A federal judge approved Residential Capital LLC's settlement with the Federal Housing Finance Agency, resolving billions of dollars in claims tied to mortgage-backed securities sold to mortgage finance firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the financial crisis, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. Bankruptcy Judge Martin Glenn on Tuesday signed off on ResCap's settlement with FHFA, the government overseer of Fannie and Freddie. The agreement is an ancillary pact tied to a settlement the housing regulator struck last month with ResCap's parent, the government-backed auto lender Ally Financial Inc. Under the deal, FHFA will receive a $1.2 billion claim against ResCap's bankruptcy estate and will retain some of its mortgage-related claims against Ally. Under ResCap's restructuring plan, most unsecured creditors would receive around 35 cents on the dollar, though specific recoveries depend upon whether ResCap or one of its affiliates actually owes the money. FHFA will also receive $24 million in cash when the subprime mortgage lender exits bankruptcy.
