MBA Summit to Focus on Enforcing Predatory Lending Laws

WASHINGTON – So far 18 states have passed legislation curbing predatory lending – seven in 2003 – but that's only half the battle. The other half is enforcing consumer protection laws. The Mortgage Bankers Association of America will host an "Enforcement Summit" in Washington, D.C. on June 17 to discuss existing consumer protection laws and ways the mortgage lending industry and enforcement agencies can work together to combat predatory lending. The summit will include federal policymakers, consumer groups, key federal and state regulators, and participants in mortgage lending. Among the Federal regulators the MBA has invited to attend are the U.S. Department of Treasury, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Reserve Board, U.S. Department of Justice, and the Federal Trade Commission. The American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators and the National Conference of State Bank Supervisors have been invited to represent state regulators. "Legitimate lenders find the very existence of unscrupulous actors in the mortgage lending marketplace unacceptable. We must eliminate all predators from our industry," said MBA Chairman John Courson.