Van Hollen to Review Foreclosure Filings

Van Hollen Joins in National Effort Seeks Wisconsin Lenders' Cooperation

MADISON – Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen confirmed today that Wisconsin is participating in a multistate group of all fifty state attorney's general and other state bank and mortgage regulators to collect and review information related to potentially defective procedures utilized by some lenders and/or loan servicers in mortgage foreclosure actions.

“Wisconsin's interest is protecting consumers and protecting the reliability and veracity of our court system,” the Attorney General said. “We are gathering and reviewing information related to the integrity of some filings in foreclosure actions. While foreclosure is a legal and proper remedy in many situations, it may only be pursued in accordance with our laws,” he concluded.

In addition to this multistate effort, last week Attorney General Van Hollen's office sent letters to three mortgage lenders doing business in Wisconsin requesting they share certain information related to their foreclosure activities in Wisconsin.

Since 2009 Attorney General Van Hollen has provided nearly $450,000.00 in funding to Marquette University Law School to support the Milwaukee Foreclosure Mediation Program, and other foreclosure mediation efforts throughout the state. A link to the news article announcing this initiative.

These funds included an allocation to support foreclosure mediation in and around Dane County, where the Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Task Force, in coordination with the UW-Madison Law School, initiated a mediation program in January, 2010.

In May of 2009, the Attorney General appointed Assistant Attorney General Nelle Rohlich to serve as the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Special Assistant Attorney General for Mortgage Foreclosure Mitigation. In that role she coordinates the Department's efforts involving mortgage foreclosures.

See the multistate joint statement at: