Case: United States v. Shawmut Mortgage Company

3:93-cv-02453 | U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut

Filed Date: Dec. 13, 1993

Closed Date: Dec. 13, 2003

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

The Department of Justice filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut on December 13, 1993, alleging violations of the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601-3619, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), 15 U.S.C. §§ 1691-1691f. The Complaint alleged that the Defendant mortgage lender applied more rigorous standards when evaluating mortgage applicants from prospective black and Hispanic borrowers. The Complaint stated that the Defendant had rejected black an…

The Department of Justice filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut on December 13, 1993, alleging violations of the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601-3619, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), 15 U.S.C. §§ 1691-1691f. The Complaint alleged that the Defendant mortgage lender applied more rigorous standards when evaluating mortgage applicants from prospective black and Hispanic borrowers. The Complaint stated that the Defendant had rejected black and Hispanic applicants at twice the rate of white applicants during the preceding two years.

The parties submitted a consent decree the same day at the Complaint was filed. U.S. District Court Judge Alfred V. Covello approved the consent decree, and the case was voluntarily dismissed by the DOJ. The consent decree required the Defendant to continue several recently implemented anti-discrimination procedures, including a mortgage review committee, which conducted a second review of all rejected minority credit applications; a mortgage customer assistance program; and periodic self-evaluations. In addition, the consent decree also required the Defendant to provide lending data to the Department of Justice on a regular basis for the following three years.

Summary Authors

Andrew Nash (6/2/2008)

People


Judge(s)

Covello, Alfred V. (Connecticut)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Droney, Christopher Fitzgerald (Connecticut)

Hancock, Paul F. (District of Columbia)

Hughes, John B. (Connecticut)

Attorney for Defendant

Bennett, Robert Stephen (District of Columbia)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

3:93-cv-02453

Docket [PACER]

U.S.A. v. Shawmut Mortgage Company

Dec. 15, 1993

Dec. 15, 1993

Docket
1

3:93-cv-02453

Complaint

U.S.A. v. Shawmut Mortgage Company

Dec. 13, 1993

Dec. 13, 1993

Complaint
9

3:93-cv-02453

Consent Decree

U.S.A. v. Shawmut Mortgage Company

Dec. 13, 1993

Dec. 13, 1993

Settlement Agreement

3:93-cv-02453

92-cv-02198

95-03239

97-00096

Fair Lending Enforcement Program: Underwriting Discrimination

U.S.A. v. Shawmut Mortgage Company

No Court

Dec. 31, 2001

Dec. 31, 2001

Press Release

Docket

Last updated Jan. 8, 2024, 3:01 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

COMPLAINT Filing Fee $ 120.00 Receipt # 136144 (Former Employee) (Entered: 12/15/1993)

Dec. 13, 1993

Dec. 13, 1993

2

ORDER on Pretrial Deadlines handed to counsel. Discovery cutoff 6/14/94 ; Dispositive Motions due 7/21/94 Amended Pleadings due 2/23/94 Motions to Dismiss due 3/23/94 (Former Employee) (Entered: 12/15/1993)

Dec. 13, 1993

Dec. 13, 1993

3

APPEARANCE of Attorney for Shawmut Mortgage -- Donn A. Randall (Former Employee) (Entered: 12/15/1993)

Dec. 13, 1993

Dec. 13, 1993

4

APPEARANCE of Attorney for Shawmut Mortgage -- Robert S. Bennett (Former Employee) (Entered: 12/15/1993)

Dec. 13, 1993

Dec. 13, 1993

5

MOTION by Shawmut Mortgage for Andrew L. Sandler and Robert S. Bennett to Appear Pro Hac Vice (Former Employee) (Entered: 12/15/1993)

Dec. 13, 1993

Dec. 13, 1993

ENDORSEMENT granting [5-1] motion for Andrew L. Sandler and Robert S. Bennett to Appear Pro Hac Vice ( signed by Judge Alfred V. Covello ) (Former Employee) (Entered: 12/15/1993)

Dec. 13, 1993

Dec. 13, 1993

7

JOINT MOTION by USA, Shawmut Mortgage for DECREE of consent (Former Employee) (Entered: 12/15/1993)

Dec. 13, 1993

Dec. 13, 1993

ENDORSEMENT granting [7-1] joint motion for DECREE of consent ( signed by Judge Alfred V. Covello ) (Former Employee) (Entered: 12/15/1993)

Dec. 13, 1993

Dec. 13, 1993

8

ANSWER to Complaint by Shawmut Mortgage (Former Employee) (Entered: 12/15/1993)

Dec. 13, 1993

Dec. 13, 1993

9

CONSENT JUDGMENT/DECREE: see for details ( signed by Judge Alfred V. Covello ) (Former Employee) (Entered: 12/15/1993)

Dec. 13, 1993

Dec. 13, 1993

Case closed (Johnson, D.) (Entered: 12/21/1993)

Dec. 13, 1993

Dec. 13, 1993

6

APPEARANCE of Attorney for Shawmut Mortgage --Andrew L. Sandler (Former Employee) (Entered: 12/15/1993)

Dec. 15, 1993

Dec. 15, 1993

Case Details

State / Territory: Connecticut

Case Type(s):

Fair Housing/Lending/Insurance

Special Collection(s):

Multi-LexSum (in sample)

Key Dates

Filing Date: Dec. 13, 1993

Closing Date: Dec. 13, 2003

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

United States DOJ, on behalf of black and Hispanic citizens throughout New England who were denied home mortgages from 01/1990 through 10/1992, allegedly because of disparate standards and practices by the defendant.

Plaintiff Type(s):

U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff

Attorney Organizations:

U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

Shawmut Mortgage Company, Private Entity/Person

Case Details

Causes of Action:

Fair Housing Act/Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601 et seq.

Available Documents:

Trial Court Docket

Complaint (any)

Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Damages

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Order Duration: 1993 - 2003

Issues

General:

Funding

Discrimination-area:

Lending

Discrimination-basis:

Race discrimination

Race:

Black

National Origin/Ethnicity:

Hispanic