A Vigilant Compliance Alert for Mortgage Servicers: The CARES Act, Regulation X, and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
The letter focuses on servicemember and veteran homeowner protections. Although the servicemembers and veterans are entitled to additional protection under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, all consumers are entitled to protection under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and Regulation X.
The CARES Act
If a loan was delinquent when entering forbearance but was brought current during forbearance, it must also be reported to the credit reporting agencies as current. The government-sponsored enterprises (GSE) have directed that if a borrower in a federally-backed loan indicates that they cannot afford to repay their forbearance amount in a lump sum, they cannot be required to do so when exiting forbearance.
Regulation X
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
If it appears that the defendant is (or recently was) on active duty, the court must appoint an attorney to represent the servicemember. The court must also stay the foreclosure action for at least 90 days if the appointed attorney has been unable to contact the servicemember or if there may be a defense to the action that requires that the defendant be present.
Weltman’s standard operating procedure is to check the person’s military status with the Department of Defense, not only prior to filing a motion for default but at multiple other milestones during the case, including before a judicial sale of the property.
Vigilant Compliance is the Watchword
The CFPB’s notification letter does not impose any new requirements. It serves as a pointed reminder regarding the existing requirements. The fact that the CFPB has sent the letter should be taken as a warning that it will likely apply strict scrutiny to the mortgage servicer’s overall policies and its compliance for each loan, and that the CFPB intends to prosecute violations zealously.
Weltman’s Real Estate Default Group constantly monitors these updates. If you have questions, connect with shareholder Larry Rothenberg at any time. You can find a copy of the CFPB’s notification letter here.
For more comprehensive information and insights, watch our Foreclosures and Loss Mitigation webinar.
This blog is not a solicitation for business and it is not intended to constitute legal advice on specific matters, create an attorney-client relationship or be legally binding in any way.
