AN ACT PROHIBITING CERTAIN PRACTICES IN HOME MORTGAGE LENDING.
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. Chapter 183 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 28B the following section:-
Section 28C. (a) A lender shall not knowingly make a home loan if the home loan pays off all or part of an existing home loan that was consummated within the prior 60 months or other debt of the borrower, unless the refinancing is in the borrower's interest. The "borrower's interest" standard shall be narrowly construed, and the burden is upon the lender to determine and to demonstrate that the refinancing is in the borrower's interest.
Factors to be considered in determining if the refinancing is in the borrower's interest include but are not limited to:-
(1) the borrower's new monthly payment is lower than the total of all monthly obligations being financed, taking into account the costs and fees;
(2) there is a change in the amortization period of the new loan;
(3) the borrower receives cash in excess of the costs and fees of refinancing;
(4) the borrower's note rate of interest is reduced;
(5) there is a change from an adjustable to a fixed rate loan, taking into account costs and fees; or
(6) the refinancing is necessary to respond to a bona fide personal need or an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in this chapter regarding costs and attorneys' fees, in any action instituted by a borrower who alleges that the defendant violated subsection (a), the borrower shall not be entitled to costs and attorneys' fees if the presiding judge, in the judge's discretion, finds that, before the institution of the action by the borrower, the lender made a reasonable offer to cure and that offer was rejected by the borrower.
(c) The commissioner of banks may prescribe from time to time such rules and regulations as may be necessary or proper in carrying out this section. Such rules and regulations may contain such factors, classifications, differentiations or other provisions, and may provide for such adjustments and exceptions for any class of transactions as, in the judgment of the commissioner, are necessary or proper to carry out this section, to prevent circumvention or evasion thereof or to facilitate compliance therewith.
SECTION 2. Said chapter 183 is hereby further amended by striking out section 56, as appearing in the 2002 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
Section 56. Any mortgage note secured by a first lien or second or subsequent lien on a dwelling house of 4 or less separate households or on a residential condominium unit occupied or to be occupied in whole or in part by the mortgagor shall be subject to the condition that if said note is paid before the date fixed for payment, any additional amount required to be paid in that event shall be an amount which shall be the balance of the first year's interest or 3 months' interest whichever is less; except, that if anticipatory payment is made within 36 months from the date of the note for the purpose of refinancing such loan in another financial institution, an additional payment not in excess of 3 months' interest may be required; provided, however, that, with respect to the mortgage loan insured by the Federal Housing Commissioner, the mortgagor may be required to reimburse the mortgagee to the full amount of any charges, premiums, or fees required by any statute or by any regulation of the Federal Housing Administration to be paid by the mortgagee upon payment of the note before the date fixed for payment.
No prepayment fee or additional penalty shall be payable by a mortgagor if the mortgage note is paid in full after 36 months from the date of the note. A mortgagor shall not be required to pay a prepayment fee or penalty for making additional payments toward the principal balance for the term of the loan.
SECTION 3. Said chapter 183 is hereby further amended by striking out section 59, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
Section 59. A mortgagee, assignee or holder of a mortgage note secured by a first or subordinate lien on a dwelling house of 4 or less separate households or on a residential condominium unit occupied or to be occupied in whole or in part by the mortgagor shall not require the mortgagor to pay a late charge or late payment penalty unless the penalty is specifically authorized in the loan documents.
A mortgagee, assignee or holder of a mortgage note secured by a first or subordinate lien on a dwelling house of 4 or less separate households or on a residential condominium unit occupied or to be occupied in whole or in part by the mortgagor shall not require the mortgagor to pay a penalty or late charge for any payment paid within 15 days or in the case of a bi-weekly mortgage payment, paid within 10 days, from the date the payment is due.
In no event, in assessing a penalty because of the delinquency in making all or any part of a periodic payment under a mortgage note, shall the penalty or late charge exceed 3 per cent of the amount of principal and interest overdue, and in calculating the penalty or late charge, any amount of the periodic payment representing estimated tax payments required by the terms of the mortgage note or deed shall not be included.
A late payment penalty or late charge may not be charged more than once with respect to a single late payment. If a late payment fee is deducted from a payment made on the loan, and the deduction causes a subsequent default on a subsequent payment, no late payment fee may be imposed for the default. If a late payment fee has been once imposed with respect to a particular late payment, a fee shall not be imposed with respect to any future payment which would have been timely and sufficient, but for the previous default.
SECTION 4. Section 66 of said chapter 183, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-
A lender shall not finance, directly or indirectly, any credit life, credit disability, credit unemployment insurance, credit property insurance, including debt cancellation or suspension agreements, or any other life or health insurance premium through a home mortgage loan. Premiums on insurance calculated and payable on a monthly basis by the borrower shall not be considered financed by the lender.
NO SECTION 5.
SECTION 6. The General Laws are hereby amended by inserting after chapter 183B the following chapter:-
CHAPTER 183C. PREDATORY HOME LOAN PRACTICES.
Section 1. This chapter may be known and cited as the Predatory Home Loan Practices Act.
Section 2. As used in this chapter, the following words shall, unless the context requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-
"Annual percentage rate", the annual percentage rate for a loan calculated according to the Federal Truth In Lending Act (15 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) and the regulations promulgated thereunder by the Federal Reserve Board or chapter 140D and the regulations promulgated thereunder by the commissioner of banks.
"Benchmark rate", the interest rate which the borrower can reduce by paying bona fide discount points; this rate shall not exceed the weekly average yield of United States Treasury securities having a maturity of 5 years, on the fifteenth day of the month immediately preceding the month in which the loan is made, plus 4 percentage points.
"Bona fide loan discount points", loan discount points which are: (1) knowingly paid by the borrower; (2) paid for the express purpose of lowering the benchmark rate; and (3) in fact reducing the interest rate or time-price differential applicable to the loan from an interest rate which does not exceed the benchmark rate.
"Broker", any person who for compensation directly or indirectly solicits, processes, places or negotiates home mortgage loans for others or who closes home mortgage loans which may be in the person's own name with funds provided by others and which loans are thereafter assigned to the person providing the funding of the loans; provided, that broker shall not include a person who is an attorney providing legal services in association with the closing of a home mortgage loan who is not also funding the home loan and is not an affiliate of the lender.
"Commissioner", the commissioner of banks.
"Conventional mortgage rate", the most recently published annual yield on conventional mortgages published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, as published in statistical release H.15 or any publication that may supersede it, as of the applicable time set forth in 12 C.F.R. 226.32(a)(1)(i).
"Conventional prepayment penalty", any prepayment penalty or fee that may be collected or charged in a home loan, and that is authorized by law other than this chapter, provided the home loan (1) does not have an annual percentage rate that exceeds the conventional mortgage rate by more than 2 percentage points; and (2) does not permit any prepayment fees or penalties that exceed 2 per cent of the amount prepaid.
"High cost home mortgage loan", a consumer credit transaction that is secured by the borrower's principal dwelling, other than a reverse mortgage transaction, a home mortgage loan that meets 1 of the following conditions:-
(i) the annual percentage rate at consummation will exceed by more than 8 percentage points for first-lien loans, or by more than 9 percentage points for subordinate-lien loans, the yield on United States Treasury securities having comparable periods of maturity to the loan maturity as of the fifteenth day of the month immediately preceding the month in which the application for the extension of credit is received by the lender; and when calculating the annual percentage rate for adjustable rate loans, the lender shall use the interest rate that would be effective once the introductory rate has expired.
(ii) Excluding either a conventional prepayment penalty or up to 2 bona fide discount points, the total points and fees exceed the greater of 5 per cent of the total loan amount or $400; the $400 figure shall be adjusted annually by the commissioner of banks on January 1 by the annual percentage change in the Consumer Price Index that was reported on the preceding June 1.
"Lender", an entity that originated 5 or more home mortgage loans within the past 12 month period or acted as an intermediary between originators and borrowers on 5 or more home mortgage loans within the past 12 month period, provided that lender shall not include a person who is an attorney providing legal services in association with the closing of a home loan who is not also funding the home loan and is not an affiliate of the lender. For the purposes of this chapter, lender shall also mean a broker.
"Obligor", a borrower, co-borrower, cosigner, or guarantor obligated to repay a home mortgage loan.
"Points and fees", (i) items required to be disclosed pursuant to sections 226.4 (a) and 226.4 (b) of Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations or 209 CMR 32.04(1) and 209 CMR 32.04(2) of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations, as amended from time to time, except interest or the time-price differential; (ii) charges for items listed under sections 226.4 (c) (7) of Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations or 209 CMR 32.04(3)(g) of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations, as amended from time to time, but only if the lender receives direct or indirect compensation in connection with the charge, otherwise, the charges are not included within the meaning of the term "points and fees"; (iii) the maximum prepayment fees and penalties that may be charged or collected under the terms of the loan documents; (iv) all prepayment fees of penalties that are incurred by the borrower if the loan refinances a previous loan made or currently held by the same lender; (v) all compensation paid directly or indirectly to a mortgage broker, including a broker that originates a home loan in its own name in a table-funded transaction, not otherwise included in clauses (i) or (ii); (vi) the cost of all premiums financed by the creditor, directly or indirectly for any credit life, credit disability, credit unemployment or credit property insurance, or any other life or health insurance, or any payments financed by the creditor directly or indirectly for any debt cancellation or suspension agreement or contract, except that insurance premiums or debt cancellation or suspension fees calculated and paid on a monthly basis shall not be considered financed by the creditor. Points and fees shall not include the following: (1) taxes, filing fees, recording and other charges and fees paid to or to be paid to a public official for determining the existence of or for perfecting, releasing or satisfying a security interest; and, (2) fees paid to a person other than a lender or to the mortgage broker for the following: fees for flood certification; fees for pest infestation; fees for flood determination; appraisal fees; fees for inspections performed before closing; credit reports; surveys; notary fees; escrow charges so long as not otherwise included under clause (i); title insurance premiums; and fire insurance and flood insurance premiums, if the conditions in sections 226.4 (d) (2) of Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations or 209 CMR 32.04(4)(b) of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations, as amended from time to time, are met. For open-end loans, the points and fees shall be calculated by adding the total points and fees known at or before closing, including the maximum prepayment penalties that may be charged or collected under the terms of the loan documents, plus the minimum additional fees the borrower would be required to pay to draw down an amount equal to the total credit line.
"Total loan amount", the total amount the consumer will borrow, as reflected by the face amount of the note.
Section 3. A creditor may not make a high-cost home mortgage loan without first receiving certification from a counselor with a third-party nonprofit organization approved by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, a housing financing agency of this state, or the regulatory agency which has jurisdiction over the creditor, that the borrower has received counseling on the advisability of the loan transaction. Counseling shall be allowed in whole or in part by telephonic means. The commissioner shall maintain a list of approved counseling programs. A high cost home mortgage loan originated by a lender in violation of this section shall not be enforceable. At or before closing a high cost home mortgage loan, the lender shall obtain evidence that the borrower has completed an approved counseling program.
Section 4. A lender shall not make a high-cost home mortgage loan unless the lender reasonably believes at the time the loan is consummated that 1 or more of the obligors, will be able to make the scheduled payments to repay the home loan based upon a consideration of the obligor's current and expected income, current and expected obligations, employment status, and other financial resources other than the borrower's equity in the dwelling which secures repayment of the loan.
There shall be a presumption that the borrower is able to make the scheduled payments if, at the time the loan is made, and based on the monthly payments as calculated based on the index plus the margin at the time the loan is made, in the case of loans with lower introductory rates: (1) the borrower's scheduled monthly payments on the loan, including principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and assessments, combined with the scheduled payments for all other debt, do not exceed 50 per cent of the borrowers documented and verified monthly gross income, if the borrower has sufficient residual income as defined in the guidelines established in 38 CFR 36.4337(e) and VA form 26-6393 to pay essential monthly expenses after paying the scheduled monthly payments and any additional debt.
Section 5. A high-cost home mortgage loan shall not contain any provision for prepayment fees or penalties.
Section 6. A high-cost home mortgage loan shall not include the financing of points and fees greater than 5 per cent of the total loan amount or $800, whichever is greater.
Section 7. A high-cost home mortgage loan shall not contain a provision that increases the interest rate after default. This section shall not apply to interest rate changes in a variable rate loan otherwise consistent with the home loan documents provided that the change in the interest rate is not triggered by the event of default or the acceleration of indebtedness.
Section 8. A high-cost home mortgage loan shall not contain a scheduled payment that is more than twice as large as the average of earlier scheduled payments. This subsection shall not apply when the payment schedule is adjusted to the seasonal or irregular income of the borrower.
Section 9. A high-cost home mortgage loan shall not contain a demand feature that permits the lender to terminate the loan in advance of the original maturity date and to demand repayment of the entire outstanding balance, except in the following circumstances:
(1) there is fraud or material misrepresentation by the consumer in connection with the loan that is not induced by the lender, its employees, or agents;
(2) the consumer fails to meet the repayment terms of the agreement for any outstanding balance and after the consumer has been contacted in writing and afforded a reasonable opportunity to pay the outstanding balance as outlined within the repayment terms of the agreement; or
(3) there is any bona fide action or inaction by the consumer that adversely and materially affects the lender's security for the loan, or any right of the lender in such security as provided in the loan agreement.
Section 10. A high-cost home mortgage loan shall not contain a payment schedule with regular periodic payments such that the result is an increase in the principal amount.
Section 11. A lender shall not charge a borrower a fee or other charge to modify, renew, extend or amend a high-cost home mortgage loan or to defer a payment due under the terms of a high-cost home mortgage loan.
Section 12. A high-cost home mortgage loan shall not include terms pursuant to which more than 2 periodic payments required under the loan are consolidated and paid in advance from the loan proceeds provided to the borrower.
Section 13. Without regard to whether a borrower is acting individually or on behalf of others similarly situated, any provision of a high cost home mortgage loan that allows a party to require a borrower to assert any claim or defense in a forum that is less convenient, more costly, or more dilatory for the resolution of a dispute than a judicial forum established in the commonwealth where the borrower may otherwise properly bring a claim or defense or limits in any way any claim or defense the borrower may have is unconscionable and void.
Section 14. A lender shall not pay a contractor under a home improvement contract from the proceeds of a high cost home mortgage loan other than (i) by an instrument payable to the borrower or jointly to the borrower and contractor, or (ii) at the election of the borrower, through a third party escrow agent in accordance with terms established in a written agreement signed by the borrower, the lender and the contractor before the disbursement of funds.
Section 15. (a) Any person who purchases or is otherwise assigned a high-cost home mortgage loan shall be subject to all affirmative claims and any defenses with respect to the loan that the borrower could assert against the original lender or broker of the loan; provided that this subsection shall not apply if the purchaser or assignee demonstrates by a preponderance of the evidence that it:
(1) has in place at the time of the purchase or assignment of the subject loans, policies that expressly prohibit its purchase or acceptance of assignment of any high-cost home mortgage loans;
(2) requires by contract that a seller or assignor of home loans to the purchaser or assignee represents and warrants to the purchaser or assignee that either (i) the seller or assignor will not sell or assign any high-cost home mortgage loans to the purchaser or assignee or (ii) that the seller or assignor is a beneficiary of a representation and warranty from a previous seller or assignor to that effect; and
(3) exercises reasonable due diligence at the time of purchase or assignment of home loans or within a reasonable period of time after the purchase or assignment of the home loans, intended by the purchaser or assignee to prevent the purchaser or assignee from purchasing or taking assignment of any high-cost home mortgage loans; provided, however, that reasonable due diligence shall provide for sampling and shall not require loan by loan review.
(b) Limited to amounts required to reduce or extinguish the borrower's liability under the high-cost home mortgage loan plus amounts required to recover costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, a borrower acting only in an individual capacity may assert claims that the borrower could assert against a lender of the home loan against any subsequent holder or assignee of the home loan as follows:
(1) A borrower may bring an original action for a violation of this chapter in connection with the loan within 5 years of the closing of a high-cost home mortgage loan;
(2) A borrower may, at any time during the term of a high-cost home mortgage loan, employ any defense, claim, counterclaim, including a claim for a violation of this chapter, after an action to collect on the home loan or foreclose on the collateral securing the home loan has been initiated or the debt arising from the home loan has been accelerated or the home loan has become 60 days in default, or in any action to enjoin foreclosure or preserve or obtain possession of the home that secures the loan.
(c) This section shall be effective notwithstanding any other provision of law; provided, that nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the substantive rights, remedies or procedural rights available to a borrower against any lender, assignee or holder under any other law. The rights conferred on borrowers by subsections (a) and (b) are independent of each other and do not limit each other.
Section 16. A lender shall not recommend or encourage default on an existing loan or other debt prior to and in connection with the closing or planned closing of a high-cost home mortgage loan that refinances all or any portion of the existing loan or debt.
Section 17. (a) This chapter shall apply to any lender who attempts to avoid its application by dividing any loan transaction into separate parts for the purpose of evading this chapter.
(b) A lender making a high-cost home mortgage loan who, when acting in good faith, fails to comply with this chapter, shall not be considered to have violated this chapter if the lender establishes that either: (1) Within 30 days of the loan closing and prior to the institution of any action under this chapter, the lender notifies the borrower of the compliance failure and makes appropriate restitution and whatever adjustments are necessary are made to the loan, at the choice of the borrower, to either: (i) make the high-cost home mortgage loan satisfy the requirements of this chapter or (ii) change the terms of the loan in a manner beneficial to the borrower so that the loan will no longer be considered a high-cost home mortgage loan; or, (2) the compliance failure was not intentional and resulted from a bona fide error notwithstanding the maintenance procedures reasonably adapted to avoid the errors, and within 60 days after the discovery of the compliance failure and before the institution of any action under this chapter or the receipt of written notice of the compliance failure, the borrower is notified of the compliance failure, appropriate restitution is made and whatever adjustments are necessary are made to the loan, at the choice of the borrower, to either (i) make the high-cost home mortgage loan satisfy the requirements of this chapter or (ii) change the terms of the loan in a manner beneficial to the borrower so that the loan will no longer be considered a high-cost home mortgage loan. Examples of a bona fide error may include clerical errors, errors in calculation, computer malfunction and programming, and printing errors. An error in legal judgment with respect to a person's obligation under this chapter shall not be considered a bona fide error.
Section 18. (a) A violation of this chapter shall constitute a violation of chapter 93A.
(b) An aggrieved borrower or borrowers may bring a civil action for injunctive relief or damages in a court of competent jurisdiction for any violation of this chapter.
(c) In addition the court shall, as the court may consider appropriate: (1) issue an order or injunction rescinding a home mortgage loan contract which violates this chapter, or barring the lender from collecting under any home mortgage loan which violates this chapter; (2) issue an order or injunction barring any judicial or non judicial foreclosure or other lender action under the mortgage or deed of trust securing any home mortgage loan which violates this chapter; (3) issue an order or injunction reforming the terms of the home mortgage loan to conform to this chapter; (4) issue an order or injunction enjoining a lender from engaging in any prohibited conduct; or (5) impose such other relief, including injunctive relief, as the court may consider just and equitable.
(d) In addition, any lender found to be in violation of this chapter shall be subject to sections 2A and 2D of chapter 167.
(e) Originating or brokering a home loan that violates a provision of this section shall constitute a violation of this chapter.
Section 19. The commissioner shall promulgate regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
SECTION 7. Section 2 of chapter 255D of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-
Any person who sells or agrees to sell goods or services or both or merchandise certificates where the sale is secured by a mortgage on real property located in the commonwealth having thereon a dwelling house with accommodations for 4 or less separate households and occupied or to be occupied, in whole or in part, by the obligor on the mortgage debt shall first obtain from the commissioner a license under chapter 255E.
SECTION 8. The third paragraph of section 8 of chapter 255E of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the first sentence the following sentence:- During the course of such inspection a mortgage lender that has made 50 or more home mortgage loans in the last calendar year shall be examined for its compliance with fair lending laws including but not limited to the requirements of the federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, and the Predatory Home Loan Practices Act.
SECTION 9. Section 10 of said chapter 255E, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 3, the words "five hundred dollars" and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $1,000,- and by adding the following sentence:- The penalty provision of this section shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other law applicable to a licensee or other person for violating section 2 or any rule or regulation made thereunder.
SECTION 10. Said chapter 255E is hereby further amended by adding the following 2 sections:-
Section 11. (a) Whenever the commissioner finds that any licensee or exempt person under section 2 has violated this chapter or any rule or regulation adopted thereunder, or any other law of the commonwealth applicable to the conduct of the business of making or brokering mortgage loans on residential property in the commonwealth, the commissioner may, by order, in addition to any other action authorized under this chapter or any rule or regulation made thereunder, impose a penalty upon the person which shall not exceed $5,000 for each violation, up to a maximum of $100,000 for such violation plus the costs of investigation. The commissioner may impose a penalty which shall not exceed $5,000 for each violation of this chapter, or any rule or regulation adopted thereunder, by a person other than a licensee or exempt person under section 2, plus the costs of investigation.
(b) Nothing in this section shall limit the right of any individual or entity who has been injured as a result of any violation of this chapter by a licensee, or any person other than a licensee or exempt person under section 2, to bring an action to recover damages or restitution in a court of competent jurisdiction.
(c) Any findings or order issued by the commissioner pursuant to this section shall be subject to review as provided in chapter 30A.
Section 12. (a) Whenever the commissioner determines that any person has, directly or indirectly, violated any section of this chapter or any rule or regulation adopted thereunder, applicable to the conduct of the business of making or brokering mortgage loans on residential property in the commonwealth, or any order issued by the commissioner under this chapter or any written agreement entered between the licensee and the commissioner, the commissioner may serve upon that person a written notice of intention:
(1) to prohibit the person from performing in the capacity of a principal employee on behalf of any licensee for a period of time that the commissioner considers necessary;
(2) to prohibit the person from applying for or obtaining a license from the commissioner for a period up to 36 months following the effective date of an order issued under subsection (b) or (c); or
(3) to prohibit the person from any further participation, in any manner, in the conduct of the affairs of a mortgage lender or mortgage broker in Massachusetts or to prohibit the person from being employed by, an agent of, or operating on behalf of a licensee under this chapter or any other business which requires a license from the commissioner.
(b) A written notice issued under subsection (a) shall contain a written statement of the facts that support the prohibition and shall give notice of an opportunity for a hearing to be held thereon. The hearing shall be fixed for a date not more than 30 days after the date of service upon the commissioner of the request for a hearing. If the person fails to submit a request for a hearing within 20 days of service of notice under subsection (a), or otherwise fails to appear in person or by a duly authorized representative, the party shall be considered to have consented to the issuance of an order of prohibition in accordance with the notice.
(c) In the event of the consent under subsection (b), or if after a hearing the commissioner finds that any of the grounds specified in the notice have been established, the commissioner may issue an order of prohibition in accordance with subsection (a) as the commissioner finds appropriate.
(d) An order issued under subsection (b) or (c) shall be effective upon service upon the person. The commissioner shall also serve a copy of the order upon the licensee of which the person is an employee or on whose behalf the person is performing. The order shall remain in effect and enforceable until it is modified, terminated, suspended, or set aside by the commissioner or a court of competent jurisdiction.
(e) Except as consented to in writing by the commissioner, any person who, pursuant to an order issued under subsection (b) or (c), has been prohibited from participating in whole or in part in the conduct of the affairs of a mortgage lender or mortgage broker in Massachusetts may not, while the order is in effect, continue or commence to perform in the capacity of a principal employee, or otherwise participate in any manner, if so prohibited by order of the commissioner, in the conduct of the affairs of:-
(1) any licensee under this chapter;
(2) any other business which requires a license from the commissioner; or
(3) any bank, as defined under section 1 of chapter 167 or any subsidiary thereof.