VA房贷服务商Village Capital违反《军人市民救济法》未给军人利率优惠并打击报复 付逾50万美元和解
华盛顿——美国司法部10月19日宣布，为退伍军人事务部（VA）担保房贷提供服务的 Village Capital & Investment LLC 将支付逾50万美元，以了结其违反《军人市民救济法》（SCRA）的指控。根据和解，该公司将向受影响的军人支付至少42.5万美元，并缴纳79,380美元民事罚款——该数额为SCRA首次违规的法定最高罚款。司法部指，该公司未能正确为至少41名军人的房贷适用SCRA利率优惠（该法为符合条件的军人债务设定6%的利率上限），并对提出利率优惠申请的军人进行打击报复。和解还要求该公司修订政策与流程以防再犯，并为员工提供SCRA培训。司法部民权司助理总检察长 Harmeet K. Dhillon 表示，贷款机构拒绝履行SCRA保障的权益、甚至报复主张权利者，不仅违法，也辜负了军人家庭对金融机构的信任。内华达区代理联邦检察官 Sigal Chattah（第一助理）表示，该公司未正确适用利率上限并误述房贷条款，司法部将迅速问责此类侵害军人权益的放贷行为。
VA Home Loan Servicer Village Capital to Pay Over $500,000 for Violating Servicemembers' Rights Under the SCRA
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department announced on October 19 that Village Capital & Investment LLC, a servicer of home loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, will pay over $500,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). Under the settlement, Village Capital will pay at least $425,000 to affected servicemembers and a $79,380 civil penalty — the maximum penalty for a first violation of the SCRA. The department alleged the company failed to properly apply SCRA interest rate benefits, which cap interest at 6 percent on qualifying debts, to at least 41 servicemembers' mortgages, and retaliated against servicemembers who requested the benefits. The agreement also requires the company to revise its policies and procedures to prevent future violations and to provide SCRA training to its employees. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said lenders that refuse to honor SCRA benefits, or retaliate against those who assert their rights, violate federal law and undermine the trust military families place in financial institutions. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada said the company breached servicemembers' trust by failing to apply the rate cap correctly and misrepresenting mortgage terms, and that such practices will be met with swift accountability.
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：位于华盛顿的美国退伍军人事务部大楼（资料照片）。APK摄，CC BY-SA 4.0授权图片，经Wikimedia Commons发布。
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