call Rust Consulting, Inc. with questions at 888-952-9105, Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. EST or Saturday between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. EST. Borrowers who had a mortgage serviced by EverBank should contact the paying agent for that agreement, Epiq Systems, with questions at 877-819-9754.

ForeclosureHelp Update: CitiGroup and Wells Pause Foreclosures; MN Passes Homeowner Bill of Rights; NY AG Updates Complaint Against BOA and Wells for Violating AG Settlement

Posted on May 20, 2013 by CustomerBullHorn

It has been a busy week for developments related to the ongoing foreclosure crisis.

On May 17th, American Banker broke the news (“Wells, Citi Halt Most Foreclosure Sales as OCC Ratchets Up Scrutiny”) that Wells Fargo and Citigroup were halting foreclosures in some states after receiving new guidance from their regulator, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. (read the guidance here). According to the article, JP Morgan Chase had suspended foreclosures, but has re-started them.

While this “pause” is temporary, it does raise questions from housing advocates and homeowners who have suggested that banks and servicers are still failing to comply with new regulations around mortgage loan servicing, and dual tracking (processing a foreclosure and modification at the same time) abuses.

For example, the California Reinvestment Coalition’s latest survey (they’ve done nine since the foreclosure crisis started) of housing counselors in California found that homeowners and housing counselors are still dealing with multiple contacts at the bank, instead of the “Single Point of Contact” (SPOC) that is mandated by the recently enacted Homeowner Bill of Rights: “Over 70% of responding counselors reported that SPOC’s were “never,” “rarely,” or only “sometimes,” accessible, consistent or knowledgeable.” Read the full survey here: “Chasm Between Words and Deeds IX: Bank Violations Hurt Hardest Hit Communities”

Homeowners here in San Jose and Sunnyvale, California who contact ForeclosureHelp for our free housing counseling services (the program is paid for through a HUD Community Development Block Grant and through funding from the city of Sunnyvale) have reported similar issues with their Single Points of Contact and not receiving return phone calls from them.

As HousingWire reported earlier this month, (“California Homeowner Bill of Rights blocks BofA foreclosure”), the protection against dual-tracking under the CA Homeowner Bill of Rights was recently used for a California homeowner who obtained an injunction against Bank of America foreclosing on his home. His attorney told HousingWire that he estimates the expenses for Bank of America for this case could easily hit $60,000.

Joseph Smith, who is the National Monitor for the AG Settlement, is expected to release a report shortly that will detail if and how well the banks are meeting the requirements they agreed to under the national AG settlement. Meanwhile, the Attorney General for the state of New York, Eric Schneiderman, has announced that he is revising his complaint against Wells Fargo and Bank of America for their alleged 339 servicing violations under the AG settlement. From American Banker: “ N.Y. AG Revising Foreclosure Settlement Complaint Against B of A, Wells”

The common sense protections included in California’s Homeowner Bill of Rights appear popular in Minnesota, with the Minnesota Star Tribune reporting that a bill with similar protections has just passed their House of Representatives and has already passed the Minnesota Senate: “House passes Homeowners Bill of Rights”

We’ll close on a positive note from Freddie Mac, which announced that its new Streamlined Modification program is immediately available for homeowners who are facing foreclosure and whose loan is owned by Freddie Mac. Through this program, servicers will send modification offers to borrowers who are at least 90 days late, but no more than 720 days late, and whose loan is at least 12 months old. The borrower will have to make three on time payments during a trial period, and then they will be offered a modification. Servicers can reduce the monthly mortgage payment by lowering the interest rate, extending the loan to 40 years, and also through forbearing principal (not the same as a principal reduction- this is more like a balloon payment ). For more information, read their press release: “Freddie Mac Announces Immediate Availability of Streamlined Modification for Delinquent Borrowers”

Wells Fargo Forecloses On Homeowner Who Made Payments Too Early (consumerist.com)
Elderly Man Allegedly Dies in Court Fighting Wells Fargo ‘Wrongful’ Foreclosure (alternet.org)
Bill would require mediation before foreclosure (charlotteobserver.com)

Foreclosure Help is a coalition program funded by the city of San Jose through a HUD Community Development Block Grant and the city of Sunnyvale, and we can directly assist homeowners and tenants in San Jose and Sunnyvale who are facing foreclosure. However, we are unable to assist homeowners/former homeowners in other cities and states. If you need housing counseling, we suggest using the interactive map on HUD’s website.

ForeclosureHelp partners include the Housing Trust Silicon Valley (lead agency), the Fair Housing Law Project at the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, SurePath Financial Solutions, Project Sentinel, Asian Inc, Neighborhood Housing Services of Silicon Valley, and the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors.

If you are a homeowner living in San Jose or Sunnyvale and are struggling with your mortgage, please contact ForeclosureHelpSCC, a program funded by the City of San Jose through a HUD Community Development Block Grant and the City of Sunnyvale at (408)-293-6000 or visit us: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org

Our housing counselors can help you evaluate your options, learn more about federal and state programs that may help you with your mortgage issues, and will help you create a plan forward.

Please note: All content included in the ForeclosureHelpSCC blog is provided for information only and should NOT be considered legal or tax advice. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on our hotline: (408)-293-6000, or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org or send us an email: help@foreclosurehelpscc.org.

Si usted es dueño de una casa en San José o en Sunnyvale y están luchando con su hipoteca, por favor póngase en contacto con ForeclosureHelpSCC, un programa financiado por la ciudad de San José y la ciudad de Sunnyvale, al (408) -293- 6000, o visite nuestro sitio: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org.Nuestros consejeros puede ayudarle a evaluar sus opciones, aprender más acerca de los programas federales y estatales que pueden ayudarle con sus problemas de hipoteca, y le ayudará a crear un plan para seguir.

Por favor, tenga en cuenta: Todos los contenidos incluidos en el blog ForeclosureHelpSCC se proporciona únicamente a título informativo y no debe ser considerada como consejo legal o fiscal. Si usted tiene alguna pregunta, por favor no dude en contactarnos a nuestra línea directa: (408) -293-6000, o visite nuestro sitio:www.foreclosurehelpscc.org o envíenos un correo electrónico: help@foreclosurehelpscc.org.

Nhân viên tư vấn của chúng tôi đã được HUD chấp thuận có thể giúp bạn đánh giá các lựa chọn của bạn, tìm hiểu thêm về các chương trình của liên bang và tiểu bang có thể giúp bạn với các vấn đề thế chấp của bạn, và sẽ giúp bạn tạo ra một kế hoạch phía trước.Xin lưu ý: Tất cả các nội dung trên Blog ForeclosureHelpSCC được cung cấp thông tin duy nhất và không nên coi là hợp pháp hoặc tư vấn thuế. Nếu bạn có bất cứ câu hỏi , xin vui lòng liên hệ với chúng tôi qua đường dây nóng: (408) -293-6000, hoặc truy cập vào trang của chúng tôi: http://www.foreclosurehelpscc.org hoặc gửi email cho chúng tôi:help@foreclosurehelpscc.org.

FAIR HOUSING AND ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

It is the policy of ForeclosureHelp not to discriminate against any person because of that person’s race, color, religious creed, sex (gender), sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status (households with children under the age of 18), source of income, disability, medical condition or age. Color or “ethnic group identification” means the possession of the racial, cultural or linguistic characteristics common to a racial, cultural or ethnic group, or the country or ethnic group from which a person or his or her forebears originated. As required by law, we agree to take the affirmative steps needed to further fair housing.

ForeclosureHelp will consider any and all requests for reasonable accommodation in the application of its rules, policies, practices, and services, and in the use of its physical structures, in accordance with the requirements of state and federal laws. You can ask ForeclosureHelp to consider any reasonable accommodation you may have. Please consult with the Program Manager (408-293-6000 or via email: help@foreclosurehelpscc.org) to request this accommodation.

Cash Payments for Independent Foreclosure Review Will Begin Being Mailed April 12, Senate Banking Committee Will Hold Hearing about the Independent Foreclosure Reviews

Posted on April 9, 2013 by CustomerBullHorn

Editor’s note: Foreclosure Help is a program funded by the city of San Jose through a HUD Community Development Block Grant and the city of Sunnyvale, and we can directly assist homeowners and tenants in San Jose and Sunnyvale who are facing foreclosure. However, we are unable to assist homeowners/former homeowners in other cities and states. If you need housing counseling, we suggest using the interactive map on HUD’s website and if you have questions about the information below, please contact Rust Consulting (1-888-952-9105).

1) Cash Payments Being Sent Out This Week ForeclosureHelpSCC has closely followed the Independent Foreclosure Review, so we are glad to see the press release from the Federal Reserve stating that cash payments to 4.2 million homeowners covered by the updated Independent Foreclosure Review program will start being mailed out on April 12^th. You can see a chart of the penalties and the award amounts (per penalty), and how many people are receiving compensation for each penalty using this chart on the Federal Reserve’s website: Independent Foreclosure Review Payment Agreement Details.

As a reminder, 13 of the banks and servicers are participating in the revised program. However, GMAC Mortgage, Financial Freedom (part of IndyMac), Everbank/EverHome Mortgage Company, and OneWest Bank/IndyMac Mortgage Services are continuing with the original review, which had a deadline to apply of December 31, 2012. For more information about the Independent Foreclosure Review, visit our earlier blog posts: Independent Foreclosure Review: Update on $3.6 Billion in Cash Payments and $5.7 Billion in Modification Assistance.” (Spanish version and Vietnamese version)

2) ResCap Tries to Get out of its Independent Foreclosure Review Obligations: In related news, Andrew R. Johnson reports in Fox Business News “Ally, ResCap Spar Over Federal Foreclosure-Review Program” that Ally Financial and ResCap (its mortgage subsidiary) are having issues around ResCap’s attempt to exit the Independent Foreclosure Review. GMAC Mortgage, which is part of ResCap, is one of the banks that did not agree to the updated Independent Foreclosure Review program back in January. According to the article, ResCap asked a bankruptcy judge to stop the Federal Reserve from enforcing the lender’s obligations that it agreed to under the Independent Foreclosure Review. Instead, ResCap suggests that these obligations should be treated as other unsecured creditors in the bankruptcy process. However, the Federal Reserve filed a court filing suggesting that Ally’s liability is limited to the reimbursement to the harmed homeowners.

3) Former SEC Chairwoman Joins Former Independent Foreclosure Review Consultant Company Gregory Mott reported for Bloomberg “Promontory Adds SEC’s Schapiro to Roster of Ex-Regulators” (April 2, 2013) that Mary Schapiro, who was chairwoman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission until December 2012, has joined Promontory. As a refresher, Promontory was one of several high-priced consulting companies that was hired to do the Independent Foreclosure Reviews. Yves Smith, founder of the Naked Capitalism blog, wrote a scathing account of Pomontory on a February blog post entitled “Bank of America Foreclosure Reviews: Why the OCC Overlooked “Independent” Reviewer Promontory’s Keystone Cops Act (Part VB).”

She quotes Doug Smith, a former partner at McKinsey, who reviewed accounts from contractors who worked on the reviews. He said:

“It’s hard to imagine a more unprofessional, atrociously managed effort. In my more than three decades of working with, observing and advising teams and projects, I cannot identify a single worse example.”

Smith continues:

But the surprise was how inept Promontory proved to be in its efforts to hide how much damage was done to borrowers. The scale of the exercise, combined with the pervasive reliance on contractors and temps who were told only the official story that their mission was to find evidence of damage done to borrowers, meant they went down that path, often surprisingly far.

4) GAO Releases Critical Report about Independent Foreclosure Review. The New York Times has a summary Blame Abounds Over a Flawed Foreclosure Review (April 3, 2013) of the GAO’s recently released report Foreclosure Review: Lessons Learned Could Enhance Continuing Reviews and Activities under Amended Consent Orders about the Independent Foreclosure Review. Our favorite quote in the article is from New York’s Banking Regulator, Benjamin M. Lawksy, who was quoted in a recent speech as saying:“It is worth considering the monitors’ lack of independence…The monitors are hired by the banks, paid by the banks, and depend on the banks for future engagements.” The Senate Banking Committee has a hearing scheduled for April 11 “Outsourcing Accountability? Examining the Role of Independent Consultants” (this Thursday) about the Independent Foreclosure Reviews, and it will be interesting to watch.

5) Cash Floods into Silicon Valley Neighborhoods: Part Two? Here in Silicon Valley, Pete Carey recently reported in the San Jose Mercury News Bay Area’s average homebuyers shut out by cash offers, (April 3, 2013) about the bidding wars that have taken on what many would consider a bubble like quality. Carey discusses a recent “fixer upper” in Santa Clara that needed $100,000 in repairs. It was listed at $419,000 and later sold for $629,500. Of the 69 offers, 65 of them were “cash offers.” This trend of Wall Street cash flooding into neighborhoods has happened before, and some advocates are concerned about the effect this has on pushing out first time homebuyers and on having so many homes not owner-occupied. CNBC reports that large amounts of student debt may be another large obstacle for first-time homebuyers in their recent article: “Student Loan Debt Hurts Housing”

Our housing counselors can help you evaluate your options, learn more about federal and state programs that may help you with your mortgage issues, and will help you create a plan forward.

April Fools: Independent Foreclosure Review Program is Re-Designed By Homeowners and Housing Counselors (foreclosurehelpscc.wordpress.com)
Foreclosure Help’s March Update on the Independent Foreclosure Review, Debt Collectors, Making Home Affordable, Hispanic Homeownership,and “Zombie Foreclosures” (foreclosurehelpscc.wordpress.com)
Foreclosure Help’s Update on the Independent Foreclosure Review, Debt Collectors, Making Home Affordable, Hispanic Homeownership,and “Zombie Foreclosures” (foreclosurehelpscc.wordpress.com)
David Dayen: OCC, Fed Stonewalling Congressional Oversight of Independent Foreclosure Reviews (nakedcapitalism.com)

Foreclosure Help’s Update on the Independent Foreclosure Review, Debt Collectors, Making Home Affordable, Hispanic Homeownership,and “Zombie Foreclosures”

Posted on March 29, 2013 by CustomerBullHorn

1) UPDATE: DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 26th, more information here. Today is the final day for homeowners to mail their registration forms for the Lending Discrimination Settlement between the Department of Justice and Countrywide Financial Corporation. Borrowers must mail their forms in by TODAY (MARCH 29, 2013). Individuals with questions about the United States v. Countrywide Financial Corporation lending discrimination settlement may contact Rust, in English or Spanish, by telephone at 1-800-843-5148 or by email at info@CWFLSettlement.com, or visit the DOJ’s website.

2) The OCC just released a report on loan modifications in the fourth quarter of 2012. A few interesting facts about the Making Home Affordable Program (HAMP):

Among HAMP modifications, servicers reduced interest rates in 81% of those modifications, deferred principal in 29.2%, and reduced principal in 24.9%
HAMP modifications reduced payments by an average of 35.4%.

As a reminder, HAMP is currently set to expire in December 2013. While it isn’t a perfect program, it has helped hundreds of thousands of Americans to remain in their homes, and housing counselors and advocates have already begun efforts to extend the program.

3) On March 18, 2013, Rust Consulting began mailing postcards to 4.2 million homeowners about the Independent Foreclosure Review, notifying them that they will receive payments. According to a recording on the Rust Consulting phone number (1-888-952-9105), payments are supposed to start mailing out in the next four to eight weeks. For more information about the Independent Foreclosure Review, visit our earlier blog post: Independent Foreclosure Review: Update on $3.6 Billion in Cash Payments and $5.7 Billion in Modification Assistance.” (Spanish version and Vietnamese version)

Financial Freedom, which is an affiliate of One West (formerly IndyMac) bank has been added to the Indepedent Foreclosure Review website as one of the four banks that are NOT participating in the review. ForeclosureHelp has watched the Indepdent Foreclosure review process closely, and it seems strange that Financial Freedom would be added to the website AFTER the deadline has already passed for homeowners to apply- the deadline was December 31, 2012. To see our other concerns with the Independent Foreclosure Review, visit: Seven Reasons to Postpone the Independent Foreclosure Review.

A law firm in Washington DC has filed a Freedom of Information Act request related to the Independent Foreclosure Review to determine how the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency defined “independent” in the context of the “independent consultants” that conducted the reviews. More information: Thomson Reuters: Washington law firm sues bank regulator over foreclosure reviews

4) Has Medical debt affected your credit report or score? At ForeclosureHelp, some of the homeowners we assist are struggling with their mortgage because of their own medical issues, or a family member may have medical issues that have either prevented a person form working, or forced them to reduce their hours. The Consumerist website is featuring stories about people whose credit scores have been tarnished because of Medical Debt. Federal legislation that was introduced last year didn’t advance, so Consumerist is asking for stories from people dealing with medical debt so that Congress and lawmakers can see how this problem affects everyday Americans. To read a few of their stories, visit: Consumerist Readers Make The Case For Wiping Paid Medical Debt From Credit Reports

5) Speaking of debt collection, Dave Ramsey, a staunch advocate of getting out of debt, is trying a new approach to attacking debt collectors who engage in illegal debt collection practices. Ramsey is using his bully platform (with his radio show and website) to not only educate people about their rights under federal law, but also to connect borrowers with attorneys who will sue debt collectors for violating federal debt collection laws. The lawyers will be working on a contingency fee, meaning they don’t charge up front, but they do take a percentage of any settlement money if they are successful in their lawsuit. ForeclosureHelp is not endorsing Dave Ramsey or these attorneys, but we do think this may put some collection agencies on notices that violating laws like the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act may be very expensive if you are sued by a lawyer, and we’re happy to see more attention drawn to abusive collection practices. We earlier re-blogged a post from the Consumerist that is helpful for consumers and we recommend reviewing it if you’re dealing with debt collectors: 23 Things Debt Collectors Are Not Allowed To Do.

6) The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals recently released their 2012 State of Hispanic Homeownership Report. A few interesting points:

While the Hispanic homeownership rate has decreased from 47.5% down to 46.1% since 2010, the total number of owner households has increased by almost 500,000, due to a net increase of more than 1 million total Hispanic households during the same two-year period. (The homeownership rate is the number of owner households divided by the total number of households).
In 2012, Hispanics accounted for 355,000 or 51% of the total net increase of 693,000 owner households in the U.S.
Hispanics strongly believe in homeownership, “Fifty-six percent of Hispanics said that a major reason to buy a home was because it represents a symbol of success or achievement compared to only 32 percent of all Americans”

7. RealtyTrac released a report on 3/28/13: “Q1 2013 Foreclosure Inventory Update.” Some interesting stats about foreclosures and foreclosure inventory:

28,821 homes in the foreclosure process in California are now vacant- meaning the homeowner abandoned the home or moved during the 1^st quarter in 2013. California has the 3^rd largest inventory of these homes (which have not yet been foreclosed on), only Florida and Illinois have more. RealtyTrac was able to assess this by comparing foreclosure records against post office records.
Foreclosure Inventory is still strong: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA/HUD have the largest percent of foreclosure inventory, representing 12% of the national total. Bank of America is in second place with 11%, Wells Fargo represented 10%, and Chase is 7%.
There was a 58% increase in Chase being listed as the foreclosing entity as compared to a year ago, other large increases (as compared to a year ago) include Nationstar Mortgage (101%); Green Tree Servicing (89%), OneWest Bank (67%), and EverBank (61%).

Our housing counselors can help you evaluate your options, learn more about federal and state programs that may help you with your mortgage issues, and will help you create a plan forward.Please note: All content included in the ForeclosureHelpSCC blog is provided for information only and should NOT be considered legal or tax advice. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on our hotline: (408)-293-6000, or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org or send us an email: help@foreclosurehelpscc.org.

Revisión Independiente del Embargo de Vivienda: Actualización en los $3.6 Billones de Pago en Efectivo y $5.7 Billones en Asistencia de Modificación.

Posted on March 23, 2013 by CustomerBullHorn

(English Version: Independent Foreclosure Review: Update on $3.6 Billion in Cash Payments and $5.7 Billion in Modification Assistance. Vietnamese Version: Các chiến lược cho việc tìm kiếm xét Tịch thu nhà độc lập: Cập nhật trên $3.6 tỷ USD trong thanh toán bằng tiền mặt và $5.7 tỷ USD vào việc sửa đổi trợ giúp.)

Nota del editor: Foreclosure Help es un programa fundado por la ciudad de San Jose y la ciudad de Sunnyvale y podemos ayudar directamente a propietarios de casas y personas que alquilan viviendas que estén pasando por un proceso de embargo. Sin embargo no podemos ayudar a personas en otras ciudades y estado. Si usted necesita asesoría de vivienda, le recomendamos utilizar el mapa interactivo del portal de HUD y si tiene preguntas acerca de la información que esta a continuación, por favor contactar Rust Consulting (1-888-952-9105).

Una Nota de Prensa emitida de manera conjunta con la Oficina de Control de la Moneda (OCC por sus siglas en inglés) y la Reserva Federal provee a los propietarios de vivienda con información adicional acerca de los cambios hechos a la Revisión Independiente del Embargo de Vivienda y cómo estos cambios pueden impactar a los propietarios de vivienda.

En Enero de 2013 los reguladores anunciaron que muchos de los banco y agencias de servicios habían aceptado remplazar el programa original debido a problemas con el costo, tiempo y administración de las revisiones (para mayor información acerca de este tema revise nuestra nota anterior: 7 razones para posponer le Revisión Independiente del Embargo de Vivienda).

Los 13 bancos que son parte del programa de remplazo incluyen a:
Aurora, Bank of America, Citibank, Goldman Sachs (Litton Loan Servicing), HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, MetLife Bank, Morgan Stanley (Saxon Mortgage), PNC, Sovereign, SunTrust, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo.

Sin embargo tres bancos (GMAC Mortgage, Everbank, and OneWest/IndyMac), no aceptaron cambiar su programa y continuarán utilizando el proceso original de la Revisión Independiente del Embargo de Vivienda que tuvo el 31 de Diciembre de 2012 como fecha límite de aplicación. De acuerdo con la nota de prensa emitida: “Los reguladores esperan que las revisiones de estos bancos se completen durante el transcurso del siguiente año.”

¿Qué sigue?
De acuerdo con los reguladores, Rust Consulting, Inc. ha sido seleccionada como la entidad reguladora de pagos y empezarán a contactar a los propietarios de vivienda a finales de Marzo 2013. Los propietarios pueden contactar a Rust Consulting para actualizar su información de contacto (que es importante hacer ya que la información proporcionada por el banco o agencia de servicio es la dirección de correspondencia y número de teléfono de la propiedad que fue parte del proceso de embargo). El número de teléfono para contactar a Rust Consulting es 1-888-952-9105, y los representantes pueden también verificar la elegibilidad al programa.

¿Soy Elegible?
Al igual que la Revisión Independiente del Embargo de Vivienda original, el programa que lo remplaza es solo para propietarios de vivienda que fueron parte de una acción de embargo (pendiente o completa) entre el 1ro de Enero de 2009 y el 31 de Diciembre de 2010. El propietario NO tiene que haber perdido su propiedad para calificar, pero necesita haber estado en “cualquier etapa del proceso de embargo” durante ese período de tiempo.

¿Cuánto Dinero?
El dinero será dividido en dos categorías: Pagos en Efectivo y Asistencia para Aliviar la Pérdida.

Pago en efectivo: Los 13 bancos y agencias de servicio han acordado pagar un total de $3.6 billones a los propietarios de vivienda. Los montos individuales para cada propietario dependerán de la severidad de los errores cometidos por los bancos/agencias de servicio y pueden ser de unos cientos de dólares hasta $125,000. El Washington Post ha creado una tabla de ayuda que categoriza a los propietarios por categorías: Waterfall of Borrower Categories (incluido en el articulo:“Foreclosure victims to get compensation alerts in $9.3B agreement starting Friday”

Asistencia para Aliviar la Pérdida: Los13 bancos/agencias de servicio proveerán $5.7 billón en asistencia a los propietarios a través de esfuerzo para aliviar la pérdida” dando preferencia a las actividades designadas a mantener a los propietarios en sus viviendas a través de acciones de retención que sean asequibles y sostenibles en el largo plazo.” Los bancos y agencias de servicio tienen hasta el 7 de Enero de 2015 para completar esta asistencia.

Banco/Agencia de Servicio	Pagos en Efectivo	Asistencia para Aliviar la Pérdida
Aurora Loan Servicing	$93 millones	$149 millones
Bank of America	$1.1 billones	$1.7 billones
Citibank	$306 millones	$486 millones
Goldman (Litton Loan Servicing)	$135 millones	$195 millones
HSBC	$96 millones	$153 millones
JP Morgan Chase	$753 millones	$1.2 billones
MetLife Bank	$30 millones	$48 millones
Morgan Stanley (Saxon Mortgage)	$97 millones	$130 millones
PNC	$69 millones	$69 millones
Sovereign	$6 millones	$9 millones
SunTrust	$62 millones	$100 millones
U.S. Bank	$80 millones	$128 millones
Wells Fargo	$765 millones	$1.2 billones
Total	$3.6 billones	$5.7 billones

Nota: Los montos han sido redondeados. Fuente: Amended Consent Orders publicado en las paginas web de la OCC y la Reserva Federal.

¿Cuál debe ser mi siguiente paso?
Es de seguro que Rust Consulting estará saturado de llamadas telefónicas de los propietarios de vivienda durante los días siguientes, pero vale la pena tomarse el tiempo para llamarlos dentro de las próximas semanas y confirmar que tengan su información de contacto correcta y para verificar su elegibilidad al programa.

Para mayor información visite: Nota de Prensa de la Reserva Federal: “Amendments to Consent Orders Memorialize $9.3 Billion Foreclosure Agreement”

Independent Foreclosure Review: Update on $3.6 Billion in Cash Payments and $5.7 Billion in Modification Assistance.

Posted on February 28, 2013 by CustomerBullHorn

By Sean Coffey, MPA, Program Manager at Foreclosure Help

April 25, 2013 Update: Representative Elijah Cummings (D-MD7) introduced legislation today to create a monitor to review the Independent Foreclosure Review, you can read more at our new blog post: “New Federal Bill Introduced to Create Independent Monitor”

Editor’s note: Foreclosure Help is a program funded by the city of San Jose and the city of Sunnyvale, and we can directly assist homeowners and tenants in San Jose and Sunnyvale who are facing foreclosure. However, we are unable to assist homeowners/former homeowners in other cities and states. If you need housing counseling, we suggest using the interactive map on HUD’s website and if you have questions about the information below, please contact Rust Consulting (1-888-952-9105).

A press release jointly issued today by the Office of the Comptroller Currency and the Federal Reserve provides homeowners some additional details about the changes made to the Independent Foreclosure Review and how these changes could impact homeowners.

In January 2013, the regulators announced that most of the original banks/servicers had agreed to replace the program because of concerns over the cost, timeliness, and administration of the reviews (For more about these concerns, see our previous post: 7 Reasons to Postpone the Independent Foreclosure Review).

The 13 banks that are part of the replacement program include:

Aurora, Bank of America, Citibank, Goldman Sachs (Litton Loan Servicing), HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, MetLife Bank, Morgan Stanley (Saxon Mortgage), PNC, Sovereign, SunTrust, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo.

However, three banks (GMAC Mortgage, Everbank, and OneWest/IndyMac), did not agree to change their program, and will continue using the Independent Foreclosure Review process, which had a deadline to apply of December 31, 2012. According to the press release, “Regulators expect the reviews for these servicers to be completed over the course of the coming year.”

What’s next?

According to the regulators, Rust Consulting, Inc. has been appointed as the payment regulator and Rust Consulting will begin contacting homeowners by the end of March 2013. Homeowners can also contact Rust Consulting to update their contact information (which is important to do, especially if the bank/servicer’s only contact information is a mailing address or phone number for a house that was already foreclosed on). The phone number for Rust Consulting is 1-888-952-9105, and representatives can also verify a person’s eligibility.

Am I eligible?

Similar to the original Independent Foreclosure Review, the replacement program is only for homeowners who were part of a foreclosure action (pending or completed) between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010. The homeowner did NOT have to lose their home in order to qualify, but did need to be “in any stage of the foreclosure process” during that timeframe.

How much money?

The money is being divided into two categories: Cash payments and loss mitigation assistance.

Cash Payments: The 13 banks/servicers have agreed to provide a total of $3.6 billion to homeowners. Individual amounts to homeowners will depend on the severity of the mistakes the bank/servicer made, and could range from hundreds of dollars up to $125,000 plus lost equity. The Washington Post has created a helpful table of borrower categories: Waterfall of Borrower Categories (from their article: “Foreclosure victims to get compensation alerts in $9.3B agreement starting Friday”

Loss Mitigation Assistance: The 13 banks/servicers will provide $5.7 billion is assistance to homeowners through loss mitigation efforts, with “preference given to activities designed to keep borrowers in their homes through affordable, sustainable, and meaningful home preservation actions.” The banks and servicers are given until January 7, 2015 to complete the loss mitigation assistance.

Bank/Servicer	Cash Payments	Loss Mitigation Assistance
Aurora Loan Servicing	$93 million	$149 million
Bank of America	$1.1 billion	$1.7 billion
Citibank	$306 million	$486 million
Goldman (Litton Loan Servicing)	$135 million	$195 million
HSBC	$96 million	$153 million
JP Morgan Chase	$753 million	$1.2 billion
MetLife Bank	$30 million	$48 million
Morgan Stanley (Saxon Mortgage)	$97 million	$130 million
PNC	$69 million	$69 million
Sovereign	$6 million	$9 million
SunTrust	$62 million	$100 million
U.S. Bank	$80 million	$128 million
Wells Fargo	$765 million	$1.2 billion
Total	$3.6 billion	$5.7 billion

Note: Figures are rounded. Source: Amended Consent Orders posted on OCC and Federal Reserve website.

What Should I do next? Rust Consulting will likely be overwhelmed by the number of phone calls from homeowners in the next few days, but it is worth taking the time to call them over the next few weeks and confirm that they have your current contact information and to verify your eligibility. The phone number for Rust Consulting is 1-888-952-9105.

For more information, visit:
Federal Reserve Press Release: “Amendments to Consent Orders Memorialize $9.3 Billion Foreclosure Agreement”

California Homeowners have Received $16.8 Billion in Relief from National Attorney General Settlement

Posted on February 21, 2013 by CustomerBullHorn

By Sean Coffey, Program Manager of ForeclosureHelp

Joseph Smith, the Monitor for the national Attorney General settlement, released a report (Ongoing Implementation: February 21, 2013) today about the amount of relief the five banks (Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citi, and Ally) have granted to homeowners as part of the AG settlement.

According to the report, from March 1, 2012, through December 31, 2012, $45.8 billion in relief has been provided to homeowners. This includes: (national figures)

$6 billion in first lien modification forgiveness
$1.3 billion in relief for pre 3/1/2012 forbearance
$2.2 billion in “estimated consumer relief of refinances”
$3.4 billion in active trials in process
$11.5 billion in second lien modifications and extinguishments
$19 billion in short sales completed/deficiencies forgiven,
$1.6 billion in “other programs”

154,243 borrowers in California have been assisted, with an average amount of $109,527 of relief/benefit to the borrower. The amount of relief offered to homeowners, varies widely by bank especially as measured by the category “Completed 1^st lien modification forgiveness” (defined as “finalized first lien principal reduction permanent modifications [including trial modification).

Ally Bank: 231 borrower assisted, average amount: $152,904

Bank of America: 7,509 borrowers assisted, average amount: $214,748

Citi: 408 borrowers assisted, average amount: $122,833

Chase: 3,375 borrowers assisted, average amount: $167,828

Wells Fargo: 4,383 borrowers assisted, average amount: $114,006

To see the detailed analysis of relief offered to California homeowners, click here: Appendix IV State Consumer Relief Information California, Program to Date

Are you a homeowner here in San Jose or Sunnyvale, California, and are you struggling to pay your mortgage, or worried about foreclosure? Has somebody contacted you about doing a short-sale and you want to make sure you are examining all of your possible options? If so, give us a call and we can set up an appointment with a certified foreclosure prevention counselor from a HUD-approved agency. We have an office in downtown San Jose (across the street from St. Joseph’s Cathedral) and we also offer Saturday hours at our satellite office, located across the street from Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Pick up the phone and give us a call: 408-293-6000, or send us an email: help@foreclosurehelpscc.org.

If you are struggling with foreclosure in San Jose or Sunnyvale, please give us a call. The sooner you pick up the phone, the sooner we can help, and the earlier you start in the process, the more options you will have to create a plan forward.

Our HUD-approved counselors can help you evaluate your options, learn more about federal and state programs that may help you with your mortgage issues, and will help you create a plan forward.

Nuestros consejeros aprobados por HUD puede ayudarle a evaluar sus opciones, aprender más acerca de los programas federales y estatales que pueden ayudarle con sus problemas de hipoteca, y le ayudará a crear un plan para seguir.

Xin lưu ý: Tất cả các nội dung trên Blog ForeclosureHelpSCC được cung cấp thông tin duy nhất và không nên coi là hợp pháp hoặc tư vấn thuế. Nếu bạn có bất cứ câu hỏi , xin vui lòng liên hệ với chúng tôi qua đường dây nóng: (408) -293-6000, hoặc truy cập vào trang của chúng tôi: http://www.foreclosurehelpscc.org hoặc gửi email cho chúng tôi:help@foreclosurehelpscc.org.

Six Reasons to Deal with Your Foreclosure Problem Today, not Tomorrow (foreclosurehelpscc.wordpress.com)
Helpful Resources if You’re Facing Foreclosure By Foreclosure Help SCC (foreclosurehelpscc.wordpress.com)
Five Important Policy Updates For California Homeowners and Tenants in 2013 Related to Foreclosures, Short Sales, and the Homeowner’s Bill of Rights (foreclosurehelpscc.wordpress.com)
Another Possible Loan Modification Scam: They’re Alive and Well in California in January 2013 (foreclosurehelpscc.wordpress.com)

Thông tin chi tiết về Đánh giá Tịch thu nhà độc lập: Những ngân hàng được bao gồm, các ngân hàng không bao gồm (New Details on Independent Foreclosure Review)

Posted on January 24, 2013 by CustomerBullHorn

Thông tin chi tiết về Đánh giá Tịch thu nhà độc lập: Những ngân hàng được bao gồm, các ngân hàng không bao gồm

(New Details on Independent Foreclosure Review: What Banks Are Included, What banks are not)

Thông tin chi tiết đang xuất hiện về việc thay thế giai đoạn kiểm định Tịch thu nhà độc lập, và chúng tôi sẽ tiếp tục cập nhật được phát hành thông tin từ Cục Dự trữ Liên bang và Văn phòng Kiểm soát tiền tệ. Chúng tôi nghi ngờ rằng nó sẽ là vài tuần trước khi xuất hiện thêm chi tiết chương trình thực tế, và đã có ý kiến cho rằng các khoản thanh toán cho các chủ nhà sẽ không bắt đầu cho đến tháng 3 năm 2013 là sớm nhất. Chủ nhà phải giữ mắt của họ trên trang web Duyệt xét độc lập Tịch thu nhà và chúng tôi nghi ngờ rằng có thêm thông tin sẽ được đăng tải vào cuối tháng Giêng năm 2013.

1. Là việc giải quyết mới này là bao nhiêu? $3.3 tỷ USD sẽ được phân phối trong thanh toán trực tiếp đến người vay tiền đủ điều kiện, trong khi đó thêm $5.2 tỷ trong cứu trợ sẽ được cấp thông qua các sửa đổi khoản vay và sự tha thứ của bản án thiếu hụt.

2. Tiền bồi thường sẽ được xác định như thế nào? Huffington Post (Tịch thu nhà Đánh giá trong việc giải quyết mới sẽ Giữ chủ nhà Trong tay của các ngân hàng từ ngày 07 tháng một năm 2013) các báo từ các ngân hàng và dich vụ sẽ xem xét khoảng 4.4 triệu người chủ nhà bị tịch thu trong vòng từ năm 2009 đến 2010:

Một cách rộng rãi phân loại chúng thành 11 “thể loại” tương ứng với mức độ gian lận trong quá trình tịch thu nhà. Khách hàng vay với các khoản vay bị tịch thu rơi vào thể loại ưu tiên cao nhất, chẳng hạn như nhà bị tịch thu bất hợp pháp được tiến hành trong khi họ đang chiến đấu trong quân đội Mỹ ở nước ngoài, sẽ hội đủ điều kiện cho một thanh toán có thể lên đến $125,000. Những người trong nhóm mức thấp nhất, chẳng hạn như các khoản vay với một lỗi văn thư, sẽ hội đủ điều kiện cho ít nhất là $250.

3.Các ngân hàng được bao gồm? Theo việc phát hành báo chí Dự trữ Liên bang, tham gia vào thỏa thuận mới này sẽ đáp ứng các yêu cầu của các hành động thực thi pháp luật bắt buộc rằng các dịch vụgiữ lại các chuyên gia tư vấn độc lập thực hiện một xét độc lập Tịch thu nhà. “(Nói cách khác, điều này là thay thế các xét độc lập Tịch thu nhà cho các ngân hàng này và dịch vụ)

Aurora Loan Servicing

Bank of America

Citibank

HSBC

JPMorgan Chase

Litton

MetLife Bank

PNC

Saxon

Sovereign

Sun Trust

U.S. Bank

Wells Fargo

4. các ngân hàng không bao gồm? Theo HuffingtonPost bài viết được trích dẫn trước, các ngân hàng này không được bao gồm và đánh giá sẽ tiếp tục cho các chủ nhà có các khoản vay phục vụ bởi các công ty:

Ally Financial,

EverBank,

OneWest Bank (formerly IndyMac bank)

Cục Dự trữ Liên bang thông cáo báo rằng: “Các cơ quan tiếp tục làm việc để đạt được các thoả thuận tương tự về nguyên tắc với nhung dich vu khác mà không phải là các bên tham gia thỏa thuận công bố hôm nay, nhưng điều đó cũng tùy thuộc vào hành động thực thi thực hành thiếu phục vụ khoản cho vay thế chấp và xử lý tịch thu nhà”.

Nếu bạn là một sinh hoạt chủ sở hữu nhà ở San Jose hoặc Sunnyvale và đang đấu tranh với nợ nhà, xin vui lòng liên ForeclosureHelpSCC, một chương trình được tài trợ bởi thành phố San Jose và thành phố của Sunnyvale ở (408) -293-6000 hoặc truy cập trang web của chúng tôi: www. foreclosurehelpscc.org. Nhân viên tư vấn của chúng tôi đã được HUD chấp thuận có thể giúp bạn đánh giá các lựa chọn của bạn, tìm hiểu thêm về các chương trình của liên bang và tiểu bang có thể giúp bạn với các vấn đề thế chấp của bạn, và sẽ giúp bạn tạo ra một kế hoạch phía trước.

Posted on January 23, 2013 by CustomerBullHorn

Great news from Keep Your Home California- Wells Fargo is also participating in the Principal Reduction Program!

Nuevos Detalles de la Revisión Independiente de los Embargos Hipotecarios: Que Bancos están incluidos y que bancos no están.

Posted on January 10, 2013 by CustomerBullHorn

Mas detalles salen a la luz acerca del remplazo de la Revisión Independiente de los Embargos Hipotecarios y seguiremos actualizando a manera que la Reserva Federal y la Oficina del Control de la Moneda anuncien mas información. Estimamos que serán varias semanas antes de que se sepan los detalles del programa actual y ha habido sugerencias de que los pagos a los propietarios no empezaran por lo menos hasta Marzo 2013. Los propietarios deben continuar revisando loa pagina web de la Revisión Independiente de los Embargos Hipotecarios Independent Foreclosure Review website y sospechamos que mayor información será publicada para finales de Enero de 2013.

1. ¿A cuanto asciende el nuevo acuerdo? $3.3 billones serán distribuidos en pagos directos a los prestatarios elegibles, mientras que $5.2. billones adicionales serán otorgados en compensación a través de modificaciones de préstamos y perdón de juicios de deficiencia.

2. ¿Como se determinará la compensación? El Huffington Post (Foreclosure Review In New Settlement Leaves Homeowners In Banks’ Hands January 7, 2013 ha reportado que los bancos y las agencias que prestan servicios hipotecarios revisarán los casos de los 4.4 millones de propietarios cuyas viviendas fueron embargadas entre los años 2009-2010 y

harán una clasificación general de 11 categorías dependiendo del nivel de fraude durante el proceso de embargo. Prestatarios con préstamos embargados que están en la categoría de prioridad mas alta, como embargos ilegales hechos a miembros de las tropas de los Estados Unidos mientras en combate fuera del país, calificarán para pagos de hasta $125,000. Aquellos en el grupo de menor categoría, tales como préstamos con errores administrativos calificarán para al menos $250.

3. ¿Qué bancos están incluidos? De acuerdo al comunicado de prensa de la Reserva Federal e Federal Reserve press release, los participantes en este nuevo acuerdo “cumplirán con los requisitos de las acciones de implementación que manda que las agencias que prestan servicios hipotecarios retengan consultores que conduzcan una revisión independiente del proceso de embargo” ( en otras palabras, esto remplaza la Revisión Independiente del Embargo Hipotecario para estos bancos y agencias de servicio hipotecario)

Aurora Loan Servicing
Bank of America
Citibank
HSBC (added on Jan. 18th)
JPMorgan Chase
MetLife Bank
PNC
Sovereign
SunTrust,
U.S. Bank
Wells Fargo

4. ¿Qué bancos no están incluidos? De acuerdo al artículo publicado por el Huffington Post citado anteriormente, los siguientes bancos no están incluidos en el nuevo acuerdo y las revisiones continuarán para los propietarios cuyos préstamos fueron manejados por estas compañías:

Ally Financial,
EverBank,
OneWest Bank (formerly IndyMac bank)

El comunicado de prensa emitido por la Reserva Federal menciona “Las agencias continuarán trabajando para alcanzar acuerdos similares en principio con las otras agencias de servicio hipotecario que no son parte de este acuerdo anunciado el día de hoy, pero son también sujetos a acciones de ejecución por prácticas de servicio de hipotecas y proceso de embargos deficientes”

5. ¿Qué sucederá con los clientes de Litton y Saxon? 16 de enero 2013 Update: Litton y sajones han acordado llevar a cabo un proceso similar al de los 10 bancos / administradores mencionados al principio de este post, se puede ver una nota de prensa sobre sus asentamientos aquí: Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have reached agreements in principle with the Federal Reserve Board to pay $557 million in cash payments and other assistance to help mortgage borrowers.

If you are a homeowner living in San Jose or Sunnyvale and are struggling with your mortgage, please contact ForeclosureHelpSCC, a program funded by the City of San Jose and the City of Sunnyvale at (408)-293-6000 or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org. Our HUD-approved counselors can help you evaluate your options, learn more about federal and state programs that may help you with your mortgage issues, and will help you create a plan forward.

Si usted es dueño de una casa en San José o en Sunnyvale y están luchando con su hipoteca, por favor póngase en contacto con ForeclosureHelpSCC, un programa financiado por la ciudad de San José y la ciudad de Sunnyvale, al (408) -293- 6000, o visite nuestro sitio: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org. Nuestros consejeros aprobados por HUD puede ayudarle a evaluar sus opciones, aprender más acerca de los programas federales y estatales que pueden ayudarle con sus problemas de hipoteca, y le ayudará a crear un plan para seguir.

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