$2M resolution with mortgage firm: Are you one of 1,500 WA residents owed money?

Attorney General and Governor-elect Bob Ferguson announced that more than 1,500 Washington residents will have their chance to claim their share of more than $2 million as a result of a multi-state resolution with mortgage firm Nationstar for multiple state and federal law violations.

The Attorney General’s Office, alongside the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), has sent out letters to those affected in the resolution with Nationstar, one of the country’s largest mortgage servicers. Nationstar does business under the name Mr. Cooper.

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“This money will help more than 1,500 Washingtonians after Nationstar failed to fairly service their loans,” Ferguson said. “Buying a home is a significant investment and mortgage companies must play by the rules. We will keep working with government partners to protect consumers when they do not.”

The resolution with Nationstar dates back to 2020, when a multi-year investigation led by both state and federal government agencies discovered Nationstar, one of the country’s largest mortgage servicers, was guilty of numerous violations — both on the state and federal level. Nationstar was required to pay more than $90 million to consumers across the country.

According to the Washington Attorney General’s Office, Nationstar’s violations include charging impermissible fees, missing tax payments from borrower escrow accounts and failing to terminate private mortgage insurance when conditions were met. Records mismanagement was consistently cited in the investigation. In some cases, Nationstar’s poor recordkeeping caused wrongful foreclosures and homeowners to inappropriately have the locks changed at their homes.

More than 115,000 consumers nationwide were affected, including the approximate 1,500 customers in Washington.

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“It is imperative to make sure the people of Washington are compensated when harm is done,” DFI Director Charlie Clark said in a prepared statement. “As the state’s mortgage industry regulator, DFI wants to ensure all homeowners impacted by this company’s actions are compensated. Please make sure to open the mailing and return the claim form by the deadline.”

Those eligible in Washington are expected to receive a payment of either $250 or $840, depending on their individual circumstances. These amounts are subject to change if fewer individuals than expected file claims. Claims must be submitted by March 3.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.