6/5/19 – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) announced a settlement with Freedom Mortgage Corporation (Freedom), one of the ten largest Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) reporters nationwide.
Freedom is a mortgage lender with its principal place of business in Mount Laurel, N.J. For each year from 2013 through 2016, it originated more than 50,000 home-purchase loans, including refinancings of home-purchase loans. Freedom is required to collect, record, and report data on HMDA-covered transactions to comply with HMDA and Regulation C.
Inaccurate reporting
According to the consent order, the Bureau found that Freedom violated HMDA and Regulation C by submitting mortgage-loan data for 2014 to 2017 that contained errors. The Bureau found that Freedom reported inaccurate race, ethnicity, and sex information and that much of Freedom’s loan officers’ recording of this incorrect information was intentional. For example, certain loan officers were told by managers or other loan officers that, when applicants did not provide their race or ethnicity, they should select non-Hispanic white regardless of whether that was accurate.
To pay penalty of $1.75 million for violations
Under the terms of the consent order, Freedom must pay a civil money penalty of $1.75 million and take steps to improve its compliance management to prevent future violations.
The consent order is available at: https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_freedom-mortgage-corporation_stipulation_2019-06.pdf
Diane is a well respected Arizona bankruptcy and foreclosure attorney. As a retired law professor, she believes in offering everyone, not just her clients, advice about bankruptcy and Arizona foreclosure laws. Diane is also a mentor to hundreds of Arizona attorneys.
*Important Note from Diane: Everything on this web site is offered for educational purposes only and not intended to provide legal advice, nor create an attorney client relationship between you, me, or the author of any article. Information in this web site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from an attorney familiar with your personal circumstances and licensed to practice law in your state. Make sure to check out their reviews.*
In Case You Missed It
Published On: October 28, 2023
When a debtor is in Chapter 13 bankruptcy, it is not unusual that their monthly payments are made through a plan rather than directly to the mortgage lender. At the end of the year, the mortgage lender is likely to send Form 1098 (mortgage interest paid through the year) to the trustee, not the homeowner.
Published On: July 19, 2023
IMPORTANT PROGRESS FOR STUDENT LOAN BORROWERS WHO HAVE BEEN IN REPAYMENT TWO DECADES OR MORE Posting from the National Consumer Law Center Important Progress for Student Loan Borrowers Reposting from NCLC, July [...]
Published On: March 28, 2023
DOD to Help Military and Their Families SIX New Measures to Enhance Well-Being Release from US Department of Defense, March 22, 2023 Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III unveiled a comprehensive plan [...]
-
Published On: March 6, 2023
PEOPLE MAY WANT TO FILE A TAX RETURN – EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DO SO Posting from the IRS & Filing Tips IRS Tax Tip 2023-27, March 2, 2023 [...]
