TAMPA, FL – August 17, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Attorney General Bill McCollum today hosted a Tampa town hall meeting with Florida’s Interagency Mortgage Fraud Task Force 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 150 attendees. Participating agencies included state agencies, law enforcement, regulatory authorities, housing counselors and volunteer lawyers.
“It is so important, when we are dealing with a crisis of this magnitude, that governmental agencies and resources are working together to better assist Floridians in their time of need,” said Attorney General McCollum. “I am proud of my role in this coordinated effort, and I look forward to great results obtained for our citizens.”
In addition to presentations from numerous government entities, the town hall 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.
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.
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 town hall meeting was the first of several outreach events the task force will be hosting throughout the state in the coming months.
A complete listing of participating agencies for today’s town hall meeting is available online at: http://myfloridalegal.com/mfraud.nsf/pages/Meeting. 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.
Contact: Sandi Copes
Phone: (850) 245-0150
