Judge Denies FHFAs Request to Dismiss Chicago Suit
February 10, 2012
A Federal judge in Chicago tabled for the moment the Federal Housing Finance Agencys hopes of a speedy ruling in its favor of its lawsuit to exempt Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from the citys new vacant building ordinance, although the judge appears open to hearing the FHFAs jurisdictional argument.Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Joan Lefkow denied the FHFAs request for summary judgment in its lawsuit against Chicago while she ordered the city to file its response to the Finance Agencys litigation.Filed in December, the FHFAs lawsuit on behalf of the two GSEs seeks to prevent the city from enforcing the ordinance which requires mortgagees to pay a $500 registration fee for vacant properties and requires monthly inspections of mortgage properties to determine if they are vacant.