Disaster assistance

Disaster assistance
COLUMBUS -- Eight storm and flood-stricken Ohio counties, including Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties, have been declared eligible for federal disaster assistance to local governments, Gov. Bob Taft announced.
As estimated by disaster assessment teams, damage to public property in the eight counties totals just more than $12 million, with $4,164,200 in Trumbull County; $1,813,000 in Mahoning County; and $677,500 in Columbiana County.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides 75 percent of funds for eligible emergency debris removal; emergency protective measures; and repairs to roads, bridges, water control facilities, public buildings and public utilities. The remaining cost is shared between the state and applicants.
The other counties eligible for federal disaster aid to local governments are Portage, Stark, Summit, Jefferson and Medina.
11 sue banks
YOUNGSTOWN -- Two Youngstown residents and an Alliance woman are among 11 people who filed a class-action lawsuit against banks and lending institutions Wednesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
The suit alleges that the defendants have assessed attorneys' fees in connection with mortgage foreclosures for the past 15 years or so, which is against Ohio law.
Among the plaintiffs are Delores Huff and Bruce D. Beers, both of Youngstown; and Shirley Wright of Alliance. The others are from the Columbus and Cincinnati areas.
The defendants include Bank One Corp., Ameriquest Mortgage Co., Chase Manhattan Mortgage Co., Fidelity Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Inc., among others.
The plaintiffs ask that they be awarded more than $25,000 each in damages and that the defendants be made to stop assessing and collecting attorneys' fees in connection with foreclosures.