SAN DIEGO — The city of San Diego has sued Washington Mutual Inc. and Wachovia in separate lawsuits alleging predatory lending and mortgage fraud.

The lenders are accused of engaging in a pattern of “unlawful, unfair or fraudulent conduct by originating home loans without consideration of the borrower's ability to repay.”

The municipality wants a moratorium on foreclosures and the assessment of civil penalties.

A WaMu spokesman declined to comment on the case, citing the company's policy of not commenting on pending litigation. WaMu has not yet filed a response in court. A Wachovia spokeswoman also declined to comment, explaining today by telephone that the company has just received the complaint.

It's not the first time that California officials have gone after subprime lenders in court. The state of California sued Countrywide in July, alleging that the lender coerced borrowers into taking out risky mortgages for the sole objective of reselling them on the secondary market.