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Special Alert: Second Circuit Decision Threatens to Upset Secondary Credit Markets

National Bank Act Usury Second Circuit Madden

Courts

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals’ recent decision in Madden v. Midland Funding, LLC held that a nonbank entity taking assignment of debts originated by a national bank is not entitled to protection under the National Bank Act (“NBA”) from state-law usury claims.  In reaching this conclusion, the Court appears to have not considered the “Valid-When-Made Doctrine”—a longstanding principle of usury law that if a loan is not usurious when made, then it does not become usurious when assigned to another party.  If left undisturbed, the Court’s decision may well have broad and alarming ramifications.  The decision could significantly disrupt secondary markets for consumer and commercial credit, impacting a broad cross-section of financial services providers and other businesses that rely on the availability and post-sale validity of loans originated by national or state-chartered depository institutions.

 

Click here to view the full special alert.

 

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