Thursday, November 8, 2018

Wells Fargo Admits to Hundreds of Wrongful Foreclosures


A number of erroneous foreclosures have been linked to Wells Fargo bank. Back in August 2018, Wells Fargo admitted that it had “accidentally foreclosed on” almost 400 homes due to a software glitch that denied homeowners the ability to seek mortgage modifications, according to a report from CBNC. This week, Wells Fargo announced again that it had “improperly foreclosed on 545 customers after wrongly denying them mortgage loan modifications, up from the 400 borrowers the company disclosed in August,” according to a recent article in Bloomberg.
While Wells Fargo is based in California, it provides mortgages to homeowners across the country, including in the Chicago area. What should Oak Park residents know about these “accidental foreclosures” and the harm caused by Wells Fargo’s actions? First, we want to provide some background information about the wrongful foreclosures that were reported in August, and then to speak to the new information this November about additional “accidental” foreclosures that have affected consumers and homeowners.
Alleged “Glitch” Results in Hundreds of Foreclosures That Should Not Have Happened
As the CNBC report explains, between 2010 and 2015, almost 400 Wells Fargo mortgage customers “lost their homes when they were accidentally foreclosed on after a software glitch denied them the ability to modify their mortgages as they sought federal aid,” In August, Wells Fargo “apologized” to those homeowners who were affected, and planned to remedy the serious errors by providing $8 million to customers who were impacted. According to Tom Goyda, the senior vice president of Wells Fargo, “during the course of an internal review, we determined that an automated calculation of error may have affected the decision on whether or not to offer or approve some mortgage modifications between April 13, 2010 and October 20, 2015, when the error was corrected.”
Goyda apologized for the “error” and said that Wells Fargo had plans to provide “remediation to the approximately 625 customers who may have been impacted.” While 400 homeowners actually lost their homes due to Wells Fargo’s mistake, as the report underscores, hundreds more were affected.
New Errors Revealed Regarding Wells Fargo Mortgage Accounts and Foreclosure
In August, Wells Fargo issued an apology to homeowners affected by its so-called “accidental” foreclosures and provided a remedy of $8 million, yet just this month, the bank again reported that nearly 150 additional homeowners were foreclosed on “accidentally” due to Wells Fargo errors. While the bank indicated that 625 customers in total had been affected when it made its announcement back in August, now it says that 870 customers in total actually were affected.
It is important to also underscore that these “accidental” foreclosures are not the only problem currently linked to Wells Fargo. The bank has been cited for improperly assessing fees on certain accounts, and fraudulently openning accounts for up to 3.5 million Wells Fargo customers who never wanted an account opened.
Learn More from an Oak Park Foreclosure Defense Lawyer
If you were one of the hundreds of homeowners with a Wells Fargo mortgage who faced foreclosure as a result of the bank’s error, you may be eligible for compensation. If you need assistance with foreclosure defense and keeping your home, you should speak with an advocate about getting started on your case. An experienced Oak Park foreclosure defense attorney can assist you. Contact the Emerson Law Firm for more information.
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