Despite the legal motivation, B of A is beginning a very important process.
Quoting from the Yahoo News article, "The bank, the largest mortgage servicer in the country, said Wednesday it will forgive up to 30 percent of some customers' total mortgage balances. The homeowners must have missed at least two months of mortgage payments and owe at least 20 percent more than their home is currently worth."
This should put pressure on other lending institutions to follow suit, preventing a slew of foreclosures and short sales. Good news indeed! - David