Moral Hazard: Missing Ethics in HAMP Mortgage Modification Program

The Law Offices of Evan M. Rosen, P.A.

The 2008 bailout of the American financial industry was based on a law enacted by Congress, Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (TARP).   Under rushed and pressured emergency conditions, Congress passed the legislation with very little understanding of why the economy was crashing.  There was a sense that the housing boom had something to do with the urgent need for a bailout, so provisions were added that required the bailout trickle down to millions of American homeowners who were given suspect mortgages.  The spectacularly failed mortgage modification program now known as HAMP is part of this law.  HAMP was authorized by sections 101 and 109 of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which was later amended by 7002 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Because no help was actually extended, most do not realize that the bailout law demanded real relief to the American people not just the financial industry.  To this day, the funds earmarked to help hardest hit families have largely gone unspent.  Programs, presented as a last hope and help, like HAMP, are now being exposed as a way for banks to deplete savings, 401k, and other assets from millions of families.  HAMP leaves families worse off more often than not, owing more, trapped in a home with higher mortgage debt and worse loan terms in the long run.  Sheila Bair, before she stepped down as the chairman of the FDIC, was an outspoken critic of chain of title problems caused by mortgage banking fraud and other foreclosure fraud tactics.  She even called for a Superfund to help American families who have saddled with unsustainable, fraudulent, toxic mortgages.

Bair’s new book, “Bull by the Horns: Fighting to Save Main Street from Wall Street and Wall Street from Itself,” explains that HAMP was intended to cheat borrowers, to string them along and drain their savings and eventually foreclose on their homes.  This truth is even more strongly echoed in Neil Barofsky’s recent book, “Bailout: An Inside Account of How Washington Abandoned Main Street While Rescuing Wall Street.”  In Barofsky’s book, he explains how it dawned on him that the post-bailout goal of the U.S. Treasury was to allow banks to take dwindling wealth of American families while offering false promises of loan modifications all in a continued effort to increase the banks’ health and value.  Barofsky’s realization came to him during a contentious conversation he had with Tim Geithner, the Secretary of the Treasury, when Geithner expressed satisfaction that HAMP was allowing banks to coast gently down after the financial crisis instead of crashing since the American families “foamed the runway” for the banks.  Later, Geithner blocked attempts to use TARP funds to help families cover legal costs to defend against fraudulent foreclosures.

Often modifications do more harm than good.  Many programs are actually designed that way.  Please do not sign another contract with the same financial industry players that caused so much misery without having a lawyer on your side, protecting your interests.

~

If you are looking for help with debtforeclosurereal estate or want more information about bankruptcy law, call us at (754) 400-5150 or fill out our online form for a FREE CONSULTATION. Let the lawyers and staff at the Law Offices of Evan M. Rosen serve you!

We are a debt relief agency. In addition to other legal services, we help clients file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.

Client Reviews

Mr. Rosen was recommended to us by our friends and we highly recommend him for his excellent service. He represented us in the matter of foreclosure defense. His comprehensive and detailed knowledge of Florida law, federal law, and ongoing relevant cases was key to building a robust and winning...

Jadwiga M.

In a few words, Evan Rosen saved my house. He got a final judgment in my favor. The judge gave the bank many opportunities (continuance of the trial even a mistrial) to solve all the issues that Evan Rosen will bring up to the judge (issues that were wrong with my case). In the end, his arguments...

Oscar D.

I am so grateful first to god and for the blessing of putting attorney Evan Rosen and his team of professional, in our lives. If you are going through a foreclosure and don't know what to do, I can honestly tell you that attorney Evan Rosen is the person to talk (855-55-Rosen) he takes his time to...

Julie D.

Contact Us

  1. 1 Treat You Like We’d Want To Be Treated
  2. 2 Treat Your Case As if It Was Our Own
Fill out the contact form or call us at 754-400-5150 to schedule your consultation.

Leave Us a Message