By KIMBERLEY HAAS
The president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association said they are pushing for clarity and common sense as he criticized policymakers this week during his remarks at the Secondary and Capital Markets Conference and Expo in New York City.
Bob Broeksmit said policymakers plan to pile on more enforcement and red tape at a time when MBA member businesses are struggling.
“There seems to be a sense, at the highest levels of government, that the mortgage industry needs to be reined in,” Broeksmit said, according to his prepared remarks.
Broeksmit referred to the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank saying some policymakers are now pushing for new rules that could…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS Officials at the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Thursday that they have secured over $31 million from City National Bank to resolve allegations of redlining in Los Angeles County. City National is the largest bank headquartered in Los Angeles and among the 50 largest banks in the country. This is the largest redlining settlement agreement in the department’s history, according to a press release. Redlining is an illegal practice where lenders avoid providing credit services to individuals living in communities of color because of the race, color, or national origin of the residents in those communities. According to the complaint filed in federal court, City National avoided providing mortgage lending services to majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS A real estate developer has been sentenced to four years in prison for his involvement in a mortgage fraud scheme involving at least two dozen loan transactions totaling $6.5 million. The actions of George Kritopoulos, 50, resulted in more than $3.8 million in losses to lenders, according to authorities at the United States Department of Justice. Kritopoulos, of Salem, was convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, six counts of bank fraud, one count of aiding the preparation of a false income tax return, and one count of obstruction of justice on May 27. Kritopoulos was originally charged in September 2018 along with co-defendants Joseph Bates III and David…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS People who were victimized by what investigators have called the biggest Ponzi scheme in New Hampshire history can apply for compensation. In a news release, officials from the state’s Department of Justice announced that victims of Financial Resources Mortgage, Inc., and CL&M, Inc., can start filing applications to seek compensation from the FRM Victims’ Contribution Recovery Fund. People can submit an application either by printing, filling out, and mailing the paper version or by completing and sending the electronic version. The application deadline is May 18. After Financial Resources Mortgage collapsed in 2009, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged Scott Farah of Meredith, NH, and Donald Dodge of Belmont, NH, claiming they operated a fraudulent Ponzi…
Home Depot will pay $20.75 million under a proposed settlement after its contractors in states across the country allegedly failed to take proper steps to reduce the spread of lead dust and paint chips during renovations, the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice announced Thursday. In addition to the fine, the settlement requires Home Depot to implement a comprehensive, corporate-wide program to ensure that the firms and contractors it hires to perform work are certified and trained to use lead-safe work practices to avoid spreading lead dust and paint chips during home renovation activities. “These were serious violations. The stiff penalty Home Depot will pay reflects the importance of using certified firms and contractors in older home renovations,” said…
