Minnesota Independent

Bachmann’s statements about helping foreclosure victims clashes with voting record

By Sofia Resnick | 10.19.11 | 2:36 pm

Bachmann has voted against all but one measure aimed at providing foreclosure relief.

Chicago protests against bankers association puts spotlight on housing

By Yana Kunichoff | 10.11.11 | 4:53 pm

Problems with mortgages aren’t confined to Chicago, Minnesotans have been foreclosed on more than 22,000 times this year.

DFL hits Emmer on his seven mortgages in eight years

By Andy Birkey | 10.21.10 | 1:15 pm

DFL chair Brian Melendez questioned the finances of Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer at a press conference on Thursday. According to public documents, Emmer has taken out seven separate mortgages on his Delano home for a total value of $1.6 million. Melendez said the DFL is raising the issue because Emmer frequently uses the phrase “live within your means” on the campaign trail.

Living Word says it has ‘no interest’ in listed foreclosure property

By Andy Birkey | 08.24.10 | 2:20 pm

Despite being named by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Living Word Christian Center, though public relations firm Rotenberg Associates LLC, says that the church did not own property listed as being sold in a sheriff’s foreclosure…

Mac Hammond’s Living Word Christian Center facing foreclosure

By Andy Birkey | 08.23.10 | 1:15 pm

Updated: Property owned by Living Word Christian Center has gone into foreclosure, according to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s office. On July 28, four parcels of land owned by the Brooklyn Park mega-church was bought at a sheriff’s sale for $5.1 million. Pastor Mac Hammond, who preaches a “prosperity gospel,” has been plagued by financial problems over the last few years. The church took millions from a man who was later convicted of fraud, and the IRS opened an investigation into the church’s finances stemming from favorable financial dealings between the church and Hammond.

Debt settlement companies evade state restrictions

By Jon Collins | 08.05.10 | 9:14 am

Minnesota has one of the country’s toughest laws regulating debt settlement companies, firms that claim to help consumers with debt but often end up taking big fees while doing nothing to chip away at financial obligations. But of the 2,000 debt relief companies operating in the U.S. — many that advertise on the radio or telemarket here — only seven have registered for licenses with the Department of Commerce, leaving Minnesotans like Bill Gustafson at the mercy of people whose aim, consumer advocates say, is to squeeze profit from those already in dire financial straits.

Currency comptroller rejects scapegoating of Community Reinvestment Act

By Chris Steller | 11.24.08 | 12:38 pm

In a speech last week John Dugan, comptroller of the currency, issued a strong defense of the Community Reinvestment Act — a direct response to CRA critics such as U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., who have laid blame for the current housing crisis on anti-redlining legislation.