BofA To Begin Cutting Loan Balances On Underwater Homes? Massachusetts AG "Arm-Twists" Lender Into Agreeing To Offer Debt-Reduction Workout Plan

The Wall Street Journal reports:

• Under pressure by Massachusetts prosecutors, Bank of America Corp. said Wednesday it would reduce mortgage-loan balances as much as 30% for thousands of troubled borrowers, in what could presage a wider government effort to encourage banks to offer debt reduction to ease the mortgage crisis.

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• The bank's move is part of an agreement to settle claims over certain high-risk loans made by Countrywide Financial, which the bank acquired in mid-2008. The Massachusetts Attorney General's office, which was negotiating with the bank, said it was prepared to file suit had the agreement not included principal reductions.(1)

For more, see BofA Bows to Pressure to Cut Loan Balances.

See also:

• The National Law Journal: BofA Subsidiary Agrees to $3 Billion Home Loan Modification Deal (Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley brokered a $3 billion loan modification deal with Bank of America subsidiary Countrywide Financial Corp.).
• The Wall Street Journal's Dvelopments Blog: How Bank of America’s Mortgage Write-Down Program.

(1) For the Massachusetts Attorney General press release, see AG Coakley Secures $3 Billion in Loan Modifications for Homeowners Nationwide in Agreement with Mortgage Lending Giant Countrywide ($18 million in relief for Massachusetts homeowners; $4.1 million payment to Commonwealth).

For copies of the Massachusetts AG's lawsuit against Countrywide (now owned by Bank of America) and the settlement filed by the Attorney General's Office: see

• Complaint - Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Countrywide Financial Corporation et al.,
• Final Judgment by Consent (3/24/2010).