We completed an audit of Wells Fargo Bank NA, Rochester, New York, Branch Office (Wells Fargo), a national bank and supervised lender. The audit objectives were to determine whether Wells Fargo (1) approved insured loans in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)/Federal Housing Administration (FHA) requirements, which include following prudent lending practices, and (2) developed and implemented a quality control...

We audited the Milford, Connecticut, branch office of Countrywide Bank, FSB (Countrywide), which is a supervised national bank approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to originate, underwrite, and service Federal Housing Administration (FHA) single-family insured loans. We selected the Milford, Connecticut, branch office largely based on a lender risk analysis, which showed that the loans it originated had a higher...

We audited the Tuckahoe Housing Authority (Authority) to assess the merits of a complaint and determine whether the Authority administered its low-rent housing program and nonprofit entity activities in accordance with the annual contributions contract and other U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations. The audit disclosed that the Authority did not adequately administer its low-rent program and nonprofit entity...

We completed an audit of the operations of the City of Troy, New York (the City), pertaining to its administration of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The objective of our audit was to determine whether the City administered its CDBG program in an effective and efficient manner in compliance with applicable HUD rules and regulations. The audit disclosed that the City generally complied with HUD program requirements when...

This is the tenth report in our ongoing audits of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's (the auditee) administration of the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Assistance funds provided to the State of New York. During our audit period, April 1, 2007, through September 30, 2007, the auditee disbursed approximately $132.7 million of the $2.783 billion funds appropriated. The objectives of this audit were to determine...

We audited Vesta Windham Heights, LLC (Windham Heights), after completing an audit of the owners' related project, Vesta Moosup, LLC (Moosup Gardens). The Moosup Gardens audit (OIG Audit Report Number 2007-BO-1006) disclosed cost exceptions totaling more than $700,000 related to unauthorized distributions and repayments of owner advances while in a non-surplus-cash position and unreasonable payments to identity-of-interest (related)...

We audited Vesta Mohegan, LLC (Mohegan Commons), after completing an audit of the owners' related project, Vesta Moosup, LLC (Moosup Gardens). The Moosup Gardens audit (OIG Audit Report Number 2007-BO-1006) disclosed cost exceptions totaling more than $700,000 related to unauthorized distributions and repayments of owner advances while in a non-surplus-cash position and unreasonable payments to identity-of-interest (related) companies. Our...

We completed an audit of Richard A. Hutchens and Associates (agent) pertaining to its management of the financial operations of Cayuga Village and Touraine Apartments. The objectives of our audit were to determine whether the agent used project funds in accordance with the regulatory agreement and HUD requirements. Specifically, to determine whether the agent (1) provided adequate documentation to support the reasonableness of payments made to...

We completed an audit of the City of New Rochelle, located in New Rochelle, New York, in order to evaluate its administration of the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the City of New Rochelle (1) committed and expended HOME funds in accordance with HUD rules and regulations, (2) disbursed funds for only eligible activities, and (3) used funds for eligible administrative and...

During the ninth in our series of on-going audits of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's (LMDC) administration of the $2.783 billion of Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Assistance funds provided to the State of New York following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, we noted that the final action plan approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban...

We audited the records for Moosup Gardens Apartments (project), a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-insured multifamily project in response to a request from HUD. Our audit objective was to determine whether the project's costs were accurately reported to HUD and in accordance with the regulatory agreement and HUD's requirements. We identified questioned costs and opportunities for funds to be put to better use...

During the eighth in our series of ongoing audits of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's (LMDC) administration of the $2.783 billion in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Assistance funds provided to the State of New York following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, we identified a concern about whether certain activities, for which funds have been disbursed and...