|
Legal Actions
|
3 Months Ended |
|---|---|
|
Mar. 31, 2013
|
|
| Legal Actions [Abstract] | |
| Legal Actions | The following supplements our discussion of certain matters previously reported in Part I, Item 3 (Legal Proceedings) of our 2012 Form 10-K for events occurring during first quarter 2013.
FHA INSURANCE LITIGATION On October 9, 2012, the United States filed a complaint, captioned United States of America v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The complaint makes claims with respect to Wells Fargo's Federal Housing Administration (FHA) lending program for the period 2001 to 2010. The complaint alleges, among other allegations, that Wells Fargo improperly certified certain FHA mortgage loans for United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) insurance that did not qualify for the program, and therefore Wells Fargo should not have received insurance proceeds from HUD when some of the loans later defaulted. The complaint further alleges Wells Fargo knew some of the mortgages did not qualify for insurance and did not disclose the deficiencies to HUD before making insurance claims. On December 1, 2012, Wells Fargo filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to enforce a release of Wells Fargo given by the United States, which was denied on February 12, 2013. On April 11, 2013, Wells Fargo filed a notice of appeal. On December 14, 2012, the United States filed an amended complaint. On January 16, 2013, Wells Fargo filed a motion in the Southern District of New York to dismiss the amended complaint. Oral argument of the motion was held on April 17, 2013.
MEDICAL CAPITAL CORPORATION LITIGATION Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. served as indenture trustee for debt issued by affiliates of Medical Capital Corporation, which was placed in receivership at the request of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in August 2009. Since September 2009, Wells Fargo has been named as a defendant in various class and mass actions brought by holders of Medical Capital Corporation's debt, alleging that Wells Fargo breached contractual and other legal obligations owed to them and seeking unspecified damages. On April 16, 2013, the parties reached a settlement in principle of all claims which provides for Wells Fargo to pay $105 million to the plaintiffs. The settlement is subject to Court approval.
MARYLAND MORTGAGE LENDING LITIGATION On July 8, 2008, a class action complaint captioned Stacey and Bradley Petry, et al., v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., et al., was filed. The complaint alleges that Wells Fargo and others violated the Maryland Finder's Fee Act in the closing of mortgage loans in Maryland. On March 13, 2013, the Court held the plaintiff class did not have sufficient evidence to proceed to trial, which was previously set for March 18, 2013. The Court is considering whether to dismiss the case or to certify an appellate question to the Maryland Court of Appeals.
MORTGAGE-BACKED CERTIFICATES LITIGATION Several securities law based putative class actions were consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on July 16, 2009, under the caption In re Wells Fargo Mortgage-Backed Certificates Litigation. The case asserted claims against several Wells Fargo mortgage-backed securities trusts, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and other affiliated entities, individual employee defendants, along with various underwriters and rating agencies. The plaintiffs alleged that the offering documents contain untrue statements of material fact, or omit to state material facts necessary to make the registration statements and accompanying prospectuses not misleading. The parties agreed to settle the case on May 27, 2011, for $125 million. Final approval of the settlement was entered on November 14, 2011. Some class members opted out of the settlement. Wells Fargo settled the opt out claims of Federal National Mortgage Association for an amount that was within a previously established accrual.
OUTLOOK When establishing a liability for contingent litigation losses, the Company determines a range of potential losses for each matter that is both probable and estimable, and records the amount it considers to be the best estimate within the range. The high end of the range of reasonably possible potential litigation losses in excess of the Company's liability for probable and estimable losses was $1.1 billion as of March 31, 2013. For these matters and others where an unfavorable outcome is reasonably possible but not probable, there may be a range of possible losses in excess of the established liability that cannot be estimated. Based on information currently available, advice of counsel, available insurance coverage and established reserves, Wells Fargo believes that the eventual outcome of the actions against Wells Fargo and/or its subsidiaries, including the matters described above, will not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on Wells Fargo's consolidated financial position. However, in the event of unexpected future developments, it is possible that the ultimate resolution of those matters, if unfavorable, may be material to Wells Fargo's results of operations for any particular period. |