Penalty Amount
$944,626
Consumers Affected
86
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a settlement with Unlock Partnership Solutions, Inc. over allegations that its 'home equity agreements' were actually unlawful mortgage loans that violated Minnesota's predatory interest rate caps and disclosure requirements. Unlock agreed to pay $944,626 in monetary and debt relief, cease lending unless licensed, and comply with Minnesota mortgage laws.
Unlock agreed to pay $944,626 in monetary and debt relief, including direct refunds to consumers, debt relief, and additional restitution. It also agreed to cease lending through home equity agreements unless licensed by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, comply with the Mortgage Originator and Servicer Licensing Act including rate caps, and comply with Minnesota mortgage laws going forward.
In-house legal teams should review any contracts with fintech lenders or mortgage originators, including vendor agreements for lending platforms, to ensure compliance with state mortgage laws, interest rate caps, and licensing requirements. They should verify that agreements clearly define loan terms, include ability-to-repay verification obligations, and prohibit misrepresentations about the nature of the product. Also, check that any 'home equity agreement' or similar product is properly structured as a mortgage loan and includes required disclosures. Update contracts to include indemnification for violations of state lending laws and require compliance with all applicable statutes.
Entity
Unlock Partnership Solutions, Inc.
Industry
Financial ServicesOfficial Press Release
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/08/07_Unlock.asp
13610 UnlockedTechnologies Judgment
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/docs/13610_UnlockedTechnologies_Judgment.pdf
13610 UnlockedTechnologies Complaint
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/docs/13610_UnlockedTechnologies_Complaint.pdf
Minnesota Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/
"Unlock Partnership Solutions, Inc."
"$944,626"
"Minnesota’s Mortgage Originator and Servicer Licensing Act"
"illegally entering into mortgage loans"
"disguised high-cost mortgage loans to evade consumer protections and rate caps"
The Colorado Attorney General settled with Unlock Partnership Solutions, Inc., which marketed home equity agreements that were determined to be consumer credit transactions subject to Colorado's Uniform Consumer Credit Code and Consumer Equity Protection Act. The company must comply with lending laws, rate caps, disclosures, and licensing, and pay $283,375 in restitution to 125 consumers, with additional payments expected.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison issued a consumer alert explaining how veterans, their families, and others who believe Trajector Holdings owes them money can file claims in the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The release announces no privacy violation, enforcement penalty, or remedy against the company.
Minnesota and 39 other attorneys general filed a notice in Character Technologies, Inc.’s bankruptcy proceedings raising concerns about the company’s safety and privacy practices and the sensitive information it holds, including children’s private chatbot conversations. The states seek protections for consumers in any sale or transfer of the business or assets; the filing does not impose a penalty or establish a final remedy.
The Minnesota Attorney General filed an Assurance of Discontinuance requiring Auto Tech Donations, Inc. to dissolve after finding that its solicitations and governance did not comply with state requirements. Its president was banned from forming or serving as an officer or director of nonprofits and must provide restitution to donors whose vehicles he resold for personal benefit.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and a coalition of 26 states, counties, and cities filed a lawsuit challenging NHTSA’s rule weakening fuel-economy standards for new cars and light trucks. The coalition alleges the rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Energy Policy and Conservation Act; the press release describes a lawsuit filing, not a monetary penalty or final judgment.
$35.0M
Minnesota, the FTC, and a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general reached a proposed settlement with Corteva over alleged loyalty programs that restricted pesticide distributors from buying lower-cost generic products. Corteva must end the challenged practices, comply with restrictions for 10 years, and pay $35 million to the state plaintiffs, including $1.25 million to Minnesota.