MLN Files for Ch. 11 After Investor Balks

Mortgage Lenders Network USA, Middletown, Conn. -- once a top-15 subprime lender -- filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Feb. 5, a spokesman for the company has confirmed to MortgageWire.The filing comes a few days after MW broke the news that Marathon Asset Management, New York, which had considered investing in the struggling company, had pulled out of talks with the nondepository. At deadline time MLN was preparing a statement. MLN recently began cutting workers in its servicing department. In late December, faced with a liquidity crisis, it closed the wholesale unit that accounted for 90% of its production. It has since been barred from funding new loans by several states. Its warehouse providers have included Merrill Lynch and RFC-GMAC. It owns roughly $17 billion in housing receivables. MLN can be found on the Web at http://www.mlnapproves.com.