Thursday, November 18, 2010

House to Consider Override of Notary-Bill Veto

House lawmakers are scheduled to consider Wednesday a motion to override President Barack Obama's veto last month of a bill that critics claimed could make it harder for homeowners to stop flawed foreclosures.

The vetoed bill, sponsored by Rep. Robert Aderholt (R., Ala.), would require notarizations of mortgages and other documents, including those done electronically, that are done in one U.S. state to be accepted by courts in another state.

The House approved the bill in April by a voice vote, and the Senate passed it unanimously in late September. But Mr. Obama returned the bill to Congress without his signature last month as concerns mounted over the unintended impact the measure could have on consumer protections amid growing problems with foreclosure documentation.

Banks have halted thousands of foreclosures amid revelations that banks relied on so-called "robo-signers," or employees who falsely asserted that they had personally reviewed the details of foreclosure cases.

Critics have said the bill would make it easier for lenders to speed up the foreclosure process. Mr. Aderholt has rejected any link between document-handling problems and the bill, called the Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010.

"The bill expressly requires lawful notarizations, and in no way invalidates improper notarizations," he said in a statement last month.

It isn't clear how much the foreclosure mess, which erupted in mid-September, could affect support for the measure among House lawmakers who voted for the bill last spring.

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