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INTRODUCTION
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which President Obama signed into law on July 21, 2010, will bring about many regulatory changes - some of which are set forth in the Act itself and others that are to be promulgated by federal regulators within the next 30 months. Of particular import, Title XIV of the Act, The Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act, imposes new obligations, standards, and regulations on mortgage originators.
What Title XIV of The Dodd-Frank Act Provides
Title XIV of the Act was drafted for the purpose of assuring "that consumers are offered and receive residential mortgage loans on terms that reasonably reflect their ability to repay the loans and that are understandable and not unfair, deceptive or abusive." Some of the most noteworthy changes for mortgage originators are set forth below.New Minimum Standards for Ensuring
Borrowers' Ability to Pay
The Act imposes a "good faith" duty on lenders - requiring that they make a "reasonable and good faith determination based on verified and documented information that, at the time the loan is consummated, the consumer has a reasonable ability to repay the loan, according to its terms, and all applicable taxes, insurance...and assessments." This "good faith determination" requires mortgage originators to consider a variety of documents that evidence a loan applicant's ability to repay, including "credit history, current income, expected income the consumer is reasonably assured of receiving, current obligations, debt-to-income ratio or the residential income the consumer will have after paying non-mortgage debt and mortgage-related obligations, employment status, and other financial resources other than the consumer's equity in the dwelling or real property that secures repayment of the loan."
Title XIV also imposes on lenders a duty to verify amounts of income or assets that the lender relies upon to determine the consumer's ability to repay the loan. In order to "safeguard against fraudulent reporting," lenders are now required to use Internal Revenue transcripts of tax returns or another method that "quickly and effectively verifies income" by a third party who is also subject to the rules promulgated as a result of this legislation.
Integral to the above analysis is the concept of a "qualified mortgage." Aspects of this concept are as follows:
The Act provides a safe harbor provision for those mortgages that meet the definition of "qualified mortgage" - establishing a presumption in favor of the mortgage originator that the mortgagor is able to pay the loan.
New Loan Origination Standards
Title XIV of the Act requires that mortgage originators "establish and maintain procedures reasonably designed to assure and monitor the compliance" of institutions subject to the Act. Specifically, this provision requires that lenders be qualified and registered as mortgage originators under the applicable federal and state laws. The significance of this registration procedure is that all loan documents will require the inclusion of the mortgage originator's unique identifier, which is to be provided by the National Mortgage Licensing System and Registry.
Prohibits "Steering Incentives"
The Dodd-Frank Act calls for the promulgation of regulations that will prohibit lenders from "steering" borrowers into more costly loans. More specifically, such regulations will prohibit mortgage originators from (a) steering consumers to residential mortgage loans that consumers lack a reasonable ability to pay or that have "predatory characteristics or effects"; (b) steering the consumer away from a "qualified mortgage" toward a non-qualified mortgage when the consumer qualifies for a "qualified mortgage"; or (c) employing abusive and unfair lending practices that promote disparities among consumers of equal creditworthiness but of different race, ethnicity, gender, or age.
Additionally, the Act specifically prohibits mortgage originators from mischaracterizing the credit history of a consumer or the residential loans available to the consumer for purposes of making the loan. Mortgage originators are also prohibited from discouraging consumers from seeking a residential mortgage loan from another lender when the former is unable to suggest, offer, or recommend a loan that is not more expensive.
Prohibits Loans With "Predatory Characteristics"
Mortgage originators are prohibited from steering consumers to residential mortgage loans that have "predatory characteristics or effects." Although the Act does not define the term "predatory characteristics," it gives examples, which include equity stripping, excessive fees, or abusive terms. The Act calls for the establishment of additional regulations prohibiting acts or practices that are abusive, unfair, deceptive, or predatory.
The Dodd-Frank Act also imposes new compensation limitations by prohibiting yield-spread premium bonuses, a practice that increases the total cost of the loan to the borrower. The Act calls for additional new regulations that will prohibit "permitting any yield spread premium or other similar compensation that would, for any residential mortgage loan, permit the total amount of direct and indirect compensation from all sources permitted to a mortgage originator to vary based on the terms of the loan (other than the amount of the principal)."
Additional Liability for Mortgage Originators
The Act imposes liability on mortgage originators who fail to comply with these new minimum standards. It also provides a remedy to consumers for "the greater of actual damages or 3 times the total amount of direct or indirect compensation or gain accruing to the mortgage originator in connection with the residential loan involved in the violation," plus the costs of suit and reasonable attorneys' fees.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO MORTGAGE ORIGINATORS
Title XIV changes the regulatory landscape for mortgage originators, setting tougher new standards and creating new redress for consumers. The full effect of this new legislation has yet to be determined and will become clearer when federal regulatory agencies create the regulations that will implement much of this new legislation. However, it is evident that one of the aims of the Act is to prevent borrowers from being placed in residential mortgage loans that they are unable to repay. Mortgage originators must be prepared to comply with the Act's new minimum standards or face exposure to liability created by enhanced consumer recourse.
The attorneys in the Consumer Finance Group at Day Pitney are readily available to provide guidance to lenders to ensure compliance with the Dodd-Frank Act. Should you have any questions or concerns about how the Dodd-Frank Act affects you, or to request assistance with respect to compliance with the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, please contact Joy Harmon Sperling, Esq., jsperling@daypitney.com or (973) 966-8217.
Day Pitney Partner Joy Harmon Sperling will present on a panel entitled "How to Navigate Debt Collection Restrictions, Manage Liquidity Challenges, and Reconcile Opposing Demands from Consumers and Investors as a Servicer," at the 27th American Conference Institute National Forum on Residential Mortgage Regulatory Enforcement and Litigation.
Mark Romance authored an article, "Five Tips for Representing a Non-Party Served with a Document Subpoena: Welcome to the Party?," published by the American Bar Association Section of Litigation.
On October 30, Christina Livorsi will be speaking on a panel, "Emerging Federal Statute Developments and Strategies for Defending Against Innovative Borrower Claims," at the 26th National Forum on Residential Mortgage Regulatory Enforcement & Litigation, presented by the American Conference Institute (ACI).
Day Pitney Florida Litigation Partner Mark Romance was featured on the American Bar Association's Legal Talk Network's Litigation Radio Podcast titled, "How to Handle the Unexpected in Court."
New Jersey Partner Christina Livorsi was featured in an in-depth New Jersey Law Journal Q&A titled, "Meet Day Pitney's Livorsi, the Woman Whose Big Courtroom Victory Continues to Reverberate Across 2 Sectors."
Kevin Duffy and Naju Lathia were honored at the New Jersey Legal Awards Ceremony on September 23, at the Brooklake Country Club in Florham Park, NJ.
Day Pitney Litigation partner Mark Romance appointment to the ABA's Commercial and Business Litigation Committee as co-chair was featured in Intellectual Property Magazine.
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This website may use cookies, pixel tags and other passive tracking technologies, including Google Analytics, to improve functionality and performance. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. By using our website, you are consenting to our use of these tracking technologies. You can alter the configuration of your browser to refuse to accept cookies, but if you do so, it is possible that some areas of web sites that use cookies will not function properly when you view them. To learn more about how to delete and manage cookies, refer to the support instructions for each browser (e.g., see AllAboutCookies.org). You may locate Google Analytics' currently available opt-outs for the web here.