Attorney General, Florida Interagency Mortgage Task Force Host Broward Community Forum on Housing Issues

SUNRISE, FL - November 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The Attorney General’s Office and the Florida Interagency Mortgage Task Force today hosted a Broward County community forum to discuss the housing crisis. The event, designed to present a comprehensive approach for dealing with housing-related issues, provided community education and assistance to over 100 attendees. Participating agencies included state agencies, law enforcement, and regulatory authorities.

According to RealtyTrac.com, Broward had the sixth highest foreclosure rate in the nation with one out of every 1,128 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing. The Attorney General called on the banks to do the right thing by their customers, make customer service a priority, and report to the state on any new measures they implement.

“I believe that it was largely the irresponsible conduct of lenders that contributed to this financial mess, and they need to be leading the charge to help us get on the road to economic recovery in this state and throughout the country,” said Attorney General McCollum. “These banks should take a page from companies known for their customer service and treat their customers right.”

In addition to presentations from numerous government entities, the forum featured a question and answer period for homeowners to receive information pertaining to their personal situations. Exhibition booths from the participants were also set up, and numerous attendees were able to receive assistance on site from the various partners in attendance.

One of the task force’s primary initiatives is to increase the public’s awareness about what services are available for affected homeowners, as well as to provide information about potential scams to avoid. Today’s community forum follows a town hall meeting in Tampa and a community forum in Fort Myers.

In April, Attorney General McCollum called together the first meeting of the Interagency Task Force to address the ways different state agencies could work together to fight mortgage fraud and protect Florida homeowners. The task force is charged with sharing information about potential cases and developing a comprehensive method for informing other agencies when mortgage fraud cases may involve their jurisdiction.

More information about the Attorney General’s efforts to combat mortgage fraud and consumer educational materials is available online at: http://www.myfloridalegal.com/mortgagefraud. Consumers and homeowners can report mortgage fraud or other economic crimes to the Attorney General’s fraud hotline at 1-866-966-7226 or online at http://www.myfloridalegal.com.