Independent Foreclosure Review Payments Exceed $1 Billion

WASHINGTON—More than one million people have cashed or deposited more than $1 billion in checks related to the Independent Foreclosure Review Payment Agreement through April 25.

As of the close of business Thursday (April 25), 1,150,328 checks totaling nearly $1.1 billion were cashed or deposited.

The third wave of 927,000 checks totaling $794 million was sent today to borrowers eligible for payments under the Independent Foreclosure Review Payment Agreement, bringing the total number of checks sent to date to more than 3.7 million worth $3.2 billion.

The payments result from agreements between the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve Board, and 13 servicers to provide $3.6 billion in payments to borrowers whose homes were in any stage of the foreclosure process in 2009 or 2010 and whose mortgages were serviced by one of the following companies, their affiliates, or subsidiaries: Aurora, Bank of America, Citibank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, MetLife Bank, Morgan Stanley, PNC, Sovereign, SunTrust, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo.

The first wave of checks was sent April 12.

Notice to Financial Institutions
Institutions processing checks are reminded that to help prevent fraud, checks require positive identification. Banks and other financial institutions should follow the instructions provided on the back of the check to validate authenticity.

Borrowers Assistance
Borrowers with questions regarding payments should contact the Paying Agent—Rust Consulting, Inc. at 1-888-952-9105, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. ET or Saturday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET.

Regulators encourage borrowers needing foreclosure prevention assistance to work directly with their servicer or contact the Homeowner's HOPE Hotline at 888-995-HOPE (4673) (or at www.makinghomeaffordable.gov) to be put in touch with a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved nonprofit organization that can provide free assistance.

Related Link

• Independent Foreclosure Review website