Lawsuit Over Signing Shock

Nanette Lewis refinanced her mortgage to get peace of mind. Instead, she says, she got a bait-and-switch, predatory loan and heartbreak.

Now far less naive, the Baytown woman decided to fight back.

In a lawsuit she filed against her lenders in federal court last week, she alleges she was targeted for a loan with onerous terms because she’s black. Her suit mirrors one filed by the attorney general of Massachusetts and another by the city of Baltimore.

All three accuse lenders of “reverse redlining” — targeting minority loan applicants for the worst possible mortgage deals.

Lewis’ lawsuit may be the first of its kind in Texas. She is represented by a legal aid lawyer and seeking primarily, she said, to get the word out about what happened and to remove the lien from her property, though she still would be responsible for repaying the mortgage. More from the Houston Chronicle…