Q: My then-husband and I bought a house in 1995. We divorced in 1999, and, pursuant to our divorce decree, he kept the house and I moved out. We both remarried in 2000. My new husband and I have a new mortgage on our home, after fighting to prove to the lender that my ex has the previous house.

The former president and chief operating officer of Countrywide Financial Corp. will run a new mortgage company unveiled Monday to acquire and restructure distressed mortgages.

A roundup of developments in the mortgage industry Wednesday: • San Diego-based Accredited Home Lenders Holding announced it would cut 1,600 positions, or more than half its workforce, close 65 branches and stop accepting new mortgage applications.