What's New

2012 Legislative Session

MCRC's new legislative agenda for the 2012 session focuses on protecting the finances of Maryland consumers, promoting transportation mobility, saving our homes and protecting access to affordable energy. Specifically, MCRC will work this year for legislation to:

• Cap the interest rates and mark-ups rent-to-own stores can charge consumers and strengthen consumer protections in rent-to-own contracts.
• Expand Maryland's mortgage mediation program and promote a list of best practices for Maryland mortgage servicers.
• Expand protections for homeowners in common ownership communities.
• Allow Marylanders to purchase MAIF auto insurance through an affordable installment plan.
• Protect Maryland car dealers from retaliatory measures from manufacturers. 
  
• Require utilities to offer payment plans for those who have fallen on hard times.

You can read and download our full legislative agenda here: MCRC's 2012 Legislative Agenda.

2011 Legislative Scorecard and Consumer Champions

MCRC won many victories for Maryland consumers in 2011, passing nine of our ten priority bills in Annapolis last session. You can review that record and find out how your legislators voted on last year's most important consumer issues by reading our new 2011 Legislative Scorecard, which rates and scores the record of each Maryland legislator on consumer issues.

You can read and download the complete scorecard here: MCRC's 2011 Legislative Scorecard

You can read and download the complete list of MCRC's "Consumer Champions of 2011," the legislators who earned a 100-percent score of consumer rights in 2011 here: MCRC's 2011 Consumer Champions

MCRC diagnoses causes and solutions to foreclosure crisis

MCRC served on the governor's Foreclosure Task Force this fall and has been working with advocates, lenders, and regulators to develop new initiatives to stem the foreclosure crisis. Our proposals include pushing lenders to offer more principal-reduction loan modifications, create rent-to-buyback programs for those who lose their homes to foreclosures and establish a single point of contact for homeowners during the mortgage-review process.

Exectuive Director Marceline White testified about these proposals to the House Economic Matters Committee on Jan. 18 and submitted written remarks to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Jan 26.

You can read her written testimony here: MCRC's foreclosure testimony

Film screening event focuses on housing crisis 

• Wed. Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. at the Enoch Pratt Central Library, 400 Cathedral St., Baltimore, MD.

Please join us on Feb. 1 for a special screening event for "Stealing Trust," our powerful documentary about mortgage and financial fraud, where MCRC ED Marceline White and advocates from the St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center and the Baltimore Homeownership Preservation will discuss new initiatives to protect homeowners in distress and stem the state's foreclosure crisis. You can download a flyer for the screening here: Stealing Trust at Enoch Pratt

This screening event is co-sponsored by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, the St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, and the Baltimore Homeownership Preservation Coalition.

You can read a preview of this screening event from The Baltimore Sun's real estate blog here: Sun screening preview

Documentary Film Wins Rave Reviews

"Stealing Trust" tells the powerful human stories of individuals and families across Maryland who have lost their homes, their savings, and even their capacity to trust others to predatory mortgage lenders, debt settlement companies, and home improvement contractors and also shows how some consumers have successfully fought back to protect their rights. Since its premiere in Baltimore last May, the film has won enthusiastic responses from audiences, critics, and journalists at a series of screenings around Central Maryland.

To learn more about the film, and read some of its rave reviews, please visit our "Stealing Trust" homepage.

You can also see the film's opening section and some of the consumer stories it tells on our Youtube Channel.

We will be scheduling further screenings this Winter and Spring. Please watch for word about a screening near you. Please also consider hosting a screening of the film for your friends and colleagues at your home, your office, your church or your community group. Contact Franz@marylandconsumers.org for more information.

New "Debt Settlement Watch" newsletter now available

The first issue of our new newsletter on the debt settlement industry is available now. As we continue to work to protect consumers from debt settlement rip-offs, "Debt Settlement Watch" will provide quarterly updates on litigation, regulation and other news about the industry. You can read the first issue here.