Catching Up

Well, it's good to be back writing this blog again.  Sorry to my readers for the long, unexplained absence.  I just returned from an almost month-long trial in Baltimore, Maryland (I am based in Reinhart's Milwaukee office).  A lot has happened in the interim, so let's get to it.  What follows is quick summary of some of the legal developments/stories from the mortgage meltdown:

(1)  Countrywide boss Anthony Mozilo was served with a "Wells notice" by the SEC.  As first reported by the Wall Street Journal and the L.A. Times, Countrywide's former CEO and other executives have been provided notice from the SEC that it intends to file formal civil charges for securities fraud and insider trading.  A Wells Notice is the name for this formal notification, and it provides the lawyers for Mozilo and the other executives to submit argument and evidence to try and persuade the Commission not to file the charges. Reuters June 2 story on the subject is here.  Although SEC may bring civil charges, criminal charges are also a possibility.

(2)  Subprime securities class action dismissal motions decided.  Several motions to dismiss were denied, as in the Moneygram, Inc. case involving allegations that the company failed to disclose risks of its own investments in mortgage backed securities (opinion here).  Similarly, a Florida District Court permitted claims to proceed against BankAtlantic Bankcorp., a Florida-based bank.  The court held that the amended complaint had cured prior deficiencies in pleading a strong inference of scienter (here).  Conversely, the case against Washington Mutual was dismissed with leave to amend (see here), and a securities fraud complaint against mortgage insurer Radian Group was dismissed with prejudice (here).  For more detail on these dismissals, go over to the D&O Diary blog which has consistent, in-depth analysis of the opinions and a running tally of the subprime securities motion to dismiss decisions.

(3)  Legislation Passed.  On May 20, President Obama signed two bills, the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act and the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009.  The first expands the mortgage foreclosure mitigation efforts, increased FDIC deposit insurance to $250,000 through 2013, and increases the borrowing authority for both the FDIC and the credit union deposit insurance counter-part.  The bankruptcy cramdown provision, which would have allowed bankruptcy judges to modify mortgages, was defeated and did not make it into the law.  The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act is intended to provide more resources and penalties for financial fraud, by extending the prohibition against making false statements in a mortgage application to employees and agents of a mortgage lending business; expanding the concept of monetary proceeds under federal anti-money laundering statutes to include gross receipts, a response to the Supreme Court’s June 2008 Santos decision; and expanding False Claims Act liability by, in part, overruling the Supreme Court's interpretation of the mental state required to prove a claim under the Act in Allison Engine Co. v. U.S. ex rel. Sanders, 128 S. Ct. 2123 (2008). 

(4)  More bank failures.  Throughout the first half of this year banks have failed at an accelerated rate, with the largest failure this year (the 34th) being Florida's BankUnited FSB, with $12.8 billion in assets.  The BankUnited closure was also notable because several private-equity firms, rather than another bank, purchased the deposits from the Office of Thrift Supervision and will operate the new BankUnited.  All of these bank closures have also substantially depleted the FDIC deposit insurance fund, so the FDIC approved a special assessment on banks to replenish the fund (the details are found here.)

(5)  Cleveland's Nuisance Suit Dismissed.  City of Cleveland's nuisance lawsuit against various investment banks and mortgage lenders was dismissed.  The district judge considering the case concluded that the nuisance claim was (1) barred by the economic loss doctrine, which prevents recovery in tort for purely economic damages (i.e. no personal injury or property damage); (2) preempted by Ohio law governing municipal regulations; (3) barred because a nuisance claim cannot be founded on subprime lending, which was lawful activity and heavily regulated; and (4) barred because the alleged damages were to remote.  The opinion is here. 

(6)  General Motors filed for bankruptcy protection this week at about the same time that another auto industry stalwart, Chrysler, was emerging from bankruptcy.  The United States government will own about 60% of the new GM.

Comments

[Colorado Home Mortgage]

I hope they get them

http://www.denverhomemortgage.us
http://www.coloradomortgage.me

[u s bankruptcy court]

It's something really nice, can read your post again. I know this is my first time write a comment in the blog. But, I always have time to read your posts, since I found that your post is like a treasure that reminds me why I become an attorney. Sorry if my comment not good or little out off topic.