Avila v. ACACIA Network, Inc.

**Mortgage Servicing Fee Dispute Reaches Mixed Court Decision** This case involved a dispute over fees charged by NewRez LLC (doing business as Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing) to a borrower. The borrower, Avila, claimed the mortgage company improperly charged various fees that violated their contract and Maryland's lending laws, which protect consumers from excessive interest rates and illegal charges. The court delivered a split decision. The judge ruled in favor of the mortgage company on most of the fee challenges, throwing out the majority of Avila's claims through summary judgment. However, the court allowed one specific claim to continue - a $13 inspection fee from July 2018 that allegedly violated Maryland's usury statute. This remaining issue will go to trial. **What This Means for Workers:** This ruling shows that courts will carefully examine each fee dispute individually rather than making broad rulings. While most of the borrower's claims were unsuccessful, the fact that even a small $13 fee violation survived judicial review demonstrates that companies cannot charge any fee without proper justification. Workers and consumers facing similar situations should document all fees carefully and understand that even seemingly minor charges may violate state consumer protection laws.