In mid May 2020, we highlighted that the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (GSEs) COVID-19 payment deferral programs put mortgage servicers at risk of violating some of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Mortgage Servicing Rules in Regulation X. When originally introduced, the GSEs’ COVID-19 payment deferral programs seemed to require servicers to offer a
CFPB Issues Interim Final Rule to Enable COVID-19 Payment Deferral Options
On May 14, 2020, shortly after the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac COVID-19 payment deferral options were announced, we warned mortgage servicers about the legal risks associated with offering payment deferral programs to borrowers impacted by COVID-19. A little over a month later, on June 23, 2020, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released an
CFPB Issues No-Action Letter Template for an Online Loss Mitigation Platform
On May 22, 2020, the CFPB issued a No-Action Letter (NAL) Template to a software company utilizing an internet-based platform for submission and processing of loss mitigation applications. Mortgage servicers may use the NAL Template to apply for NALs if they wish to implement the web-based loss mitigation platform. The CFPB also issued a statement
Can Mortgage Servicers Legally Offer the GSEs’ COVID-19 Payment Deferral Options?
On Wednesday, May 13, 2020, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac unveiled new retention workout options that were jointly developed and “specifically designed to help borrowers impacted by a hardship related to COVID-19 return their mortgage to a current status.” The government-sponsored enterprises’ (GSEs) highly anticipated new COVID-19 payment deferral will allow servicers to defer up
Ginnie Mae Announces PTAP Assistance for Issuers
In an All Participants Memo dated April 10, 2020 (APM 20-03), Ginnie Mae announced that it revised and expanded its issuer assistance programs in Chapter 34 of the Mortgage Backed Securities Guide (MBS Guide) to include a Pass-Through Assistance Program (PTAP) in response to the COVID-19 national emergency declaration. The program announced in APM 20-03
Federal Financial Agencies Announce Flexibility in Enforcing Certain Mortgage Servicing Rules in Response to COVID-19
On Friday, April 3, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the State Banking Regulators released a joint statement announcing increased flexibility in the agencies’ regulation
Mortgage Servicers: Keep an Eye on the CFPB’s Advice to Borrowers Impacted by COVID-19
On March 31, 2020, the CFPB posted a “Guide to coronavirus mortgage relief options,” which provides instruction to mortgage loan borrowers who may be impacted by COVID-19 on when and how to go about obtaining assistance. While we have previously discussed compliance challenges that are likely to arise related to verbal loss mitigation
HUD Proposes Amendments to the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards
On January 30, 2020, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson announced the release of a proposed rule to amend the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards. Secretary Carson made the announcement while touring the Clayton Homes Manufacturing Plant in Russellville, Alabama. The proposed rule covers numerous changes to the
New Law Expands Protections for Manufactured Homeowners and Tenants in New York
Effective July 14, 2019, the State of New York greatly expanded tenant protections with a large package of bills covering topics ranging from rent control to eviction restrictions to rent-to-own contracts for manufactured homes (MH). A majority of the law is aimed at protections for apartment renters in New York City and throughout the state.
Georgia Exempts Manufactured Home Retailers/Brokers from Mortgage Broker Licensing
Effective July 1, 2019, Georgia House Bill 212 will affirmatively exempt retailers or retail brokers of manufactured or mobile homes from the state’s “mortgage broker” definition under Ga. Code Ann. § 7-1-1000. The bill specifically exempts manufactured housing retailers from mortgage broker licensing requirements, and the oversight that comes with licensure, provided the retailer or