Capital One Denied Homeowner Access to Help for Unemployed Homeowners and HAMP
Washington, DC — The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) today announced that is has filed a complaint with the District of Columbia Government Office of Human Rights and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), alleging that Capital One has violated local and federal fair housing laws by denying an unemployed homeowner access to a program for unemployed homeowners, as well as a federal mortgage modification program.
“Where there is smoke, there is often fire. Our complaint must be fully investigated to determine if Capital One has routinely denied borrowers the best assistance available to them. Capital One’s failure to participate in mortgage modification programs is cause for serious concern. The regulators should not allow Capital One to take over ING Direct’s $41 billion mortgage portfolio without a demonstration that they are in compliance with the law, and will act to ensure customers have access to the best loan modifications,” said John Taylor, president & CEO of NCRC.
The case concerns Ms. Cembrye Ross, an attorney in the Washington, DC area, who sought help from Capital One for her mortgage when she became unemployed. Capital One did not offer Ms. Ross a sustainable modification, even though she would have qualified for help under both the DC HomeSaver Program, which helps unemployed homeowners, and the federal Home Affordable Modification Program. Capital One, which was not participating in either program, instead steered Ms. Ross to a proprietary modification that was not affordable to her. Following the filing of the complaint, NCRC was able to stay the foreclosure that Ms. Ross faced.
