Homeowners

September 04, 2007 -- BOSTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has filed a regulation with the Secretary of State’s Office that permanently bans for-profit foreclosure rescue transactions in the Commonwealth. The Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act authorizes the Attorney General to promulgate regulations to identify unfair or deceptive conduct that violates the act. The new regulation prohibits predatory, for-profit foreclosure rescue transactions.    » read more »

More than $250,000 in Disputed Down Payment Never Returned

September 3, 2007 -- Chicago - Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed suit in Cook County Circuit Court on Friday alleging that two Chicago area real estate developers have violated the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act by failing to complete construction on 39 homes and by further failing to refund $250,000 in down payments to the customers – most first-time home buyers with dreams of homeownership.    » read more »

Scheme involved flipping properties and enticing buyers with promises of fraudulently obtained financing

August 30, 2007 -- TALLAHASSEE, FL - Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that an Osceola County man pled guilty to multiple criminal charges stemming from a widespread mortgage fraud scheme that targeted first-time home buyers or individuals with low income or poor credit.    » read more »

OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 28, 2007 — Homeowners could see their summer utility bills fall by 8 percent or more with a new roof and attic system being developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.    » read more »

WASHINGTON - Presidential Candidate Chris Dodd today released a comprehensive plan to protect American homeownership. Saying that we needed proven leadership to address the issue, Dodd laid out a plan that would help keep Americans affected by the mortgage crisis in their homes through immediate action and proposed structural reform of the system to ensure that families have access to affordable mortgages in the long run.    » read more »

23 August 2007 -- Nearly two years have passed since Hurricane Katrina devastated swathes of the U.S. Gulf Coast, including the vibrant city of New Orleans. Since then, some who fled the region have returned, while others have chosen to start anew elsewhere. Among those who elected not to go back is a tight-knit Vietnamese-American family that had been a fixture of the New Orleans restaurant scene. Malcolm Brown reports on the Cao family's attempts to rebuild a business, far from the city they know.    » read more »

Names Anthony Martin to Protect Private Property Rights

August 23, 2007 --JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri Governor Matt Blunt today named Paul Anthony Martin as Missouri's Eminent Domain Ombudsman, a position created to safeguard property rights in the state. Mr. Martin will serve as Missouri's property rights czar advocating on behalf of private property owners when they need assistance safeguarding their land.    » read more »

August 23, 2007 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell and Department of Banking Commissioner Howard Pitkin today announced the establishment of a Mortgage Foreclosure Assistance Hotline. Connecticut’s residents who are facing foreclosure on their homes may call (877) 472-8313 toll-free and receive advice and guidance regarding their mortgage problems.    » read more »

Asks Regulators To Change Focus To Mortgage Market—Only Way To Solve Crisis Of Confidence; Non-Bank Lenders Who Sell Off Mortgages Have Left Distressed Homeowners With No Workout Options; Regulators, Private Industry Must Step into Breach to Defray Crisis

August 22, 2007 -- Washington, DC—Today, Senator Charles E.    » read more »

August 21, 2007 -- CAPE ELIZABETH – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci today kicked off the “How Does Your Home Perform?” campaign as part of the Maine Home Performance with EnergyStar� program. Maine Home Performance, a home retrofit program sponsored by the Governor’s Office of Energy Independence and Security, is creating a sustainable market throughout the State of Maine for diagnosis and treatment of homes to make them healthy, comfortable, and cost and energy efficient.    » read more »

08/20/2007 -- Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson today warned consumers of the potential for home repair scams following this weekend’s severe weather.

“The wind and rain carried with them enormous damage,” Edmondson said. “These storms can also carry with them the potential for home repair fraud.”    » read more »

August 20, 2007 -- INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter encourages Hoosiers to be on guard against unscrupulous contractors if they engage in home improvements as a result of recent summer storms. Con artists may come out of the woodwork to prey on those who have seen damage to their homes by offering assistance at outrageous prices or taking money and failing to complete the work.    » read more »

TV, radio messages start airing in Illinois to increase awareness of radon health risks and importance of home tests

August 20, 2007 -- SPRINGFIELD – You can’t see, smell or taste radon, but the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the Illinois Broadcasters Association (IBA) are joining together to make people in Illinois more aware of the hidden health hazard that could be in their homes.    » read more »

New Laws Require Lenders To Disclose More Information, Prevents Sub Prime Loan Abuses

8/16/2007 -- Raleigh - North Carolina Governor Mike Easley announced today he has signed legislation to reign in abusive lending practices, provide consumers with more information and protect unsuspecting homebuyers and tenants from unfair fees and penalties. The three bills signed into law are:    » read more »

August 17, 2007 -- NEWARK - The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and the Division of Consumer Affairs have filed suit against a Gloucester County businessman who allegedly collected tens of thousands of dollars in surplus funds that homeowners otherwise would have received for a small fee after their homes were sold in foreclosure.

The state’s two-count complaint against Samuel E. Goodwin, III is the first action filed under the state’s Consumer Fraud Act to address deceptive practices in the area of surplus funds recovery.    » read more »