Check Bank Statements

Hartford, CT) — Attorney General William Tong and Banking Commissioner Jorge Perez urge Connecticut homeowners whose mortgage loans are serviced by Mr. Cooper, formerly known as Nationstar Mortgage, to check their bank accounts for unauthorized withdrawals. Errors by an electronic payment vendor, ACI Worldwide, triggered the unauthorized withdrawals, which occurred on Saturday, April 24 and may have appeared on consumers’ financial accounts on Monday, April 26.

More than 480,000 borrowers nationwide have been affected by the errors, including Connecticut consumers. In some instances, consumers’ bank accounts were debited for multiple mortgage payments. The unauthorized withdrawals resulted in overdraft fees and other harms for some consumers.

“Connecticut residents who have had multiple unauthorized mortgage payments deducted from their bank accounts may suffer serious financial harm,” Attorney General Tong said.  “If your mortgage is serviced by Mr. Cooper, please check your records. If you are a victim of these unauthorized withdrawals, contact the company immediately to begin the process of reimbursement.”

“Any unauthorized withdrawals can have a harmful ripple effect on the finances of Connecticut consumers,” said Commissioner Perez.  “Therefore, it is paramount every step is taken to ensure they never happen and if they ever happen again they are quickly rectified. We urge everyone with an account with Mr. Cooper to review their financial accounts to be sure they have not been affected by these transactions.”

Mr. Cooper, which is licensed as a mortgage servicer by the Connecticut Department of Banking, has stated that the errors were likely rectified by Tuesday, April 27 through updates.  The company has promised to correct all inaccurate charges.  It has also promised to reimburse consumers for overdraft fees and other harms that resulted from the unauthorized withdrawals.

Homeowners whose loans are serviced by Mr. Cooper and who were affected by the unauthorized withdrawals should contact the company directly if they have any questions or concerns and to seek reimbursement of overdraft and other fees.  Homeowners can request reimbursement by signing into their online Mr. Cooper account and following the instructions.

Additional information from Mr. Cooper regarding the unauthorized withdrawals is available here.

Homeowners who are unable to resolve their issues caused by the unauthorized withdrawals or who are unable to obtain reimbursement may contact either the Connecticut Department of Banking or the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.

In December 2020, Attorney General Tong joined with 50 other attorneys general and other federal and state agencies in settling with Nationstar Mortgage, which does business as “Mr. Cooper,” for $86.3 million. Nationstar is the country’s fourth-largest mortgage servicer.

The settlement resolved allegations that Nationstar violated consumer protection laws during its servicing of mortgage loans. The settlement provided restitution for a variety of harms that were identified in the investigation. Thousands of borrowers had problems when their loans were transferred to Nationstar, leading to foreclosure in some circumstances.

This press release was made possible by:

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Fairfield News: Hit and Run Driver Arrested

On Thursday 04/29/21 at 2013 hours, the Fairfield Police Emergency Communications Center received a 9-11 call reporting that a motor vehicle collision had just occurred in front of Testo’s Restaurant located on Brooklawn Avenue in Fairfield and the responsible vehicle fled the scene after impact.

The victim of this collision, a 48 year old female resident of Bridgeport, was traveling south on Brooklawn Avenue on her way home and was stopped at the stop sign for the intersection of Suburban Avenue.  A blue Honda Civic that had been traveling east on Suburban Avenue, made a sharp left turn and struck the victim’s vehicle at its front left causing disabling damage to her vehicle.  This female victim was subsequently transported to St. Vincent’s Medical Center for evaluation and treatment for dizziness and aches and pains from this impact.

The Fairfield Police Crash Reconstruction Unit was able to obtain the rear license plate of the striking vehicle, provided by the victim, and moments later, the fleeing vehicle was located on Brooklawn Avenue and its owner / operator was taken into custody.

The blue 2007 Honda Civic was being operated by Garrett Jones (DOB 03/17/57) of 1095 Brooklawn Avenue in Fairfield CT, who failed field sobriety tests and was determined to be intoxicated by alcohol, three times over the legal limit.

Garret Jones was arrested and charged with Failure to Drive in Proper Lane of Travel (14-236), DUI (14-227a) and Evading Responsibility Causing Injury (14-224b(2)) and was released after posting $100, 10% of a $1,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on 05/25/21.

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I-95 Overpass Hit

2021-05-01@12:34pm–#Southport CT–#cttraffic– The I-95 over pass was hit by a excavator being transported by a pool company at Post Road near Pease Avenue (next to the I-95 north on ramp). There was no injuries. Traffic is flowing without issue even though the southbound lane of the Post Road is down to one lane. A DOT bridge inspector was called to the scene.

Transportation and Infrastructure

Bridgeport, CT— Representative Jim Himes (CT-04) announced the final list of projects he will submit for funding through both the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Member-Designated Projects process and Appropriations Committee Community Project Funding (CPF) process.

“My office has just completed an extensive process considering funding requests for programs and projects across our communities,” said Himes. “As the Representative for the entire Fourth District, I’m well positioned to evaluate the needs of different communities and ensure that funding goes where it’s needed most.  Over the past months, I’ve worked with local elected officials and community leaders to ensure the projects reflect the diversity of our district and will have the greatest possible impact.”

The projects submitted are:

Transportation and Infrastructure Requests (listed alphabetically)

  • Bridgeport — $2,686,000 to update traffic signals and intersections to improve safety and traffic flow around Park Avenue
  • Fairfield — $2,700,00 to fund the majority of the cost to replace the Mill River Bridge
  • Greenwich — $2,530,000 to fund a large portion of the cost to replace the Greenwich Creek Bridge
  • Norwalk — $2,860,000 to fund a majority of the cost of replacing the Five Mile River Bridge
  • Ridgefield — $1,853,120 to fund a majority of the cost for pedestrian and bicycle improvements around the Branchville Transit Station
  • Stamford — $3,500,000 to fund a portion of the large-scale renovation and improvements to the Stamford Transportation Center
  • Trumbull — $1,464,000 to fund a majority of the cost of the rehabilitation of the Route 25 Bridge
  • Wilton — $2,400,000 to fund a majority of the cost of the replacement of the Comstock Brook Bridge

“The transportation projects for which we are seeking funding include bicycle and pedestrian improvements, bridge rehabilitation and replacement, and updates to the Stamford Transportation Center,” continued Himes. “This funding will have a significant effect in moving these projects toward completion and improving the surrounding communities.”

The transportation recipients were selected from projects included on Connecticut’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, which is constituted of priority projects. In many cases, federal funding cannot account for more than 80% of the total cost of these projects.

Community Project Funding Requests (listed alphabetically)

  • Center for Family Justice — $865,000 for physical site improvements and security upgrades to a shelter offering safe housing and services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence
  • Charter Oak — $450,000 for the final phase of revitalization of the Lawnhill Terrace affordable housing complex
  • City of Bridgeport — $2,187, 628 to provide security fencing and other development around Sikorsky Memorial Airport
  • City of Norwalk — $1,400,000 for sidewalks and pedestrian improvement on West Rocks Road and France Street
  • City of Stamford — $2,000,000 for sidewalk and pedestrian infrastructure improvements around schools and bus stops East End Neighborhood Revitalization Zone — $1,000,000 to support construction of a hydroponic farm and community outreach center offering nutrition, workforce development, and community support services.
  • East End Neighborhood Revitalization Zone — $1,000,000 to support construction of a hydroponic farm and community outreach center offering nutrition, workforce development, and community support services.
  • Housatonic Community College — $999,900 for the expansion of the advanced manufacturing training program
  • Save the Sound — $475,000 for removal of the Dana Dam and subsequent ecological monitoring
  • Town of Monroe — $190,000 to update, improve and replace STEM computer labs and PCs for K-12 students
  • Town of Westport — $2,810,000 to support the dredging of the Saugatuck River*

*This request can’t officially be made until the President submits his FY2022 budget request.

“We received more than 50 applications for Community Project Funding this year,” continued Himes.  “The applicants we selected were based on immediate needs of the community and the impact that the funds could have toward helping these projects reach their goals. There are many worthy projects that still require funding, and I will continue to work with leaders on the federal, state, and local level to identify and secure necessary resources.”

Community Project Funding, which directs appropriations to specific projects, was brought back to the House Appropriations process in the current Congress under strict transparency and ethical guidelines. Members were limited to ten Community Project Funding meeting requests each. Every member submitting projects was also required to include a letter with each request stating that they do not have a financial interest in the project and publicly disclose their requests, among other requirements. In order to be eligible for Community Funding Projects, applicants had to be either state, local or tribal governments or non-profit organizations.

This press release was made possible by:

Visit BMW of Bridgeport at: https://www.bmwofbridgeport.com/
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