I just finished reading a very interesting article written by Christian Britschgi, entitled The Corrupt Politics of Low-Income Housing. If you want to know the truth behind low-income housing, this article, published by 'reason, free minds and free markets', is a MUST READ.
'The rent is too damn high—so each year Congress appropriates billions of dollars to address the nation's collective housing needs. The programs vary from loans to tax credits to straight-up subsidies, but a common feature is that federal taxpayers pony up the dough and then a motley collection of state-level politicians, financing agencies, and housing authorities decide how it's spent.'
Click the link below to understand why and how corruption gets out of control in this type of taxpayer funded housing. It's outrageous!
* http://reason.com/archives/2018/01/15/the-corrupt-politics-of-low-in
Freedom can not ring in an oppressive society. This blog reflects thoughts, personal experiences, + several notes of interest on 'affordable' housing. What do you think of gov't financing nuisance properties? Rockland Place continues doing business as SPRING GATE APARTMENTS along Martha Drive + Hannah Way in Rockland, Mass. (shady business).
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Wells Fargo Rips Off Customers + Breaks Laws
U.S. House Committee on Financial Services: July 2, 2018 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, in response to the Federal Reserve’s approval of Wells Fargo's capital plan to increase dividend payments by 10 percent and spend up to $24.5 billion on stock buybacks, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Financial Services, made the following statement:
“I am troubled by the Federal Reserve’s recent decision to approve Wells Fargo’s capital plan to handsomely reward its shareholders, including the megabank’s senior executives, despite engaging in a never-ending list of illicit activities. In recent years, the bank has opened 3.5 million fraudulent credit card and deposit accounts; engaged in illegal student loan servicing practices; charged inappropriate checking account overdraft fees; conducted unlawful mortgage lending practices, including overcharging veterans for refinanced loans; charged customers for auto insurance policies they did not need, which resulted in some customers losing their vehicles; and improperly sold complex financial products to retail investors.
“To date, no one has gone to jail for these crimes. While the bank was ordered to pay $1.5 billion in fines, these fines amount to the cost of doing business. Wells Fargo still racked up profits of $21 billion in 2016, $22 billion in 2017, and nearly $6 billion in the first quarter of this year, as the largest bank to benefit from the Republican tax law.
“I was pleased when the Federal Reserve, under former Chair Yellen, issued a cease and desist order in February to cap the megabank’s size until it cleans up its act. However, the Federal Reserve’s recent decision undermines that tough action and sends a terrible message by agreeing to let the bank pay out 141 percent of its expected annual earnings, the largest payout of the six largest U.S. banks. The bank’s executives should not be rewarded when the bank repeatedly rips off its customers and breaks the law.”
“To date, no one has gone to jail for these crimes. While the bank was ordered to pay $1.5 billion in fines, these fines amount to the cost of doing business. Wells Fargo still racked up profits of $21 billion in 2016, $22 billion in 2017, and nearly $6 billion in the first quarter of this year, as the largest bank to benefit from the Republican tax law.
“I was pleased when the Federal Reserve, under former Chair Yellen, issued a cease and desist order in February to cap the megabank’s size until it cleans up its act. However, the Federal Reserve’s recent decision undermines that tough action and sends a terrible message by agreeing to let the bank pay out 141 percent of its expected annual earnings, the largest payout of the six largest U.S. banks. The bank’s executives should not be rewarded when the bank repeatedly rips off its customers and breaks the law.”
The Federal Reserve’s approval of Wells Fargo’s capital plan was conducted through the agency’s 2018 Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR).
In 2017, Ranking Member Waters introduced the Megabank Accountability and Consequences Act, which requires federal prudential banking regulators to fully utilize their authorities to shut down megabanks that repeatedly harm consumers and hold culpable executives accountable.
In 2017, Waters also released a Democratic staff report detailing a pattern of abusive business practices by Wells Fargo, as well as a Democratic staff report documenting the successes of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under Director Cordray, including penalties imposed on the bank for secretly opening fraudulent accounts.
In 2017, Ranking Member Waters introduced the Megabank Accountability and Consequences Act, which requires federal prudential banking regulators to fully utilize their authorities to shut down megabanks that repeatedly harm consumers and hold culpable executives accountable.
In 2017, Waters also released a Democratic staff report detailing a pattern of abusive business practices by Wells Fargo, as well as a Democratic staff report documenting the successes of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under Director Cordray, including penalties imposed on the bank for secretly opening fraudulent accounts.
# # #
Fake residents, incomes, + inflated mortgages
Another scandal in multifamily housing: It appears there could be a deep, dark secret at the core of multifamily lending that could destroy the market.
From a Wall Street Journal article:
Owners of an apartment complex near Pittsburgh, who wanted to take out a mortgage on the buildings, allegedly made vacant units look occupied by turning on radios, placing shoes and mats outside doors and in one instance having a woman tell inspectors her boyfriend was asleep inside. . . .
According to the WSJ article, the investigation has already led to an indictment against four individuals for allegedly conspiring to falsify loan information in order to obtain more than $167 million in multifamily loans. The article provides extensive details to some pretty brazen fraud allegations involving the loans backing approximately $1.5 billion in mortgage securities issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. (Read more; click housing wire link.)
* http://www.housingwire.com/articles/46496-inside-the-scandal-that-could-explode-multifamily-real-estate
From a Wall Street Journal article:
Owners of an apartment complex near Pittsburgh, who wanted to take out a mortgage on the buildings, allegedly made vacant units look occupied by turning on radios, placing shoes and mats outside doors and in one instance having a woman tell inspectors her boyfriend was asleep inside. . . .
According to the WSJ article, the investigation has already led to an indictment against four individuals for allegedly conspiring to falsify loan information in order to obtain more than $167 million in multifamily loans. The article provides extensive details to some pretty brazen fraud allegations involving the loans backing approximately $1.5 billion in mortgage securities issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. (Read more; click housing wire link.)
* http://www.housingwire.com/articles/46496-inside-the-scandal-that-could-explode-multifamily-real-estate
Keeping Residents Informed: REAC Inspections
What is a HUD REAC inspection? The Real Estate Assessment Center's (REAC) mission is to provide and promote the effective use of accurate, timely and reliable information assessing the condition of HUD's portfolio; to provide information to help ensure safe, decent and affordable housing; and to restore the public trust by identifying fraud, abuse and waste of HUD resources. (Yet, there have always been HUD properties, with unsatisfactory REAC scores, still doing business with unethical corporate landlords.)
Prior to the REAC inspection date, the Property Owner/Agent or Public Housing Authority conducts a complete (100%) inspection of the property. It should include the site, all building exteriors, all building systems, all common areas and all units. For clarification purposes: all areas within a building that are not residential units are considered common areas for the REAC inspection.
* https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/DOC_17204.PDF
This REAC inspection checklist is dated January 2016, but is still used by HUD officials in 2018. It may be helpful for tenants and any tenant organizations to have this inspection list on hand along with your local Board of Health building codes checklist.
** https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/REACINSPECTCHCKLIST.PDF
Prior to the REAC inspection date, the Property Owner/Agent or Public Housing Authority conducts a complete (100%) inspection of the property. It should include the site, all building exteriors, all building systems, all common areas and all units. For clarification purposes: all areas within a building that are not residential units are considered common areas for the REAC inspection.
* https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/DOC_17204.PDF
This REAC inspection checklist is dated January 2016, but is still used by HUD officials in 2018. It may be helpful for tenants and any tenant organizations to have this inspection list on hand along with your local Board of Health building codes checklist.
** https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/REACINSPECTCHCKLIST.PDF
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