HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5005        FILED ON: 4/1/2020

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4883

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf and Michael O. Moore

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act establishing a COVID-19 homeowner protection act.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

4/1/2020

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

4/1/2020

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

4/2/2020

Tram T. Nguyen

18th Essex

4/2/2020

Maria Duaime Robinson

6th Middlesex

4/2/2020

Jack Patrick Lewis

7th Middlesex

4/2/2020

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

4/2/2020

Jay D. Livingstone

8th Suffolk

4/2/2020

Christina A. Minicucci

14th Essex

4/2/2020

Natalie M. Higgins

4th Worcester

4/2/2020

RoseLee Vincent

16th Suffolk

4/2/2020

Paul W. Mark

2nd Berkshire

4/2/2020

Nika C. Elugardo

15th Suffolk

4/2/2020

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

4/3/2020

Natalie M. Blais

1st Franklin

4/3/2020

Brian W. Murray

10th Worcester

4/3/2020

Adrian C. Madaro

1st Suffolk

4/3/2020

Michelle L. Ciccolo

15th Middlesex

4/3/2020

José F. Tosado

9th Hampden

4/3/2020

Peter Capano

11th Essex

4/3/2020

Mike Connolly

26th Middlesex

4/6/2020

Tommy Vitolo

15th Norfolk

4/6/2020

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

4/7/2020

Kathleen R. LaNatra

12th Plymouth

4/7/2020

Jon Santiago

9th Suffolk

4/8/2020

Kevin G. Honan

17th Suffolk

4/8/2020

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

4/8/2020

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

4/8/2020

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

4/8/2020

Christine P. Barber

34th Middlesex

4/8/2020


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5005        FILED ON: 4/1/2020

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4883

By Representative LeBoeuf of Worcester and Senator Moore, a joint petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf, Michael O. Moore and others for legislation to establish homeowner protections due to COVID-19.  Financial Services.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act establishing a COVID-19 homeowner protection act.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 35A of chapter 244, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following 4 subsections:-

(g) to mitigate the adverse financial impacts resulting from the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, or the effects of the Governor’s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency, any mortgagor of residential real property located in the commonwealth with a demonstrated financial hardship affecting their ability to make timely payments shall have a 180-day right to forbear required payments as provided in such residential mortgage or note secured by such residential real property, with the payments added to the end of the term of the loan.

(h) The mortgagee shall not report such forbearance as late payments to credit rating agencies or assess fees and/or penalties of any mortgagor or deny loan modifications, a new residential or commercial loan/financing, loan refinancing and credit card services based on the inclusion in this forbearance protection.

(i) Within 90 days of the termination of the forbearance, mortgagors shall work with the mortgagees to maintain pre-forbearance monthly payments or enact loan modifications reducing such monthly payments.

(j) A mortgagee shall not initiate foreclosure proceedings against the mortgagor from the date of the emergency declaration issued by the Governor, dated March 10, 2020 and designated as executive order number 591, until 90 days after the emergency declaration is rescinded by the Governor.

SECTION 2. Section 1 shall expire 180 days after termination of the Governor’s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency.