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WASHINGTON (AP) — British bank HSBC will pay $249 million to settle federal complaints that its U.S. division wrongfully foreclosed on homeowners who should have been allowed to stay in their homes. The agreement with the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is similar to deals with 12 other banksRead more

By Kimberly Miller | Palm Beach Post Staff Writer | State lawmakers this week divvied up how $60 million of Florida’s mortgage settlement money will be used to aid struggling homeowners, with more than half flowing to first-time homebuyers for down payment assistance and millions directed at borrowers through legal aid and housing counseling. Also, Florida’s circuitRead more

huffingtonpost.com | “Last January, dozens of independent contractors showed up for their first day of work at a large, single-story Bank of America building in Tampa to right the wrongs of a foreclosure crisis that many had witnessed firsthand. Or so they thought. They were lawyers, paralegals and other mortgage industry veterans. Along with thousandsRead more

By Toluse Olorunnipa, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau | “A “faster foreclosures” proposal that sparked consumer outcry and protest last year has resurfaced in a more moderate form, with a new bill filed this week by Rep. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples. The bill, HB 87, offers a slew of changes to the civil procedures governing foreclosures in Florida, whereRead more

By Drew Harwell, Times | “Two years after he died of cancer, Dorothy Jackson’s late husband received a letter from the bank. “Dear David A. Jackson Deceased,” the letter said. It was from a Wells Fargo “home preservation specialist,” offering advice if Mr. Jackson had a “change in circumstances.” The bank said it was open toRead more

  By MICHAEL SASSO | The Tampa Tribune “As foreclosures hit unheard-of levels in recent years, a handful of Florida law firms that operated as foreclosure factories reaped millions in fees. One Tampa-based giant, Florida Default Law Group, had more than 1,000 lawyers, non-lawyer paralegals and support staff processing legal papers as cheaply and efficiently as possible. However, someRead more

http://online.wsj.com |  By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN “The end of the presidential election brings greater certainty to many small-business owners in critical areas from health-care policy to taxes. Here’s a look at what President Barack Obama’s re-election might mean for them: Health Care One campaign issue that business owners likely no longer need to question is theRead more

Florida’s attorney general and top legislators reached a deal Friday over how to spend $300 million in foreclosure settlement cash, ending a months-long stalemate. BY TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA HERALD/TIMES TALLAHASSEE BUREAU “Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday she has reached a deal with the state lawmakers over how to use $300 million in foreclosure settlementRead more

By Drew Harwell, Times Staff Writer “In a landmark robo-signing case, a former executive of a Jacksonville mortgage-processing giant faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to orchestrating years of fraudulent foreclosure documents, according to a plea deal filed Tuesday in Jacksonville federal court. Lorraine Brown, who headed a Georgia processing firm, DocX,Read more