Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Unison, Alleging Company Lured Massachusetts Homeowners into Predatory Home Equity Agreements

August 5, 2026 — Press Release

BOSTON – A class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of plaintiffs Anne Cuvellier and David Hills against Unison Agreement Corporation, Unison Investment Management, LLC, and Real Estate Equity Exchange, Inc. (collectively, “Unison”) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The suit, led by the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) with co-counsel Singleton Schreiber, alleges that Unison lured Massachusetts homeowners into high-cost home equity loans by falsely marketing its product as an interest-free, loan alternative “option contract” —a characterization the complaint alleges was deliberately designed to evade state consumer credit, mortgage lending, and consumer protection laws.

Unison markets its mortgage loan as a simple way for homeowners to access their equity with “no debt,” “no interest,” and no monthly payments, positioning itself as a financial “partner” with homeowners. According to the complaint, the reality is far different. 

For example, Anne Cuvellier, a 68-year-old social worker from East Longmeadow, received a net cash advance of approximately $36,329, after Unison deducted more than $20,000 in fees and required debt payments from the original $57,137 advance. In exchange, Ms. Cuvellier granted Unison a 70% stake in her home. Unison estimates that as of September 30, 2025, Ms. Cuvellier owes as much as $241,651, many times more than her initial advance. 

David Hills, a semi-retired Hyannis resident who has lived in his family home for over 50 years, received a net advance of approximately $61,851 and similarly granted Unison a 70% stake in his home. Unison estimates that Mr. Hill now owes between $236,301 and $331,103, more than five times the original advance. That is effectively a simple interest rate of approximately 36.79% to 56.78%, and an APR ranging from approximately 19.1% to 24.4%, for a product that is advertised as interest free.

“Unison has built a business model that systematically strips wealth from homeowners and disproportionately impacts older adults and people on fixed incomes who have spent decades building equity in their homes,” said Shennan Kavanagh, litigation director at the National Consumer Law Center. “These agreements are loans in every meaningful sense of the word, and Massachusetts law has strong protections for borrowers that Unison has deliberately circumvented.”

“We have now seen this same pattern play out across multiple states. Unison markets a deceptively simple product, buries the true costs in nearly 100 pages of complex documents, and walks away with significant returns for its investors while homeowners are left unable to retire, refinance, or exert any meaningful control over their home without Unison’s approval,” said Elizabeth Aniskevich, senior counsel at Singleton Schreiber. “Massachusetts homeowners deserve the same protections that apply to every other mortgage borrower in this state.”

The complaint alleges violations of Massachusetts consumer protection laws, including the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act, the Massachusetts Consumer Credit Cost Disclosure Act, and Massachusetts mortgage lending and reverse mortgage laws. The proposed class includes all Massachusetts residents who entered into a Unison Homeowner Agreement.

###

Singleton Schreiber is a client-centered law firm, focusing on consumer protection, mass torts/multi-district litigation, fire litigation, personal injury/wrongful death, civil rights, environmental law, insurance bad faith, tribal law, and sex abuse/trafficking. Its nationally recognized team has played leading roles in high-profile fire litigation, groundbreaking Tesla litigation, and impactful civil rights and trafficking cases. With deep experience in complex claims, the firm is committed to helping individuals, families, and communities recover and rebuild.