This week Bob Ehrlich yet again showed that he is not on the side of working families, paying lip service while turning a blind eye to Maryland homeowners facing foreclosure and earning a strong rebuke from The Baltimore Sun editorial page. It should come as no surprise–since he was fired as governor in 2006, Bob Ehrlich has been working as a “government affairs specialist” representing giant Wall Street banks and mortgage companies that took millions in bailout money.
While Governor Martin O’Malley, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings joined forces to call on mortgage companies to halt foreclosures in Maryland until they can demonstrate that they’re following the law, Bob Ehrlich was trying to score cheap political points. In an interview Thursday with The Washington Post Ehrlich said, “People are very concerned about their mortgages,” paying lip service to homeowners instead of offering solutions to address the problem.
Either Bob Ehrlich just doesn’t get it, or he just doesn’t care. Thousands of Maryland families are being taken advantage of by the same giant banks and mortgage lenders that Bob Ehrlich has represented for years at his lobbying firm. Bob Ehrlich should be ashamed of his complete disregard for Maryland families.
While Bob Ehrlich has spent the last four years representing big banks and mortgage lenders, Governor O’Malley has fought for nation-leading reforms including mandatory mediation to help families facing foreclosure.
Click here to read the full editorial.
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), a member of the Committee on Government Reform and the Joint Economic Committee, released the following statement on the passage of Real Property – Residential Property Foreclosure Proceedings – Foreclosure Mediation, HB472, in the Maryland General Assembly:
“I commend Governor O’Malley and the State legislature for all of their work to ensure that more Maryland families will be able to stay in their homes. Each month in Maryland, more than 6,000 homeowners face foreclosure actions and one out of every eight Maryland borrowers is currently at least 30 days behind in mortgage payments. With this legislation, we will provide homeowners the tools they need to keep their families safely in their homes while they weather the economic storm.”
Congressman Cummings has been on the forefront of the battle to mitigate the devastation of foreclosure. He has introduced legislation on the federal level to provide low-interest loans to unemployed homeowners to enable them to stay current on their mortgages while they get back on their feet. He also hosts quarterly Foreclosure Prevention Workshops in his District to provide homeowners with the opportunity to meet one-on-one with their lenders to provide solutions to their mortgage issues.
House Bill 472 creates a mandatory mediation process for owners at risk of losing their homes and requires lenders to prove they tried to modify a borrower’s loan before foreclosing.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
February 17, 2010 Paul Kincaid, 202-225-4289
Cummings To Host Foreclosure Prevention WorkshopCongressman brings homeowners, lenders together in an effort to keep Marylanders in their homes.
(Washington, DC) – Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, (MD-07) will host a Foreclosure Prevention Workshop on Saturday, February 20, 2010, at Woodlawn Senior High School in Gwynn Oak, MD.
The purpose of the workshop is to help people who are delinquent on their mortgages, or facing potential foreclosure get the information and resources they need to secure their homes. The event will also provide assistance to people who are seeking to re-finance their home loans or need a reduction in their current monthly mortgage payment or interest rate. Cummings has already held two of these workshops.
“I hosted my first Foreclosure Prevention Workshop on June 6 of last year,” said Cummings. “It was a tremendous success. We were able to help nearly 1,000 people who were in jeopardy of losing their homes. We helped nearly the same number during the second one. These workshops are unique in that we are able to bring together the lenders and the borrowers to reach solutions on the spot.”
To participate, borrowers must bring copies of the following: a detailed hardship letter; their two most recent paystubs for income verification; their last two monthly bank statements; their 2007 and 2008 tax returns; default letters or late notices from lenders; foreclosure notices or threats; and, a list of monthly household expenses.
Organizers are asking those who are interested in attending to register at: www.house.gov/cummings.
Twenty-one lenders will participate in the workshop, which is sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Attendees can participate in negotiation sessions with these lenders. They will also have access to free legal advice and housing counseling and will be able to attend seminars about strengthening their credit scores and avoiding foreclosure scams.
WHAT: Congressman Elijah E. Cummings’ Foreclosure Prevention Workshop
WHERE: Woodlawn Sr. High School, 1801 Woodlawn Drive, Gwynn Oak, MD
WHEN: Saturday, February 20, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WHO: All homeowners who need help are invited to attend.
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