The United States District Court for the Northern District of California granted class certification in a mortgage loan appraisal suit alleging defendants conspired to inflate appraisals to increase the sale of loans in the secondary market. The Court found that plaintiffs presented sufficient evidence to establish common questions of fact and law, holding that common questions and answers need not uniformly apply to all class members. The Court also found that the analysis of individual appraisal fees would not create individualized issues, but instead would provide additional support for plaintiffs' claims that an inflated appraisal scheme existed. Finally, the Court also held that the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act's treble damages, attorney's fees and government enforcement mechanisms did not make class action an inferior method of litigation. Click here for the opinion.
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