Attorney General Bondi, President-designate Gaetz and Speaker-designate Weatherford Announce Plan for $300 Million Obtained in National Settlement
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Pam Bondi, President-designate Don Gaetz and Speaker-designate Will Weatherford today jointly announced their support for a plan for allocating the remaining $300 million that the Attorney General recovered for Floridians in the national mortgage settlement. The plan ensures that the entirety of these funds will be spent consistent with the terms of the settlement agreement, but also that the funds will be allocated through the legislative process. These settlement funds are in addition to the approximately $7.5 billion in expected relief that the national mortgage settlement provides directly to Florida homeowners.
At the next meeting of the Legislative Budget Commission, with the support of Gaetz and Weatherford, Bondi will seek approval for budget amendments to disburse $60 million of the settlement funds. Bondi anticipates proposing that the $60 million be used to fund down payment assistance for Floridians, foreclosure-related legal assistance and counseling, state court initiatives to ease the foreclosure backlog and Attorney General’s office enforcement efforts.
The balance of the funds will be allocated through the appropriations process in the upcoming legislative session. Gaetz and Weatherford have agreed to support the appropriation of approximately $200 million for housing-related purposes, consistent with the terms of the settlement agreement. Although the specific appropriations must be determined through the legislative process, possible uses of these funds include foreclosure prevention, neighborhood revitalization, affordable housing, homebuyer or renter assistance, legal assistance, counseling and other housing-related programs. Finally, consistent with the discretion afforded her under the settlement agreement, Bondi will designate approximately $40 million of the settlement funds as additional civil penalties.
“This plan gets much-needed assistance to the homeowners and communities suffering the effects of the foreclosure crisis, and ensures that the settlement funds are spent with the transparency, accountability and flexibility that comes from the legislative process,” said Bondi. “I thank President-designate Gaetz and Speaker-designate Weatherford for working together with me to implement the mortgage settlement in a way that’s in the best interests of our state.”
“I am grateful to Attorney General Bondi and Speaker-designate Weatherford for working with us on a proposal which ensures that these funds are appropriated by the legislature in a transparent and accountable manner,” said Senate President-designate Don Gaetz (R-Niceville). “Together with the approximately $7.5 billion in relief that will go directly to homeowners, this funding will play an important role in the multitude of state and federal efforts to provide relief for homeowners facing foreclosure.”
“I appreciate the hard work of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Senate President-designate Don Gaetz both in securing the settlement for distressed homeowners and for representing the interests of the state,” said Speaker-designate Will Weatherford (R-Wesley Chapel). The framework that has been outlined today will enable the Legislature to fulfill its important duty as appropriators while also directing these funds to those who have been negatively impacted. I look forward to working together in the upcoming legislative session.”
Attorney General Bondi formally entered a landmark $25 billion joint federal-state agreement with the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers over foreclosure abuses and unacceptable nationwide mortgage servicing practices. In addition to the funds described above, the agreement provides direct relief to homeowners and mandates extensive reforms of the banks’ mortgage servicing practices. For more information regarding the settlement, please click here: http://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/Main/C13C72583D0EF5BB8525799F00595D99
SOURCE: http://www.myfloridalegal.com
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This over bleached right wingin’ cow, will not do a damn thing for us! On that you can be sure!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_and_the_Financial_Crisis:_Anatomy_of_a_Financial_Collapse
Why is credit being given to Bondi in securing the monies from the national settlement when she did not even lift one single finger to contribute to the cause? This is all smoke and mirrors as far as I am concerned. It’s like they are putting her some kind of pedestal for all the work she (hasn’t) done!! Please let’s make this perfectly clear from her dropping all cases against the banksters and law offices for fraud she sits with her damn dog and boyfriend who looks like one and does not one thing worthy of all this praise! Not sure who wrote this article appearing here but excuse me while I puke in my mouth after reading it!!!!!
because they are mentioning $7.5 billion, I get the feeling they are still going to spend the “mortgage settlement money” elsewhere. Mentioning $7.5 billion lets them communicate to the masses that they are doing something, when we all know they are doing nothing to help homeowners facing foreclosure/that have been foreclosed.
“…state court initiatives to ease the foreclosure backlog…” I wonder what that means?