Ohio AG asks for affidavits by Wells Fargo 'robo-signer'

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray asked judges in his state for copies of foreclosure affidavits filed in their courts that are signed by a woman he identified as a "robo-signer" for Wells Fargo Bank NA.

Cordray sent a letter to 133 judges asking for information on any cases that involved Xee Moua, a Wells Fargo employee in North Carolina. Wells Fargo is a major employer in Minnesota. Cordray sent a separate letter asking the bank to vacate any foreclosure judgment in Ohio involving incorrect affidavits.

Moua gave a deposition in a Florida case in March in which she testified that "statements made by her in sworn affidavits were false," Cordray said in the letter. Moua said she wasn't familiar with the books and records related to the transactions an affidavit covered, according to Cordray.

"These are crucial misstatements that are an affront to our legal system," he wrote. "If you become aware of affidavits Ms. Moua signed in any foreclosure cases filed in your Court, I would appreciate receiving copies of such affidavits."

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Tom Goyda, a spokesman for Wells Fargo, declined to comment. The company has said previously that it intends to be "responsive" to Cordray's inquiries.

Wells Fargo, the biggest U.S. home lender, said Oct. 27 that it will file supplemental foreclosure affidavits to courts in about 55,000 proceedings after finding some statements "did not strictly adhere to the required procedures."

Cordray also provided a copy of a letter to Wells Fargo deputy general counsel David Moskowitz in which he asked the San Francisco-based bank to "vacate any judgment and withdraw any motion that resulted in a judgment in which Wells believes an improper affidavit was submitted."

The attorney general also asked for a list of Ohio foreclosures in 2009 and 2010 in which a Wells Fargo entity served as plaintiff or servicer and a list of all people who signed Ohio foreclosure affidavits for Wells Fargo in those years.

The bank has said it chose to resubmit the documents out of "an abundance of caution" and that none of "these instances led to foreclosures which should not have otherwise occurred."