homeowners eligible for a review of their foreclosure.

Four million homeowners who may have been improperly foreclosed upon in 2009 and 2010 are getting an opportunity to have their cases reviewed. Whether they will be reimbursed is up to the same lenders who are accused of moving too swiftly to seize their homes.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said last week that mortgage services will begin sending out letters this month that ask borrowers if they want their case reviewed.

The nation's 14 largest mortgage servicers — including Citibank, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo — were ordered to offer to review cases after the government found that some rushed the foreclosure process without carefully reviewing documents.

The orders require the lenders pay homeowners when a "borrower suffered financial injury." There is no minimum or maximum dollar amount identified.

Critics, including congressional Democrats, say the orders were too lenient on the banks and that it was inappropriate for the lenders to review their own potential mistakes.

"Servicers have a poor performance track record in effectively engaging with borrowers, and, in the claims process, have a natural disincentive to reach the households their practices have harmed," wrote Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., to regulators.