InfoBytes Blog
DOJ settles with Washington state foreclosure trustee for alleged SCRA violations
On September 27, the DOJ announced a settlement with a Washington state foreclosure services company resolving allegations that the company violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by foreclosing on homes owned by servicemembers without first obtaining the required court orders. As previously covered by InfoBytes, in November 2017, the DOJ filed a complaint in the Western District of Washington alleging its investigation into the company’s practices uncovered at least 28 unlawful non-judicial foreclosures. The DOJ initiated the investigation following the same court’s dismissal of a private SCRA action brought by a veteran on the ground that it was time-barred.
Under the settlement, each affected servicemember may receive up to $125,000, with a total payout by the company of up to $750,000. The DOJ notes that the company ceased operations in December 2017 and was placed into receivership in March.