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  • District Court: Servicer’s QWR responses did not violate RESPA

    Courts

    The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington recently granted summary judgment in favor of a defendant mortgage servicer related to alleged RESPA violations concerning qualified written requests and notices of error. Plaintiff entered into a permanent loan modification for which she made timely payments until she applied for new financing. One year later, plaintiff noticed a deferred principal balance that she claimed was not listed on her 2019 loan modification agreement. Plaintiff asserted that she called seeking to have the deferred principal balance removed and sent a notice of error (NOE) letter to the defendant, claiming, among other things, that the loan documentation did not mention the deferred amount. Defendant acknowledged the NOE and timely responded that the modification agreement included the deferred principal balance.

    In granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment, the court held that while plaintiff’s allegations “are framed as a RESPA violation … [p]laintiff’s true concern is that [defendant] misrepresented the terms of the 2019 loan modification.” The defendant, however, complied with RESPA by providing “a statement of the reasons for which the servicer believes the account of the borrower is correct as determined by the servicer,” and plaintiff’s “disagreement with the servicer’s determination does not create a claim under RESPA.” Further, the court found that the deferred principal balance was in fact included on the executed loan modification agreement, and that the plaintiff did not suffer any actual harm under RESPA or otherwise.

    Courts RESPA Consumer Finance Mortgages QWR

  • HUD says company offering homeowner aid violated FHA

    Federal Issues

    On June 13, HUD announced a Charge of Discrimination against several entities and individuals accused of allegedly violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against New York City homeowners on the basis of race, color, or national origin. According to HUD, the seven complainants alleged that the respondents targeted them with offers of mortgage and foreclosure prevention assistance. Respondents allegedly filed illegitimate liens and instructed telemarketers to use “affinity marketing” to build relationships with elderly, vulnerable, and distressed homeowners by bringing up shared national origin and cultural practice. Homeowners who accepted respondents’ purported loan modification services were convinced to sign documents that unknowingly sold their homes to two entities named as respondents, HUD said, explaining that respondents would then attempt to force homeowners to vacate their homes. These efforts were disproportionately concentrated in neighborhoods with a high majority of persons of color (specifically persons of Black and Caribbean descent), HUD noted, adding that in order to persuade lenders to approve the short sale, some of the respondents would allegedly create private real estate listings for homeowners’ properties and present them to the bank as public listings, while falsely claiming no offers had been received in order to secure minimal sales prices. Homeowners were also allegedly promised that the short sales were part of the loan modification services and that the property would be transferred back into their names or that of a family member after a certain period, and that they would be able to remain in their homes until the title was returned.  In fact, however, respondents intended to flip the properties for profit.

    The charge will be heard by a U.S. administrative law judge unless a party elects to have the case heard in federal district court. HUD requested that the respondents be enjoined from continuing to discriminate against any person because of race, color, or national origin, and asked for damages to fully compensate the complainants, as well as the maximum civil penalty for each respondent.

    Federal Issues HUD Enforcement New York Fair Housing Act Discrimination Consumer Finance Mortgages

  • CFPB says it wants to simplify rules on mortgage servicing

    Federal Issues

    On June 15, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said the Bureau is considering whether to streamline mortgage servicing rules. Last September, the Bureau requested input from the public on mortgage refinance and forbearance standards and sought feedback on ways to reduce risks for borrowers who experience disruptions in their ability to make mortgage payments. (Covered by InfoBytes here.) Specifically, the Bureau sought ways to: (i) “facilitate mortgage refinances for consumers who would benefit from refinancing, especially consumers with smaller loan balances”; and (ii) “reduce risks for consumers who experience disruptions in their financial situation that could interfere with their ability to remain current on their mortgage payments.”

    Chopra flagged several issues raised by commenters, including that borrowers seeking loss mitigation options can face a “paperwork treadmill” that disadvantages both homeowners and mortgage servicers. Commenters also reported that borrowers often incur servicing fees and experience negative credit reporting when waiting for servicers to review their options, Chopra said, explaining that even after a loss mitigation option has been implemented, these penalties can continue to negatively impact borrowers (such as preventing loan modifications and other interventions designed to allow borrowers to keep their homes). 

    Chopra said the Bureau intends to use the feedback to propose ways to streamline servicing standards but noted that the agency “will propose streamlining only if it would promote greater agility on the part of mortgage servicers in responding to future economic shocks while also continuing to ensure they meet their obligations for assisting borrowers promptly and fairly.”

    Federal Issues CFPB Consumer Finance Mortgages Mortgage Servicing Forbearance Loss Mitigation

  • District Court: Plaintiff failed to prove damages in RESPA suit

    Courts

    The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas recently granted summary judgment in favor of a defendant mortgage servicer related to alleged RESPA violations. Plaintiff obtained a refinanced loan that was serviced by the defendant. Plaintiff later sued the defendant after becoming frustrated by receiving repeated calls suggesting he refinance the loan. Once litigation commenced, the defendant began sending the monthly mortgage statements to plaintiff’s counsel. In 2021, plaintiff sent a request for information to the defendant seeking a range of monthly billing statements, which the defendant allegedly only partially provided. Plaintiff’s attorney further claimed to have received an escrow review statement from the defendant referencing an escrow surplus check that the plaintiff also claimed not to have received. The plaintiff claimed violation of RESPA by pointing to the defendant’s alleged failure to adequately respond to his requests for statements or to provide the surplus check. The defendant moved for summary judgment, arguing that neither the facts nor the law supported the plaintiff’s claims.

    The plaintiff eventually conceded that there is no private right of action under RESPA’s escrow payment regulation and withdrew the claim. The court also took issue with his claim that the defendant failed to adequately respond to his request for information. Even if the defendant failed to adequately respond, the plaintiff could not plead or prove actual damages, the court said. “Neither party disputes that RESPA requires plaintiffs to plead and prove actual damages from an alleged violation,” the court wrote. “Instead, they focus their arguments on the sufficiency of the alleged damages. [Defendant] alleges that [plaintiff] provides no evidence to demonstrate how he suffered damages from the fact that it provided only three of the fourteen requested monthly statements.” Plaintiff tried to argue he was owed monetary damages due to being deprived of the escrow surplus funds and by being unfairly assessed convenience fees when making payments through the defendant’s online portal. He further claimed he suffered medical and mental anguish. However, the court concluded that evidence presented by the defendant refuted these claims (the convenience fee claim, the court said, could not be connected to the RESPA claim) and said plaintiff also failed to support his claims of medical and mental anguish. Further, plaintiff failed to present evidence supporting his claim for statutory damages, the court said, finding no genuine dispute of material fact in the record.

    Courts Consumer Finance RESPA Mortgages QWR

  • Maryland says shared appreciation agreements are mortgage loans

    State Issues

    The Maryland governor recently signed HB 1150 (the “Act”), which subjects certain shared appreciation agreements (SAAs) to the Maryland Mortgage Lender Law. Under the Act, the term “loan” now “includes an advance made in accordance with the terms of a shared appreciation agreement.” An SAA is defined by the Act to mean “a writing evidencing a transaction or any option, future, or any other derivative between a person and a consumer where the consumer receives money or any other item of value in exchange for an interest or future interest in a dwelling or residential real estate, or a future obligation to repay a sum on the occurrence of [certain] events,” such as an ownership transfer, a repayment maturity date, a consumer’s death, or other events. The Act specifies that a loan is subject to the state’s mortgage lender law if the loan is an SAA and “allows a borrower to repay advances and have any repaid amounts subsequently readvanced to the borrower.”

    Interim guidance released by the Maryland Commissioner of Financial Regulation further clarifies that SAAs are mortgage loans, and that those who offer SAAs to consumers in the state are required to obtain a Maryland mortgage lender licensing unless exempt. Under the Act, the commissioner will issue regulations addressing enforcement and compliance, including SAA disclosure requirements. The Act takes effect July 1. However, for SAA applications taken on or after July 1 (and until regulations are promulgated and effective), the commissioner will not cite a licensee for disclosure requirement violations, provided the licensee makes a good faith effort to give the applicant specified information within ten days of receiving an application. Licensees will be required to provide the information again at least 72 hours before settlement if the actual terms of the SAA differ from those provided in the initial disclosure.

    State Issues Licensing State Legislation State Regulation Mortgages Maryland

  • Agencies propose ROV guidance

    Agency Rule-Making & Guidance

    On June 8, the CFPB joined the Federal Reserve Board, FDIC, NCUA, and the OCC to request comments on proposed interagency guidance relating to reconsiderations of value (ROV) for residential real estate valuations. The proposed guidance advises financial institutions on policies that would afford consumers an opportunity to introduce evidence that was not previously considered in the original appraisal. The proposal references the occurrence of “deficiencies” in real estate valuations, which can be due to errors or omissions, valuation methods, assumptions, or other factors. According to the proposed guidance, these kind of valuation deficiencies can “prevent individuals, families, and neighborhoods from building wealth through homeownership by potentially preventing homeowners from accessing accumulated equity, preventing prospective buyers from purchasing homes, making it harder for homeowners to sell or refinance their homes, and increasing the risk of default.” Also noted is the risk non-credible valuations pose to financial institutions, which may lead to loan losses, violations of law, fines, civil money penalties, damages, and civil litigation.

    The proposed guidance (i) provides direction on how ROVs overlap with appraisal independence requirements and compliance with relative laws and regulations; (ii) identifies how financial institutions can implement and improve existing ROV policies while remaining compliant with regulations, preserving appraiser independence, and being responsive to consumers; (iii) explains how deficiencies can pose risk to financial institutions and describes how ROV policies should be factored into risk management functions; and (iv) provides examples of ROV policies, procedures, control systems, and complaint processes to address deficient valuations.

    Comments on the proposed guidance are due within 60 days of publication in the Federal Register.

    Agency Rule-Making & Guidance Federal Issues Bank Regulatory CFPB FDIC Federal Reserve NCUA FHFA OCC Mortgages Consumer Finance

  • Agencies propose new standards for AVMs

    Agency Rule-Making & Guidance

    On June 1, the CFPB joined the Federal Reserve Board, OCC, FDIC, NCUA, and FHFA in issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to implement quality control standards mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act concerning automated valuation models (AVMs) used by mortgage originators and secondary market issuers. Specifically, institutions that engage in certain credit decisions or make securitization determinations would be required to adopt quality control standards to ensure a high level of confidence that estimates produced by an AVM are fair and nondiscriminatory. Other requirements would necessitate institutions to protect against data manipulation and avoid conflicts of interest. Institutions would also be required to conduct random sample testing and reviews and comply with applicable nondiscrimination laws. The agencies acknowledged that while advances in AVM technology and data availability may contribute to lower costs and reduce loan cycle times, institutions’ reliance on AMV technology must not be used as an excuse to evade the law.

    CFPB Director Rohit Chopra explained that, while AVMs rely on mathematical formulas and number crunching to produce estimates (and are often used to “check” human appraisers or used in place of an appraisal), they can still embed the human biases they are meant to correct. This is due in part to the data fed into the AVMs, the algorithms used within the machines, and biases and blind spots attributed to the individuals who develop the models, Chopra warned, commenting that AVMs can actually “make bias harder to eradicate in home valuations because the algorithms used cloak the biased inputs and design in a false mantle of objectivity.”

    Chopra went on to explain that inaccurate or biased algorithms can lead to serious harms to consumers, neighborhoods, and the housing market, and may also impact the tax base. A focus common to all the agencies, Chopra said, is ensuring that automated systems and artificial intelligence modeling technologies are developed and used in accordance with federal laws to avert discriminatory outcomes and prevent negative impacts on consumer financial stability.

    Comments on the NPRM are due within 60 days of publication in the Federal Register.

    Agency Rule-Making & Guidance Federal Issues CFPB FDIC Federal Reserve NCUA FHFA OCC AVMs Mortgages Consumer Finance

  • FHA reinstates HAMP loss mitigation for exempted transfers

    Agency Rule-Making & Guidance

    HUD recently released Mortgage Letter (ML) 2023-11 to update previously issued guidance on loss mitigation options for non-borrowers who acquire a title through an exempted transfer. The provisions apply to all FHA Title II Single Family forward mortgage programs and may be implemented immediately but no later than July 21. Previously, ML 2023-03 (which expanded Covid-19 recovery loss mitigation options) temporarily suspended the use of FHA Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) loss mitigation for all borrowers. As a result, mortgagees were no longer able to review non-borrowers who acquired a title through an exempted transfer for FHA-HAMP loss mitigation. With the issuance of ML 2023-11, FHA has reinstated FHA-HAMP loss mitigation to allow mortgagees to review non-borrowers who acquired a title through an exempted transfer and are in default or imminent default.

    Agency Rule-Making & Guidance Federal Issues HUD Mortgages Loss Mitigation Consumer Finance FHA Covid-19

  • CFPB looks at mortgage-pricing differences

    Federal Issues

    On May 24, the CFPB reported price dispersion trends in the mortgage industry, finding that borrowers could save at least $100 per month by choosing cheaper lenders. Price dispersion—the difference in interest rates charged by different lenders for the same loan product—is significant in the mortgage market, the Bureau said, following a review of 2021 HMDA data focusing on numbers for the 20 largest-volume lenders for each of the market segments. Examining price dispersion by loan type, including FHA and Department of Veterans Affairs loans, loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and jumbo loans, the Bureau considered several potential factors contributing to price dispersion such as lender differences, competition, and increased demand. Additionally, the Bureau found that various options provided by lenders may account for different costs and choices made by consumers who may not select the cheapest option due to other factors that outweigh price differences. Data also suggested that competition in the mortgage market does not always translate into lower prices, the Bureau reported, noting that a recent study administered by the Bureau and the FHFA revealed that “most borrowers who recently took out a mortgage responded that they believe they would pay the same price regardless of which lender they choose” and that few borrowers consider more than two options. The data also found that lenders who choose to take on riskier loans may compensate for the risk by charging higher prices.

    Federal Issues CFPB Consumer Finance HMDA FHA Mortgages Department of Veterans Affairs Fannie Mae Freddie Mac

  • Arizona amends licensing provisions

    On May 19, the Arizona governor signed HB 2010 to amend certain sections of the Arizona revised statutes relating to the Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions. Amendments make changes to several licensing provisions, including the length of time a license remains active and licensure renewal requirements. The Act provides that on or before June 30 of each year, a licensee may renew each license without investigation by paying prescribed fees. Other revisions amend accounting practices and record retention requirements for mortgage brokers, mortgage bankers, and commercial mortgage bankers, among others. HB 2010 is effective 90 days after enactment.

    Licensing State Issues State Legislation Arizona Mortgages

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