Foreclosure Reviews: Exorbitant for Banks, Gold Mines for Consultants

In the wake of the financial crisis, banks mishandled foreclosures on such a scale that regulators stepped in. Led by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, they ordered banks to hire independent outsiders to identify homeowners who were wrongly foreclosed on and to provide compensation.

Instead of righting a large-scale wrong, however, the “lookback” reviews have become nearly as controversial as the original servicing blunders. Consumer advocates have blasted the reviews as lacking in independence. They allege that regulators have allowed banks to subvert the program by choosing their reviewers, weighing in on whether borrowers were harmed and even appealing consultants’ decisions.

Obscured in the feuding is an issue potentially even more troubling than the questions about the consultants’ independence: the cost of running the reviews has spiraled out of all proportion to their potential benefits.

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4closureFraud.org