On May 2, 2022, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed SB 470, which amends provisions of Georgia’s banking laws relating to the denial or revocation of a mortgage license or registration due to certain felony convictions. SB 470 will reduce the impact on mortgage companies as a result of Georgia’s existing prohibition on the employment of
West Virginia recently became the second state to enact financial regulations designed to ward off efforts to deny fossil fuel companies access to banking services – but it looks like it may not be the last. On March 30, 2022, West Virginia Senate Bill 62 became law, requiring that all branches of state government cease
Beginning next year, New Mexico will join a handful of other states (including, among others, California, Illinois, and Colorado) setting stringent interest rate caps on consumer loans. House Bill 132, which Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed on March 1, 2022, will slash the annual percentage rate (APR) applicable to loans made under New Mexico’s
On October 8, the governor of New York signed Bill No. AO-2260A to assist borrowers who need accommodation for visual impairments. Bill No. AO-2260A is “an act to amend the general business law, in relation to requiring debt collectors to inform debtors that written communications are available in large print format” (or other different formats).
On September 21, 2021, New York’s Department of Financial Services (DFS) announced proposed regulations that clarify the small business Truth in Lending disclosure requirements that go into effect on January 1, 2022. The proposed regulations come just in time as non-banks and fintechs are attempting to prepare to comply with the commercial financing law with
In a ruling that will provide guidance on when lenders must raise a foreclosure counterclaim in a borrower lawsuit, the South Carolina Court of Appeals in Deutsche Bank National Trust Company v. Estate of Patricia Ann Owens Houck has held that foreclosure was not a compulsory counterclaim in a borrower’s suit alleging errors in origination.
Technology is booming and financial technology (“fintech”) is advancing society in new and innovative ways. In 2021 alone, North Carolina has been the target for some very high-profile technology announcements, including Google’s plans to open a cloud engineering hub in Durham and Apple’s new campus in Research Triangle Park. Given the upward trajectory of this
The Mississippi Supreme Court recently rejected federal preemption arguments relating to federally owned student loans. This follows other preemption rulings, as we’ve discussed here and here.
Mississippi’s attorney general filed the action on behalf of the state against Navient Corporation, bringing claims under the Mississippi Consumer Protections Act and for unjust enrichment for Navient’s
A bankruptcy judge in the Middle District of Florida recently sustained a Chapter 7 trustee’s objection to a non-Florida resident debtor’s attempted claim of the Florida homestead exemption. Although the debtor had lived in her Florida home for more than 20 years, she was not a United States citizen or a permanent resident with a
In a development that provides some measure of relief to businesses operating in West Virginia, particularly within the financial services industry, Gov. Jim Justice signed into law on March 29, 2021, amendments to the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act (WVCCPA). These amendments appear to provide clarity on certain attorneys’ fees provisions in the