Attorney General Hosts Second Miami Community Forum on Housing Issues
MIAMI, FL – May 10, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — Attorney General Bill McCollum and the Florida Interagency Mortgage Task Force today hosted a community forum in Miami to discuss the housing crisis. The event was designed to present a comprehensive approach for dealing with housing-related issues and provide information and assistance to consumers. Participating agencies included state agencies, law enforcement and regulatory authorities.
“Florida is suffering from a severe foreclosure crisis and Floridians need assistance,” said Attorney General McCollum. “We have been approaching this crisis with an all-hands-on-deck approach and the Attorney General’s Office will continue to lead the way in these efforts.”
In addition to presentations from numerous government entities, the forum featured 35-40 representatives from Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Wells Fargo Bank and SunTrust Bank to offer personal assistance to homeowners seeking loan modifications and other mortgage-related guidance. Attorney General McCollum requested the assistance of these banks after hearing from hundreds of homeowners from across the state about their frustrations while attempting to save their homes or modify the terms of their mortgages.
Several legal organizations, including the Cuban American Bar Association (CABA), the Spanish American League Against Discrimination (SALAD), the Dade County Bar Association Legal Aid Society and the Haitian Lawyers Association, were also on hand to provide pro bono legal advice to attendees.
Last 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. 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. The task force is also charged with sharing information about potential cases and developing a comprehensive method for informing other agencies when mortgage fraud cases may involve their jurisdiction. To date, four community forums have been held in Tampa, Ft. Myers, Miami and Broward County.
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
Media Contact:
Sandi Copes
Phone: (850) 245-0150
