CHICAGO – Three victims of predatory lending filed a national class-action suit on May 2 in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill. accusing Household International and its subsidiaries, Household Finance Corp. and Beneficial Corp. of a wide range of fraud and misrepresentation. According to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), the suit accuses Household of deliberately misleading borrowers about the terms and conditions of their loans, including high rates and fees, principal amounts that exceed the actual value of their homes, and prepayment penalties. The class for the suit includes all borrowers "induced to enter into secured loans to consolidate existing debt." It asks for rescission of the loans including restoring interest paid and fees to the borrowers, as well as for actual and punitive damages. ACORN said Household made more than $45 billion worth of secured loans in the past three years. In February, ACORN and two victims of predatory lending filed a similar class-action suit covering borrowers in the State of California.