On May 6, 2017 we reported the Supreme Court’s 5 – 3 decision that cities have standing to sue banks for damages under the Fair Housing Act. We wondered, ” Will we see more of these actions? Most likely.” Well we have another case, and much sooner than expected. The City of Philadelphia filed suit against Wells Fargo on May 15th. We expect the list of cities filing cases to grow steadily. If any city […]
Tag: Fair Housing
FAIR HOUSING CLAIMS BY MUNICIPALITIES
On May 1, 2017 the Supreme Court (in a 5 – 3 decision, with Justice Gorsuch abstaining) ruled in the case of Bank of America v. City of Miami that municipalities have standing to file a civil damages action for a violation of the Fair Housing Act. The City’s complaints charge that the Banks intentionally targeted predatory practices at African-American and Latino neighborhoods and residents, lending to minority borrowers on worse terms than equally creditworthy […]
ANOTHER REDLINING CASE – REALLY?
On March 10 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced an agreement with Alpine Bank & Trust resolving allegations the Northern Illinois-based lender discriminated against African American and Hispanic mortgage applicants. HOPE Fair Housing Center of Wheaton, Illinois filed a complaint with HUD claiming the lender’s business service areas excluded majority African-American and Hispanic neighborhoods. The Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful for any person or other entity whose business includes residential real estate-related […]
WORTH WATCHING – BOA DISCRIMINATION CASE
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced it has charged Bank of America, N.A., and two of its employees with violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against prospective Hispanic mortgage borrowers in Charleston, South Carolina. The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) filed a complaint with HUD claiming the bank discriminated against prospective borrowers who are Hispanic by failing to provide them with information about loan products or by offering them […]
LEP – THE NEXT BIG THING?
On September 15, 2016 the Department of Housing and Urban Development published guidance on Fair Housing Act Protections for Persons With Limited English Proficiency. The guidance applies to your role as a mortgage lender, and your role as a landlord, if applicable. Limited English Proficiency (LEP) refers to a person’s limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English. Questionable practices include refusing to allow an LEP borrower to have mortgage documents translated, or refusing […]