Freddie Continues Bringing Foreclosure Actions; Says Its Announced Moratorium Applies Only To Actual Sales & Evictions, Not To Court Filings

Bloomberg News reports:

• Freddie Mac continues to foreclose on homeowners and make plans to evict them, drawing fire from legal aid groups who say the moves violate the spirit of a moratorium the company agreed to in November. While Freddie has suspended sales of foreclosed properties and isn’t locking people out of their homes, the mortgage- finance company continues to initiate court cases against homeowners and pursue existing cases, company spokesman Brad German said.

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• “The actual sale, the actual eviction has stopped, but the process continues,” German, the Freddie spokesman, said yesterday. “The moratorium does not affect the normal process of legal filings. But no one is being evicted, the homes are not being sold,” he said.

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• By contrast, Fannie [Mae] has worked to halt court proceedings and notify borrowers and tenants that they may be eligible to stay in their homes if they agree to sign a new monthly lease at market rates, according to [legal aid attorneys]. When cases have fallen through the cracks and court action continued, Fannie is “literally sending people out to knock on doors to make them aware of the policy and, when they’re not home, we leave flyers with information about their options,” said Fannie spokesman Brian Faith.

For more, see Freddie Foreclosures, Eviction Plans Continue During Moratorium.