Mark Twain cleaning up real estate loan portfolio. (Mark Twain Bank)

There's been no shortage of foreclosures and lawsuits relating to Mark Twain Bank's real estate loans this year.

Since April the bank has moved to foreclose on loans with principal amounts totaling at least $9.4 million, according to foreclosure notices filed by bank attorneys. All the loans are secured by real estate in metropolitan St. Louis. In other cases, the bank has sued borrowers over loan guarantees.

John Dubinsky, president and chief executive of Mark Twain, says the recent collection activities Mark Twain has undertaken are normal for the bank. What's more, the level of collection activity has dropped in the past year, and in most of the recent cases Mark Twain hasn't lost a penny, he said.

"When we look at the loan numbers, we couldn't be more pleased …