Judge Rips Into U.S. Bank For Taking Bailout Money But Denying Mortgage Modifications

A judge in Georgia is quickly becoming an internet folk hero after he publicly slammed U.S. Bank for taking billions in government bailout money and all the while refusing mortgage modifications for homeowners in need of help.

The bank was trying to get the judge to dismiss a complaint filed by a homeowner who says his application for a loan modification was denied “without numbers, figures, or explanation, reasoning, comparison to guidelines, or anything.”

But rather than side with U.S. Bank, the judge took the opportunity to vent.

“This court cannot imagine why U.S. Bank will not make known to [the homeowner], a taxpayer, how his numbers put him outside the federal guidelines to receive a loan modification,” wrote the judge. “Taking $20 billion of taxpayer money was no problem for U.S. Bank. A cynical judge might believe that this entire motion to dismiss is a desperate attempt to avoid a discovery period, where U.S. Bank would have to tell [the homeowner] how his financial situation did not qualify him for a modification.”

Adds the sass-tastic judge, “Maybe U.S. Bank no longer has any of the $20 billion left, and so their lack of written explanation might be attributed to some kind of ink reduction program to save money.”

“Sometimes, only the courts of law stand to protect the taxpayer. Somewhere, someone has to stand up,” he explains. “Well, sometimes is now, and the place is the Great State of Georgia. The defendant’s motion to dismiss is hereby denied.”

Dennis Blackmon: Georgia Judge Mocks U.S. Bank Over Denied Mortgage Modification [HuffPo]

Thanks to Laurel for the tip!

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