West Virginia Revises Mortgage and Consumer Lending Statutes

Mortgage Licensing HAMP / HARP NMLS

West Virginia recently enacted several bills to amend statutes related to mortgage licensing and servicing and consumer lender licensing. House Bill 4271 was enacted March 30 and takes effect June 8, 2012. It amends existing reporting requirements for licensed residential mortgage lenders and brokers to direct lenders and brokers to submit reports through the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry (NMLS) for periods established by the NMLS. The law allows the Commissioner of the Division of Banking to require direct reporting, preserves the confidentiality of the reports, and alters certain public reporting obligations of the Commissioner. Also enacted on March 30, House Bill 4274, authorizes the Commissioner of the Division of Banking to fine regulated consumer lenders required to be licensed up to $2,000 for violating applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. Each day that a consumer lender engages in covered conduct without being licensed is considered a separate violation subject to a separate fine. This change takes effect June 7, 2012. On April 2, effectively retroactive to January 1, 2012, Senate Bill 551 creates an exemption to mortgage loan limitations to allow for modification or refinancing loans made between January 1, 2012 and January 15, 2015 as part of the federal Home Affordable Modification Program or any other federal or state program or litigation settlement.