SpringHill Group

owers may conceal obligations, such as mortgage loans on other properties or newly acquired credit card debt, to reduce the amount of monthly debt declared on the loan application. This omission of liabilities artificially lowers the debt-to-income ratio, which is a key underwriting criterion used to determine eligibility for most mortgage loans. It is considered fraud because it allows the borrower to qualify for a loan which otherwise would not have been granted, or to qualify for a bigger loan than what would have been granted had the borrower's true debt been disclosed. Fraud for profit: A complex scheme involving multiple parties, including mortgage lending professionals, in a financially motivated attempt to defraud the lender of large sums of money. Fraud for profit schemes frequently include a straw borrower whose credit report is used, a dishonest appraiser who intentionally and significantly overstates the value of the subject property, a dishonest settlement agent who might prepare two sets of HUD settlement statements or makes disbursements from loan proceeds which are not disclosed on the settlement statement, and a property owner, all in a coordinated attempt to obtain an inappropriately large loan. The parties involved share the ill-gotten gains and the mortgage eventually goes into default. In other cases, naive "investors" are lured into the scheme with the organizer's promise that the home will be repaired, repairs and/or renovations will be made, tenants will located, rents will be collected, mortgage payments made and profits will be split upon sale of the property, all without the active participation of the straw buyer. Once the loan is closed, the organizer disappears, no repairs are made nor renters found, and the "investor" is liable for paying the mortgage on a property that is not worth what is owed, leaving the "investor" financially ruined. If undetected, a bank may lend hundreds of thousands of dollars against a property that is act

Two years ago, when I started toying with the idea of coming to Korea to teach English, my main concern was managing my finances back home. Like so many recent college graduates, I had student loans that would require monthly payments, a car lease, and a credit cards to pay down. Since I had never lived in another country, or been out of the country for that matter, I had no idea how efficient and simple Korean banking and managing your overseas accounts can be. So, if you're like me and you want the scoop on money matters before you head to Korea, read on for quick tips and tricks to help you save money, transfer large sums, and even pay your taxes. Tip #1: Be prepared! Before you leave your country, make sure that you notify your bank, credit cards, student loan lenders, cellphone company, auto loan lenders, etc. Essentially, if you owe money to anyone or you have money saved in any account, make those institutions aware that you will be traveling for a year or more. Most importantly, bring a record of ALL of your banking information: routing numbers, account numbers, and your SWIFT CODE. What's a Swift Code? It's a bank-specific number that allows a foreign bank to easily locate and transfer funds to your domestic accounts. This number, along with your other account information, is essential for seamless transactions and can be obtained simply by contacting your bank and requesting their current Swift Code. Tip #2: On-line Banking: Now-a-days I do the majority of my banking, shopping, and paying bills online. Most banking networks give you access to your funds and statements in an on-line account, so make sure that you set one up before you leave the country. You can also pay your student loans, credit cards, and most other bills online. Furthermore, this is an excellent way to track your savings and be notified of any transfer fees (most banks assess a $15-$20 fee for wire transfers). Tip #3: Enlist Friends and Family: It may also be a wise decision to gi

Whenever scammers and con artists see an opportunity, they seize on it. One fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008 was that many people found themselves with a mortgage they could no longer afford. When faced with foreclosure, some people become desperate, which sets the stage for swindlers to try to make a buck off of another's misfortune. Mortgage elimination scams are nothing new, but they have reared their ugly heads in recent years. History Before the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008, mortgage elimination scams were popular in the 1980s and early 1990s when farmers in the Midwest were losing their land to the banks. The problem was so great that in 1985, concerts known as "Farm Aid," organized by Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp, began to raise money for farmers. This desperation by farmers made them susceptible to con men who tried to sell them kits to teach them how to use allodial title schemes, put fake liens on their property or claim that the bank never actually made any loans. How the Scams Work Most mortgage elimination scams work the same way, by coming up with untrue and crazy theories about why you don't really owe a mortgage at all and that your mortgage is not legally enforceable, according to Quatloos.com. The scammers find quotes from the Federal Reserve, taken out of context, that your mortgage is somehow illegal in the first place, and therefore, you don't owe any money. Features Once the homeowner decides that these schemes may actually work, he goes to the local courthouse and files a bogus claim. An "allodial title" is one, whereby the homeowner makes the argument that it is illegal to foreclose because of a concept that exists in some systems of property law, whereby property cannot be taken for any reason. The fallacy of this argument is there is no allodial title in the U.S. And, even if there was, an allodial title cannot be mortgaged in the first place. The courts view this as a frivolous claim. The s

These house poor families were spending more than 30 percent of their income to pay back the principal and interest for their loans, and had more liabilities than available assets, meaning they would be unable to repay their debts even by selling off all their non-home assets. Most house poor, or 96.3 percent, said in the survey that they were finding the repayment ofloans extremely burdensome. About three-quarters of them said they were reducing their spending to pay off the loans.Sixty-four percent said they would like to sell their homes soon. As for the reasons for wanting to sell off their home, 26.9 percent said they wished to readjust their asset portfolio, and 25.4 percent cited the burden of repaying loans.Others said they wished to change the size of their homes (18.7 percent) or to withstand the economic downturn (13.7 percent).Nearly two-fifths of the house poor were in their 30s and 40s. Following those in their 30s (19.6 percent) and 40s (18.9 percent) were people in their 50s (13.5 percent) and 60s (11.2 percent), indicating that many people were financially squeezed before and after retirement.The more expensive the homes, the greater the number of house poor. Some 22.3 percent of the house poor in the survey hadmortgage loans on residential properties worth more than 900 million won. About 14.5 percent had homes worth between 600 million and 900 million won. Seventeen percent had homes worth between 300 million and 600 million won, and 15.6 percent between 150 million and 300 million won. Only 13.2 percent had homes valued less than 150 million won. Seoul (17.4 percent) and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province (18 percent) showed the highest rate of house poor families. In the capital, four of the 25 districts - which have the most expensive apartments - accounted for 17.2 percent of the house poor. "About 26.2 percent of all mortgage loans were taken out by people with a low ability to repay the debts," the research institut

If you live in a Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) area in Scotland you could benefit from an interest free loan of up to £10,000. To find out if you live in a UHIS area please contact your local Energy Saving Scotland advice centre on 0800 512 012 What's on offer? Loans of between £500 and £10,000 are available (please note: loans are only available up to a maximum of £4,000 for solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines and small scale hydro technologies Loans are interest free so you only pay back what you borrow Applicants can pay back the loan in monthly instalments over a maximum of eight years. Loans can be combined with funding from fuel suppliers under the Carbon Emission Reduction Target. Loans cannot be combined with an Energy Saving Scotland Boiler Scrappage Scheme voucher. What can I use the loan for? Installing cavity wall or solid wall insulation and/or loft insulation Installing renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic, solar water and space heating, heat pumps (ground, air and water source), small scale hydro and wood fuelled boiler systems Replacing old, inefficient boilers with an Energy Saving Trust Recommended (ESTR) boiler The energy efficiency or renewable measure funded by the loan must be recommended in one of the following documents: Energy Performance Certificate (within the home report completed when buying, renting or selling a home) Home energy report for energy efficiency measures only (produced on completion of an Energy Saving Trust Home Energy Check (HEC) Home Energy Generation report (completed via a phone survey carried out by an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor ) Home report on renewables and energy efficiency ( completed via a home visit from an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor), or Energy Assistance Package (EAP) Stage Four managing agent letter detailing the work recommended. You can find out more about all these documents and ho

Two years ago, when I started toying with the idea of coming to Korea to teach English, my main concern was managing my finances back home. Like so many recent college graduates, I had student loans that would require monthly payments, a car lease, and a credit cards to pay down. Since I had never lived in another country, or been out of the country for that matter, I had no idea how efficient and simple Korean banking and managing your overseas accounts can be. So, if you're like me and you want the scoop on money matters before you head to Korea, read on for quick tips and tricks to help you save money, transfer large sums, and even pay your taxes. Tip #1: Be prepared! Before you leave your country, make sure that you notify your bank, credit cards, student loan lenders, cellphone company, auto loan lenders, etc. Essentially, if you owe money to anyone or you have money saved in any account, make those institutions aware that you will be traveling for a year or more. Most importantly, bring a record of ALL of your banking information: routing numbers, account numbers, and your SWIFT CODE. What's a Swift Code? It's a bank-specific number that allows a foreign bank to easily locate and transfer funds to your domestic accounts. This number, along with your other account information, is essential for seamless transactions and can be obtained simply by contacting your bank and requesting their current Swift Code. Tip #2: On-line Banking: Now-a-days I do the majority of my banking, shopping, and paying bills online. Most banking networks give you access to your funds and statements in an on-line account, so make sure that you set one up before you leave the country. You can also pay your student loans, credit cards, and most other bills online. Furthermore, this is an excellent way to track your savings and be notified of any transfer fees (most banks assess a $15-$20 fee for wire transfers). Tip #3: Enlist Friends and Family: It may also be a wise decision to

If you live in a Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) area in Scotland you could benefit from an interest free loan of up to £10,000. To find out if you live in a UHIS area please contact your local Energy Saving Scotland advice centre on 0800 512 012 What's on offer? · Loans of between £500 and £10,000 are available (please note: loans are only available up to a maximum of £4,000 for solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines and small scale hydro technologies · Loans are interest free so you only pay back what you borrow · Applicants can pay back the loan in monthly instalments over a maximum of eight years. Loans can be combined with funding from fuel suppliers under the Carbon Emission Reduction Target. Loans cannot be combined with an Energy Saving Scotland Boiler Scrappage Scheme voucher. What can I use the loan for? · Installing cavity wall or solid wall insulation and/or loft insulation · Installing renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic, solar water and space heating, heat pumps (ground, air and water source), small scale hydro and wood fuelled boiler systems · Replacing old, inefficient boilers with an Energy Saving Trust Recommended (ESTR) boiler The energy efficiency or renewable measure funded by the loan must be recommended in one of the following documents: · Energy Performance Certificate (within the home report completed when buying, renting or selling a home) · Home energy report for energy efficiency measures only (produced on completion of an Energy Saving Trust Home Energy Check (HEC) · Home Energy Generation report (completed via a phone survey carried out by an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor ) · Home report on renewables and energy efficiency ( completed via a home visit from an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor), or · Energy Assistance Package (EAP) Stage Four

Two years ago, when I started toying with the idea of coming to Korea to teach English, my main concern was managing my finances back home. Like so many recent college graduates, I had student loans that would require monthly payments, a car lease, and a credit cards to pay down. Since I had never lived in another country, or been out of the country for that matter, I had no idea how efficient and simple Korean banking and managing your overseas accounts can be. So, if you're like me and you want the scoop on money matters before you head to Korea, read on for quick tips and tricks to help you save money, transfer large sums, and even pay your taxes. Tip #1: Be prepared! Before you leave your country, make sure that you notify your bank, credit cards, student loan lenders, cellphone company, auto loan lenders, etc. Essentially, if you owe money to anyone or you have money saved in any account, make those institutions aware that you will be traveling for a year or more. Most importantly, bring a record of ALL of your banking information: routing numbers, account numbers, and your SWIFT CODE. What's a Swift Code? It's a bank-specific number that allows a foreign bank to easily locate and transfer funds to your domestic accounts. This number, along with your other account information, is essential for seamless transactions and can be obtained simply by contacting your bank and requesting their current Swift Code. Tip #2: On-line Banking: Now-a-days I do the majority of my banking, shopping, and paying bills online. Most banking networks give you access to your funds and statements in an on-line account, so make sure that you set one up before you leave the country. You can also pay your student loans, credit cards, and most other bills online. Furthermore, this is an excellent way to track your savings and be notified of any transfer fees (most banks assess a $15-$20 fee for wire transfers). Tip #3: Enlist Friends and Family: It may also be a wise decision t

If you live in a Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) area in Scotland you could benefit from an interest free loan of up to £10,000. To find out if you live in a UHIS area please contact your local Energy Saving Scotland advice centre on 0800 512 012 What's on offer? · Loans of between £500 and £10,000 are available (please note: loans are only available up to a maximum of £4,000 for solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines and small scale hydro technologies · Loans are interest free so you only pay back what you borrow · Applicants can pay back the loan in monthly instalments over a maximum of eight years. Loans can be combined with funding from fuel suppliers under the Carbon Emission Reduction Target. Loans cannot be combined with an Energy Saving Scotland Boiler Scrappage Scheme voucher. What can I use the loan for? · Installing cavity wall or solid wall insulation and/or loft insulation · Installing renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic, solar water and space heating, heat pumps (ground, air and water source), small scale hydro and wood fuelled boiler systems · Replacing old, inefficient boilers with an Energy Saving Trust Recommended (ESTR) boiler The energy efficiency or renewable measure funded by the loan must be recommended in one of the following documents: · Energy Performance Certificate (within the home report completed when buying, renting or selling a home) · Home energy report for energy efficiency measures only (produced on completion of an Energy Saving Trust Home Energy Check (HEC) · Home Energy Generation report (completed via a phone survey carried out by an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor ) · Home report on renewables and energy efficiency ( completed via a home visit from an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor), or · Energy Assistance Package (EAP) Stage Four managing agent letter detailing the work recommended. You can find out mor

Two years ago, when I started toying with the idea of coming to Korea to teach English, my main concern was managing my finances back home. Like so many recent college graduates, I had student loans that would require monthly payments, a car lease, and a credit cards to pay down. Since I had never lived in another country, or been out of the country for that matter, I had no idea how efficient and simple Korean banking and managing your overseas accounts can be. So, if you're like me and you want the scoop on money matters before you head to Korea, read on for quick tips and tricks to help you save money, transfer large sums, and even pay your taxes. Tip #1: Be prepared! Before you leave your country, make sure that you notify your bank, credit cards, student loan lenders, cellphone company, auto loan lenders, etc. Essentially, if you owe money to anyone or you have money saved in any account, make those institutions aware that you will be traveling for a year or more. Most importantly, bring a record of ALL of your banking information: routing numbers, account numbers, and your SWIFT CODE. What's a Swift Code? It's a bank-specific number that allows a foreign bank to easily locate and transfer funds to your domestic accounts. This number, along with your other account information, is essential for seamless transactions and can be obtained simply by contacting your bank and requesting their current Swift Code. Tip #2: On-line Banking: Now-a-days I do the majority of my banking, shopping, and paying bills online. Most banking networks give you access to your funds and statements in an on-line account, so make sure that you set one up before you leave the country. You can also pay your student loans, credit cards, and most other bills online. Furthermore, this is an excellent way to track your savings and be notified of any transfer fees (most banks assess a $15-$20 fee for wire transfers). Tip #3: Enlist Friends and Family: It may also be a wise decisio

South Korea announced steps Thursday to bolster its sagging property market, including easing restrictions imposed on some districts of the capital. Seoul in 2003 restricted mortgage loan-to-value ratios to 40 percent and banned buyers from spending more than 40 percent of their income on repayments in three southern Seoul areas seen as most attractive to speculators. From now on, the same rules will apply citywide, with buyers able to borrow up to 50 percent of a property's value and spend up to 50 percent of their income on repayments. House prices in the Seoul metropolitan area have been falling for 10 successive months, with the latest April reading showing a 0.3 percent month-on-month decline. The government said it would also cut taxes on capital gains from property in the three districts, and would offer low-interest loans to a wider range of potential home-buyers in the capital. "We're rolling back excessive regulations adopted back in the early 2000s when the property market was overheating," the land ministry said in a statement. "Despite an increase in home supply... transactions in the housing sector are shrinking, while new apartment sales are also sluggish, hit by (economic) uncertainties."

Mortgage fraud is crime in which the intent is to materially misrepresent or omit information on a mortgage loan application to obtain a loan or to obtain a larger loan than would have been obtained had the lender or borrower known the truth. In United States federal courts, mortgage fraud is prosecuted as wire fraud, bank fraud, mail fraud and money laundering, with penalties of up to thirty years imprisonment.As the incidence of mortgage fraud has risen over the past few years, states have also begun to enact their own penalties for mortgage fraud. Mortgage fraud is not to be confused with predatory mortgage lending, which occurs when a consumer is misled or deceived by agents of the lender. However, predatory lending practices often co-exist with mortgage fraud. Types Occupancy fraud: This occurs where the borrower wishes to obtain a mortgage to acquire an investment property, but states on the loan application that the borrower will occupy the property as the primary residence or as a second home. If undetected, the borrower typically obtains a lower interest rate than was warranted. Because lenders typically charge a higher interest rate for non-owner-occupied properties, which historically have higher delinquency rates, the lender receives insufficient return on capital and is over-exposed to loss relative to what was expected in the transaction. In addition, lenders allow larger loans on owner-occupied homes compared to loans for investment properties. When occupancy fraud occurs, it is likely that taxes on gains are not paid, resulting in additional fraud. It is considered fraud because the borrower has materially misprepresented the risk to the lender to obtain more favorable loan terms. Income fraud: This occurs when a borrower overstates his/her income to qualify for a mortgage or for a larger loan amount. This was most often seen with so-called "stated income" mortgage loans (popularly referred to as "liar loans"), where the borrower, or a l

South Korea announced steps Thursday to bolster its sagging property market, including easing restrictions imposed on some districts of the capital. Seoul in 2003 restricted mortgage loan-to-value ratios to 40 percent and banned buyers from spending more than 40 percent of their income on repayments in three southern Seoul areas seen as most attractive to speculators. From now on, the same rules will apply citywide, with buyers able to borrow up to 50 percent of a property's value and spend up to 50 percent of their income on repayments. House prices in the Seoul metropolitan area have been falling for 10 successive months, with the latest April reading showing a 0.3 percent month-on-month decline. The government said it would also cut taxes on capital gains from property in the three districts, and would offer low-interest loans to a wider range of potential home-buyers in the capital. "We're rolling back excessive regulations adopted back in the early 2000s when the property market was overheating," the land ministry said in a statement. "Despite an increase in home supply... transactions in the housing sector are shrinking, while new apartment sales are also sluggish, hit by (economic) uncertainties."

If you live in a Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) area in Scotland you could benefit from an interest free loan of up to £10,000. To find out if you live in a UHIS area please contact your local Energy Saving Scotland advice centre on 0800 512 012 What's on offer? · Loans of between £500 and £10,000 are available (please note: loans are only available up to a maximum of £4,000 for solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines and small scale hydro technologies · Loans are interest free so you only pay back what you borrow · Applicants can pay back the loan in monthly instalments over a maximum of eight years. Loans can be combined with funding from fuel suppliers under the Carbon Emission Reduction Target. Loans cannot be combined with an Energy Saving Scotland Boiler Scrappage Scheme voucher. What can I use the loan for? · Installing cavity wall or solid wall insulation and/or loft insulation · Installing renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic, solar water and space heating, heat pumps (ground, air and water source), small scale hydro and wood fuelled boiler systems · Replacing old, inefficient boilers with an Energy Saving Trust Recommended (ESTR) boiler The energy efficiency or renewable measure funded by the loan must be recommended in one of the following documents: · Energy Performance Certificate (within the home report completed when buying, renting or selling a home) · Home energy report for energy efficiency measures only (produced on completion of an Energy Saving Trust Home Energy Check (HEC) · Home Energy Generation report (completed via a phone survey carried out by an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor ) · Home report on renewables and energy efficiency ( completed via a home visit from an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor), or · Energy Assistance Package (EAP) Stage Four managing agent letter detailing the work recommended. You can find out more about all these documents and how to

If you live in a Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) area in Scotland you could benefit from an interest free loan of up to £10,000. To find out if you live in a UHIS area please contact your local Energy Saving Scotland advice centre on 0800 512 012 What's on offer? Loans of between £500 and £10,000 are available (please note: loans are only available up to a maximum of £4,000 for solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines and small scale hydro technologies Loans are interest free so you only pay back what you borrow Applicants can pay back the loan in monthly instalments over a maximum of eight years. Loans can be combined with funding from fuel suppliers under the Carbon Emission Reduction Target. Loans cannot be combined with an Energy Saving Scotland Boiler Scrappage Scheme voucher. What can I use the loan for? Installing cavity wall or solid wall insulation and/or loft insulation Installing renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic, solar water and space heating, heat pumps (ground, air and water source), small scale hydro and wood fuelled boiler systems Replacing old, inefficient boilers with an Energy Saving Trust Recommended (ESTR) boiler The energy efficiency or renewable measure funded by the loan must be recommended in one of the following documents: Energy Performance Certificate (within the home report completed when buying, renting or selling a home) Home energy report for energy efficiency measures only (produced on completion of an Energy Saving Trust Home Energy Check (HEC) Home Energy Generation report (completed via a phone survey carried out by an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor ) Home report on renewables and energy efficiency ( completed via a home visit from an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables advisor), or Energy Assistance Package (EAP) Stage Four managing agent letter detailing the work recommended. You can find out more about all these documents and how to get th

Scope Note The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the breadth and depth of mortgage fraud crimes perpetrated against the United States and its citizens during 2009. This report updates the 2008 Mortgage Fraud Report and addresses current mortgage fraud projections, issues, and the identification of mortgage fraud "hot spots." The objective of this study is to provide FBI program managers with relevant data to better understand the threat, identify trends, allocate resources, and prioritize investigations. The report was requested by the Financial Crimes Section, Criminal Investigative Division (CID), and prepared by the Financial Crimes Intelligence Unit (FCIU), Directorate of Intelligence (DI). This report is based on FBI, state and local law enforcement, mortgage industry, and open-source reporting. Information was also provided by other government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the Federal National Mortgage Association, and the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Industry reporting was obtained from the LexisNexis Mortgage Asset Research Institute (MARI), RealtyTrac, Inc., Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), and Interthinx®. Some industry reporting was acquired through open sources. While the FBI has high confidence in all of these sources, some inconsistencies relative to the cataloging of statistics by some organizations are noted. For example, suspicious activity reports (SARs) are cataloged according to the year in which they are submitted and the information contained within them may describe activity that occurred in previous months or years. The geographic specificity of industry reporting varies as some companies report at the zip code level, and others by city, region, or state. Many of the statistics provided by the external sources, including FinCEN, FHA, and HU

ATLANTA - Cases of residential mortgage fraud reported by institutions in the home financing industry fell last year for the second year in a row, according to a new study. The LexisNexis Risk Solutions Mortgage Fraud Report released Wednesday tracks verified instances of home loan fraud or misrepresentation by mortgage industry professionals, as reported by banks and other financial institutions. The fraud could include a borrower falsifying information on loan documents but only if the borrower was conspiring with a mortgage industry professional. The study found that mortgage fraud reports declined 35 percent between 2010 and 2011. One factor in the decline is that mortgage loan originations sank to their lowest levels since 2001 last year, reflecting a sharp drop in sales of new and previously occupied homes. Another is that fewer mortgage fraud schemes are taking place at the point where a buyer tries to get a home loan. Mortgage fraud involving the buying or selling of homes in some stage of foreclosure is becoming more common, according to the FBI. Mortgage fraud investigations by the FBI resulted in 1,082 convictions in fiscal 2011, the agency has said. Loan application and home appraisal fraud and misrepresentation made up the largest category of fraud type being investigated by lenders last year, according to the LexisNexis study. Among the trends identified in the report: Instances where buyers and sellers potentially colluded in a home sale or purchase transaction are running at an elevated pace. One red flag of collusion in a real estate transaction is when there is an undisclosed relationship between buyer and seller, or agent, which could potentially lead to a conflict of interest. Unless disclosed, real estate transactions are expected to be arm's-length, or with buyer and seller having no relationship to each other. In 2011, lenders reported that transactions where such a relationship was not disclosed declined to