What is lender discrimination or redlining?
Redlining is a form of illegal lender discrimination premised on denying mortgage loans or restricting their number for certain low-income, minority communities. Lending institutions often achieve this inequity through aggressive sales tactics and manipulation of borrowers' lack of understanding of extremely complicated financing transactions. Lender discrimination in the form of redlining mirrors outright deceit.
Examples of Redlining Practices
Although redlining practices can take many forms, one common ingredient always exists: exploitation of the minority or lower income borrower. The following are common redlining methods: - Financing excessive fees into loans
- Charging higher interest rates than a borrower's credit warrants
- Making loans without regard to the borrower's ability to pay
- Prepayment penalties
- Loans more than 100 percent loan to value
- Single premium credit insurance
- Balloon payments
- Loan flipping
- Property flipping
- Yield spread premiums
Stopping Lender Discrimination or Redlining
Congress and state legislatures have responded to redlining practices by passing strong anti-predatory lending legislation that protects consumers from abusive lending practices, which have been especially targeted at low-income and minority communities. The following are some of the more prominent federal statutes addressing redlining: - Home Ownership Equity Protection Act (HOEPA) - protects borrowers in high cost home loans, and establishes penalties or fines for redlining practices
- The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) - encourages banking institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they operate, as well as penalizes banks that assist lending institutions practicing predatory lending
- Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) - requires lending institutions to report public loan data
Victims of Lender Discrimination or Redlining
If you feel that you have been the victim of lender discrimination, you should contact either a public credit counseling organization or the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It may also be wise to consult with a lawyer experienced in redlining and lender discrimination who will help to explain your legal rights and any possible legal remedies.Vea esta p�gina en espa�ol: Discriminaci�n del Prestamista o Redistribuci�n o visita Abogados-Leyes.com para m�s informaci�n legal. |
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