Massachusetts AG Announces RMBS Settlement

State Attorney General RMBS

On September 9, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley (AG) announced the state’s fourth mortgage-securitization related enforcement action. The AG alleged that during 2006 and 2007 a U.K. bank financed, purchased, and securitized residential loans that were presumptively unfair under Massachusetts law. Under an Assurance of Discontinuance, the bank, without admitting the allegations, agreed to pay $36 million to resolve the state’s claims. Under the terms of the agreement over $25 million will be dedicated to principal reduction and related relief for more than 450 subprime borrowers, while approximately $2 million will compensate municipalities that claim to be impacted by foreclosures resulting from the allegedly faulty loans.