Payments to 4.2 Million Borrowers Covered by Foreclosure Agreement to Begin April 12

Payments to 4.2 million borrowers are scheduled to begin on April 12 following an agreement reached by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve Board with 13 mortgage servicers.

The agreement, which was reached earlier this year, provides $3.6 billion in cash payments to borrowers whose homes were in any stage of the foreclosure process in 2009 or 2010 and whose mortgages were serviced by one of the following companies, their affiliates, or subsidiaries: Aurora, Bank of America, Citibank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, MetLife Bank, Morgan Stanley, PNC, Sovereign, SunTrust, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo.

The payments will range from $300 to $125,000. For borrowers whose mortgages were serviced by 11 of the 13 servicers--all servicers but Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley--checks will be sent in several waves beginning with 1.4 million checks on April 12. The final wave is expected in mid-July 2013. More than 90 percent of the total payments to borrowers at those 11 servicers are expected to have been sent by the end of April. Information about payments to borrowers whose mortgages were serviced by Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley will be announced in the near future.

In most cases, borrowers will receive a letter with an enclosed check sent by the Paying Agent--Rust Consulting, Inc. Some borrowers may receive letters from Rust requesting additional information needed to process their payments. Previously, Rust sent postcards to the 4.2 million borrowers notifying them of their eligibility to receive payment under the agreement.

Rust is sending all payments and correspondence regarding the foreclosure agreement at the direction of the OCC and the Federal Reserve.

Borrowers can call Rust at 1-888-952-9105 to update their contact information or to verify that they are covered by the agreement. Information provided to Rust will only be used for purposes related to the agreement. Borrowers should beware of scams and anyone asking them to call a different number or to pay a fee to receive payment under the agreement.

Accepting a payment will not prevent borrowers from taking any action they may wish to pursue related to their foreclosure. Servicers are not permitted to ask borrowers to sign a waiver of any legal claims they may have against their servicer in connection with accepting payment.

In determining the payment amounts, borrowers were categorized according to the stage of their foreclosure process and the type of possible servicer error. Regulators then determined amounts for each category using the financial remediation matrix published in June 2012 as a guide, incorporating input from various consumer groups. Regulators have published the payment amounts and number of people in each category on their web sites at www.occ.gov/independentforeclosurereview and www.federalreserve.gov/consumerinfo/independent-foreclosure-review-payment-agreement.htm.

While the agreement ended the Independent Foreclosure Review for the 13 companies identified above, the review continues for OneWest, Everbank, and GMAC Mortgage.

Regulators continue to monitor the servicers' actions to correct the unsafe and unsound mortgage servicing and foreclosure practices required by other parts of regulators' enforcement actions, which remain in effect.

Regulators have issued guidance to the servicers under foreclosure-related enforcement actions directing a review before foreclosure sales for all pending foreclosures. These reviews help prevent avoidable foreclosures by ensuring foreclosure-prevention alternatives are considered and foreclosure standards are met. Regulators encourage borrowers needing foreclosure prevention assistance to work directly with their servicer or to contact the Homeowner's HOPE Hotline at 888-995-HOPE (4673) (or at www.makinghomeaffordable.gov) to be put in touch with a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved nonprofit organization that can provide free assistance.