During the housing boom, mortgage lenders were doling out the dough, giving loans to people who could never have qualified before.
Now, homeowners and government officials are increasingly taking these institutions to court, alleging unfair and predatory practices. While many of these suits are still winding their way through the legal system, some banks have already settled for millions of dollars.
The defendants include the biggest names in the business -- from Wells Fargo (WFC, Fortune 500) to Countrywide Financial to Citigroup (C, Fortune 500).
http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/08/news...ion=2009100907