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Kansas issues executive order temporarily prohibiting certain foreclosures and evictions
On August 17, the Kansas governor issued Executive Order No. 20-61, which imposes restrictions on foreclosures and evictions. Banks and lending entities are prohibited from foreclosing on residential properties in Kansas where all defaults or violations of the mortgage are substantially caused by a financial hardship resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, subject to certain exemptions. Landlords are similarly prohibited from evicting a residential tenant when all defaults or violations of the rental agreement are substantially caused by a financial hardship resulting from the pandemic. Banks, financial lending entities, or landlords initiating judicial foreclosure or eviction proceedings after August 17, 2020, bear the burden of pleading and proving that the foreclosure or eviction is not solely based on defaults or violations resulting from financial hardships resulting from the pandemic. The order does not apply to foreclosures initiated by the U.S. government.
Foreclosure relief operation ordered to pay $40,000 penalty in CFPB action
On July 23, the CFPB announced that the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered a stipulated final judgment and order against a foreclosure relief services company, along with the company’s president/CEO (defendants), resolving CFPB allegations that the defendants engaged in deceptive and abusive acts and practices in connection with the marketing and sale of purported financial-advisory and mortgage-assistance-relief services to consumers. As previously covered by InfoBytes, in September 2019, the CFPB filed a complaint alleging that since 2014, the defendants violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) and Regulation O by, among other things, making deceptive and unsubstantiated representations about the efficacy and material aspects of its mortgage assistance relief services, as well as making misleading or false claims about the experience and qualifications of its employees. The Bureau also alleged the defendants’ misrepresentations constituted abusive acts and practices because consumers “generally did not understand and were not in a position to evaluate the accuracy of [the defendants’] marketing representations or the quality of the mortgage-assistance-relief services that [the defendants] sold.” Moreover, the Bureau claimed the defendants further violated Regulation O by charging consumers advance fees before rendering services.
The stipulated final judgment suspends $3 million in consumer redress based upon the defendants’ sworn financial statements and disclosures of material assets that detailed their inability to pay, but orders the defendants to pay $40,000 in civil money penalties. Additionally, the judgment permanently restrains the defendants from offering mortgage relief and financial advisory services and subjects the defendants to certain reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Massachusetts governor extends pause on evictions and foreclosures
On July 21, the Massachusetts governor extended a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures for an additional 60 days, until October 17, 2020. The moratorium was established through legislation enacted in April and previously covered here. The moratorium applies to most residential and small business commercial evictions, as well as residential foreclosures. The statement announcing the extension also notes the recent launch of a $20 million, statewide fund to assist low-income households and support landlords. An additional $18 million is available through the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition homeless prevention program for rent or mortgage payments.
Texas Office of the Consumer Credit Commissioner extends regulated lender advisory
On July 17, the Texas Office of the Consumer Credit Commissioner updated its Regulated Lender Advisory Bulletin on coronavirus emergency measures, previously covered here. The guidance: (1) encourages lenders to work with consumers, including by working out modifications to assist with payments, waiving fees and charges, suspending charged-off accounts, and suspending repossessions of collateral or foreclosures of real property, among other things; (2) reminds lenders of legal requirements for using electronic signatures; and (3) continues to permit lenders to conduct regulated lending activity from unlicensed locations, subject to certain conditions. The guidance is in effect through August 31, 2020, unless withdrawn or revised.
Minnesota issues executive order modifying suspensions of evictions and writs of recovery and requesting foreclosure moratorium
On July 14, the Minnesota governor issued Executive Order 20-79, which modifies the previous suspension of evictions and writs of recovery during the Covid-19 emergency. Among other things, the order limits the ability of property owners, mortgage holders, and others to file an eviction action, including for failure to pay rent or material violation of the lease, subject to certain exceptions. Further, the executive order limits residential landlords’ ability to terminate residential leases during the Covid-19 emergency. Officers must also cease executing writs of recovery of premises, subject to certain exceptions. Financial institutions holding home mortgages are requested to implement an immediate moratorium on all pending and future foreclosures arising from a substantial decrease in income or substantial out of pocket medical expenses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, or any local, state, or federal governmental response to Covid-19. Financial institutions are also strongly urged not to impose late fees or other penalties for late mortgage payments related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The provisions of the executive order take effect on August 4, 2020, when Executive Order 20-73 (previously covered here) and Executive Order 20-14 (previously covered here) are rescinded.
Pennsylvania governor issues order staying certain foreclosure and eviction actions
On July 9, the Pennsylvania governor issued an order staying requirements for certain actions related to the dispossession of property. The order stays notice requirements under Act 6 and Act 91 for the initiation of foreclosure actions between July 10 and August 31. The order also stays notice requirements under the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 and the Manufactured Home Community Rights Act for the same period. These suspensions only apply to matters involving nonpayment and proceedings related to the removal of tenants who have held over or exceeded the term of the lease, and do not apply to requirements relating to evictions for other breaches. Further, the order does not apply in certain instances set forth therein, including for federally-backed loans for which the moratorium on foreclosures and evictions has been extended until August 31, 2020, by the VA, USDA, FHA, and FHFA.
9th Circuit: Judicial foreclosure not debt collection under FDCPA
On June 30, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of an FDCPA action, concluding that the FDCPA does not apply when a creditor is enforcing a security interest through a foreclosure, but is not seeking a deficiency judgment. According to the opinion, the plaintiff filed an action against Fannie Mae, Fannie Mae’s loan servicer, the law firm that represented Fannie Mae in the foreclosure proceeding, and the firm’s attorneys (collectively, “defendants”) for, among other things, violating the FDCPA when seeking to foreclose on his residential property. The district court dismissed the action, concluding that the FDCPA did not apply because the defendants had not engaged in any debt collection behavior by initiating the judicial foreclosure. In 2018, the 9th Circuit affirmed the dismissal, but subsequently ordered a supplemental briefing based on the U.S. Supreme Court’s intervening decision in Obduskey v. McCarthy & Holthus LLP (which held that law firms performing nonjudicial foreclosures are not “debt collectors” under the FDCPA, covered by InfoBytes here).
After the supplemental briefing, the appellate court affirmed the district court’s dismissal of the action. The appellate court rejected the plaintiff’s argument that the letter sent by the defendants when initiating the judicial foreclosure, which included monetary amounts owed, amounted to debt collection activity under the FDCPA. The appellate court noted that the defendants were merely fulfilling a procedural requirement (that has since been amended) of Oregon foreclosure law, and “in no event would a money award have been enforceable against [the plaintiff],” because of Oregon’s anti-deficiency judgment law. Thus, the appellate court concluded that a judicial foreclosure is not considered a debt collection activity when it does not “include a request for a deficiency judgment or some other effort to recover the remaining debt,” and therefore, the district court properly dismissed the action.
Delaware announces joint effort on foreclosure and eviction prevention
On July 1, Delaware Governor Carney, Attorney General Jennings, the Delaware State Housing Authority, and the chief magistrate of the justice of the peace court announced a joint effort on foreclosure and eviction prevention to support homeowners and renters financially impacted by the Covid-19 shutdown. The foreclosure prevention effort will focus on: (i) educating Delaware homeowners at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure as a result of Covid-19, (ii) increasing the capacity of Delaware’s HUD-approved housing counseling nonprofit agencies, and (iii) providing timely financial assistance tools for homeowners at risk of foreclosure due to Covid-19. The eviction prevention effort will focus on: (i) educating Delaware renters at risk of eviction due to Covid-19, (ii) funding the state’s legal aid organizations that offer legal services for unrepresented tenants facing eviction, (iii) facilitating an alternative dispute resolution program to encourage solutions to avoid eviction, and (iv) reopening applications for the Delaware Housing Assistance Program. The statement follows a recent order issued by the governor, previously covered here, that modifies previous relief relating to evictions, foreclosures, and insurance.
Oregon enacts bill providing payment deferrals and foreclosure relief
On June 30, the Oregon governor signed HB 4204, which requires mortgage payment deferrals and limits foreclosures during the Covid-19 emergency period, which runs from March 8 until September 30. Among other things, during that period, a lender may not treat as a default a borrower’s failure to make a periodic installment payment or to pay any other amount that is due to the lender if, at any time during the emergency period, the borrower notifies the lender of his or her inability to make the periodic installment payment. Unless the lender and borrower do not otherwise agree to otherwise modify, defer, or mitigate a loan, the lender must refrain from collecting during the emergency period and must permit the borrower to pay the amounts deferred at the end of the mortgage term. The bill also imposes certain restrictions on a lender’s ability to assess late fees and to pursue a foreclosure. The bill became effective on June 30.
Delaware governor issues order modifying relief relating to evictions, foreclosures, and insurance
On June 30, the Delaware governor issued an order that modifies previous relief relating to evictions, foreclosures, and insurance. Specifically, the declaration lifts the stay on residential mortgage foreclosure actions commenced prior to the state of emergency. However, subject to certain exceptions, individuals may not be removed from the residential properties as a result of a mortgage foreclosure process while the order is in effect. Further, actions for summary possession may be filed for residential units in Delaware, but must be stayed pending a determination of whether the parties would benefit from participating in court supervised mediation or alternative dispute resolution. During the eviction process, subject to certain exceptions, individuals may not be removed from the residential properties. Finally, beginning July 1, 2020, every insurer is required to provide a 90-day payment plan for certain individual policyholders and business policyholders impacted by the Covid-19 state of emergency.