Maine Lawmakers Tighten Foreclosure Rules in Win for Consumers

Homeowners in Maine gained stronger protection against bank foreclosures under legislation approved late on Tuesday over the objections of some of the United States' largest lenders in what consumer advocates called a win for homeowners. The new law makes Maine one of few U.S. states to legislate over accusations nationwide that banks used suspect mortgage documentation in home foreclosures after the 2008 credit crisis. The focus of the dispute is Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, set up by U.S. banks before the housing bubble of the 2000s. The law effectively affirms a 2014 Maine Supreme Court ruling that challenged a MERS-related foreclosure, though limiting its impact to future cases.