Bill providing one year of mortgage relief for L.A. fire victims moving forward

A smoky haze fills the landscape as a home smolders in the foreground during the Eaton fire on Jan. 8 in Altadena. State legislation that would make it easier for victims of the Los Angeles County fires to receive one year of mortgage relief will move ahead, despite voluntary agreements Gov. Assembly Bill 238 would allow borrowers to put a stop to their mortgage payments for up to 180 days with no fees, penalties or interest, simply by attesting — without documentation — that the fires caused a financial hardship. Federally chartered Wells Fargo, Bank of America, JP Morgan, Citibank and U.S. Bank reached an agreement with Newsom to provide the voluntary relief on Jan. 18, following by 270 state-chartered banks last week. City National Bank, a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada and the largest bank headquartered in the county, added its name this week to the roster of lenders providing mortgage relief.