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Financial Services Law Insights and Observations

Georgia Amends Mortgage Loan Origination, Licensing Regulations

Mortgage Licensing Mortgage Origination

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Recently, Georgia amended certain regulations related to mortgage loan originations, originators, and brokers. Effective November 29, 2013, borrowers are required to pay to the Department of Banking a $10 per loan fee if a loan is secured by a deed to secure debt, security deed, mortgage, security instrument, deed of trust, modification of a security deed, or other form or modification of a security interest. Further, any person who acts as the collecting agent at a closing of a mortgage loan transaction is liable for payment of the $10 fee, and the remittance of any such fees after the date on which they are due will subject the person to a late payment fee of $100 for each due date missed. The filing of a fee statement after the date on which it is due, even if no $10 fees were collected by the collecting agent during the applicable reporting period, will subject the person to a late filing fee of $100 for each due date missed. If the Department finds that a person has not, through negligence or otherwise, submitted $10 fees within six months of the due date, it may impose an additional $100 fine for failure to remit fees. Repeated failures to submit $10 fees may be grounds for revocation of license. In addition, the regulation amends the definition of "branch manager” to require that an individual be a licensed mortgage loan originator to be approved as a branch manager, and requires an affidavit verifying the lawful presence of every natural person that submits an application for a license as a mortgage broker or mortgage lender or a registration on behalf of an individual or company. Among other things, the rules also require applicants, registrants, and licensed mortgage brokers and mortgage lenders to keep the information on the NMLSR current and to make amendments within 10 days of the events necessitating change and adds an administrative fine of $1,000 per occurrence for failing to timely update information on the NMLSR.