pam_bondi_5.jpgTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) _ Religious and community groups are urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to take a tougher stance on a proposed settlement with the nation's five largest mortgage lenders over deceptive foreclosure practices.

 

A pair of ministers and an evicted former homeowner delivered a letter and held a news conference outside Bondi's office Monday in Tallahassee.

They contend the proposed $25 billion national deal that Bondi supports doesn't go far enough. They say that's because the negative equity on homes in Florida alone is $120 billion.

A Bondi spokeswoman said in an email that their concerns are “misguided'' because the settlement would provide a historic level of money relief and will reform the mortgage industry.

The settlement is expected to provide $1,800 each for about 750,000 families across the country.