Jason Byrd of the Snider & Byrd law firm has filed two new suits against Countrywide Home Lines in Orange County District Court.
After Hurricane Rita cut a swath through Southeast Texas, Countrywide granted several Golden triangle residents a reprieve from making monthly mortgage payments. Now more than two years later, Countrywide is seeking to collect on those back payments.
Orange County residents Alton and Susan Pursley along with Joey and Jennifer Bergeron claim Countrywide misrepresented the conditions of the payment suspension program and is now unfairly requesting a lump sum payment plus additional late fees.
The Bergerons' suit was filed in the Orange County District Court on March 5, while the Pursleys' suit was filed on March 14.
Attorney Byrd also represented several Jefferson County families and filed a similar suit on their behalf against Countrywide on March 14 in Jefferson County District Court.
According to the plaintiffs' Orange County petitions, the home owners entered into a forbearance program with Countrywide to suspend payments on their notes.
"Countrywide initiated a region-wide forbearance program due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Rita," the suit said.
"Countrywide specifically represented that a lump sum payment would not be due and payable at the end of the period, no late fees would be charged, negative credit ratings or reports would not be made, and that the payments not made during the forbearance period would simply be paid at the end of the normal term of the loan."
Contradicting its representations, "which were made in writing to all Plaintiffs," Countrywide allegedly did the exact opposite of what it had promised, making negative credit reports on all the plaintiffs and noting that the loans were in default, the suit said.
"This was done at the same time Countrywide was promising it would not take such an action," the suit said.
"At the end of the forbearance period, Countrywide notified Plaintiffs that they would have to make a lump sum payment or they would be in default. The required lump sum payments included late fees and additional penalties despite Countrywide's previous representations. For the Plaintiffs who could not make the requested lump sum payments, Defendant threatened to foreclose on their property.
"In lieu of foreclosure, many Plaintiffs were forced to enter into modification agreements which resulted in Plaintiffs being charged late fees, penalties and usurious rates of interest. Defendant misrepresented the terms of the forbearance agreement to the detriment of the Plaintiffs."
The home owners in the suit allege Countrywide's actions are not only in violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and a breach of contract, "but are patently deceptive."
The suit lists the following violations of DTPA allegedly committed by Countrywide:
"Plaintiffs relied on these misrepresentations by the Defendant to their detriment," the suit said, adding that Countrywide was "unjustly enriching" itself by taking advantage of the plaintiffs predicament.
The home owners are suing for actual and consequential damages, plus mental anguish and attorney's fees.
The case has been assigned to the 163rd Judicial District.
Case No. B080086-c (Bergeron)
Case No. D080102-c(Pursley)