Cuomo: Banks Release $112M to Sandy Victims

N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said this month that banks and mortgage service companies have released $112 million in insurance checks that were intended for victims of Sandy but had been delayed by bureaucracy. The state persuaded Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to ease their standards to allow banks to move the checks more quickly to homeowners. Fifteen banks now agree to the department’s request to release 75 percent of the proceeds to borrowers without requiring the usual documentation or an inspection, or $40,000, whichever is greater. The remainder will be released with only one inspection. The department said 6,000 checks totaling $200 million were once delayed.