Charges filed against foreclosure firms

Washington’s Division of Financial Institutions has filed charges against 40 companies it accuses of misleading state consumers dealing with foreclosure.

All 40 firms are also charged with failing to be licensed to operate in Washington.

The 40 named companies are from across the country. Only two of the named companies are based in Washington: Strategic Debt Resolutions, of Seattle, and ISIS Consulting LLC, of Olympia.

The state is seeking more than $1.3 million in sanctions and restitution from the 40 businesses. About 200 state consumers could see some restitution through the effort, the agency said in a news release.

“DFI has received hundreds of complaints from Washington homeowners taken advantage of by these ‘rescue’ businesses,” DFI Director Scott Jarvis said in the release.

Homeowners who paid advance fees up to $5,000 and received no assistance instead had their homes foreclosed, Jarvis said.

Wal-Mart opening second Valley store

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will open its second Spokane Valley location on Oct. 17.

The store at 5500 E. Sprague Ave. will employ about 350 full- and part-time workers, according to a company news release.

The average wage for full-time hourly workers is $13 per hour, Wal-Mart said.

The new store has about 148,000 square feet of space and will be open 24 hours a day.

Wal-Mart will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m. and present checks to a handful of local organizations, including Greater Spokane Meals on Wheels and Spokane Valley Partners, the release said.

The Valley Wal-Mart, which is near the Costco store, is one of three opening in Washington that day. The others are in Bellevue and Lynnwood, Wash.

Extension deadline nears for taxpayers

Attention, taxpayers who filed for an automatic six-month extension in April: Your time is nearly up.

More than 300,000 Washington residents requested an automatic extension to file their 2011 federal income tax returns this year, according to the Internal Revenue Service. The deadline to file is Oct. 15.

The IRS wants taxpayers to know that electronic filing – including Free File – is still available.

Members of the military serving in combat zones have additional time to file.