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  • NYDFS, New York Attorney General reach $9 million settlement with student loan servicer

    State Issues

    On January 4, NYDFS and the New York Attorney General announced a joint $9 million settlement with a national student loan servicer to resolve allegations that the servicer, among other things, deceived student loan borrowers about their repayment options and steered them into higher-cost repayment plans. According to a press release issued by the Attorney General’s office, the servicer “steered distressed borrowers away from available income-based repayment plans towards other, more expensive options, thus costing them money and increasing their risk of default.” Additionally, the consent order alleges that the servicer misinformed borrowers—including servicemembers—about their repayment options, such as telling borrowers they were not eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness plans when they may have qualified after consolidating their loans. Furthermore, the servicer allegedly (i) improperly processed applications for income-based repayment; (ii) allocated underpayment for certain borrowers to maximize late fees; (iii) improperly processed payments; (iv) failed to accurately report information to credit reporting agencies; (v) failed to “properly recalculate monthly payments for servicemembers when adjusting their interest rates under the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act”; (vi) charged improper late fees; and (vii) did not provide borrowers notification of their eligibility for a co-signer release.

    The servicer, while neither admitting nor denying the findings alleged by NYDFS and the Attorney General, has agreed to pay $8 million in restitution to New York borrowers and a $1 million fine. Moreover, the servicer has agreed to stop servicing private and federal loans—with the exception of Perkins Loans—over the next five years.

    State Issues NYDFS Student Lending Settlement Student Loan Servicer Servicemembers SCRA State Attorney General

  • House Democrats urge Kraninger to resume MLA examinations

    Lending

    On December 14, Maxine Waters (D-CA) and 22 other House Democrats issued a letter urging the new CFPB Director, Kathy Kraninger, to resume supervisory examinations of the Military Lending Act (MLA). As previously covered by InfoBytes, according to reports citing “internal agency documents,” the Bureau ceased supervisory examinations of the MLA, contending the law does not authorize the Bureau to examine financial institutions for compliance with the MLA. In response, a bipartisan coalition of 33 state Attorneys General sent a letter to then acting Director, Mick Mulvaney, expressing concern over the decision (covered by InfoBytes here).

    The letter from Waters, who is expected to be the next chair of the House Financial Services Committee, and the other 22 Democratic members of the Committee, argues that “there is no question the [CFPB] has the authority and the responsibility to supervise its regulated entities for compliance with the MLA.” As support, the letter cites to the Bureau’s authority to oversee a “wide range of regulated entities,” the establishment of the Bureau’s Office of Servicemember Affairs, and the 2013 amendments to the MLA, which gave the Bureau the authority to enforce the act. The letter also points to the Bureau’s work obtaining $130 million in relief for servicemembers, veterans, and their families through enforcement actions, as well as the 109 complaints the Bureau has received from military consumers since 2011.

    Lending Military Lending Supervision Military Lending Act Compliance U.S. House House Financial Services Committee CFPB State Attorney General Servicemembers

  • FTC and VA sign updated agreement to stop fraud targeted at military education benefits

    Federal Issues

    On December 14, the FTC announced an updated Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to continue efforts to stop fraudulent and deceptive practices which target servicemembers, veterans, and their dependents who use military education benefits. The agreement is required by 38 U.S.C. § 3696(c) and enables the FTC to utilize, at its discretion, the resources available to investigate deceptive or unfair advertising, sales, or enrollment practices in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act. The agreement outlines the process for the VA to refer matters to the FTC for investigation and notes that the content of the information in the referral shall remain confidential. Additionally, the agreement requires the FTC, upon request, to provide the VA with a summary of the preliminary findings at the conclusion of the investigation. The VA or the FTC may respond to the preliminary findings by taking appropriate actions, including announcing the findings publicly.

    Federal Issues Department of Veterans Affairs FTC Act Servicemembers

  • FTC proposes rule to implement free credit monitoring for servicemembers

    Federal Issues

    On November 1, the FTC announced a proposed rule, which would implement the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act requirement for nationwide consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) to provide free electronic credit monitoring services for active duty servicemembers. The proposal defines the term “electronic credit monitoring service” as a service through which the CRAs provide, at a minimum, electronic notification of material additions or modifications to a consumer’s file and requires CRAs to notify servicemembers within 24 hours of any material change. The proposal notes that CRAs may require that servicemembers provide contact information, proof of identity, and proof of active duty status in order to use the free service and outlines how a servicemember may prove active duty status, such as with a copy of active duty orders. Additionally, the proposal prohibits CRAs from requiring servicemembers to purchase a product in order to obtain the free service or requiring the servicemember to agree to terms and conditions. Comments will be due 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

    Federal Issues FTC EGRRCPA Credit Reporting Agency Credit Monitoring Federal Register Servicemembers

  • NY AG sues jeweler for practices targeting servicemembers

    State Issues

    On October 29, the New York Attorney General announced the filing of a complaint against a national jewelry store, headquartered in New York, for allegedly engaging in fraudulent and deceptive conduct, deceptive credit repair services, and illegal lending in the financing of jewelry sales to active duty servicemembers. Specifically, the complaint alleges the company targets active duty servicemembers through a purported charitable program in which military-themed teddy bears are sold with a promise of a charitable donation by the company. The company also sells patriotic and military-themed jewelry and offers financing through a program exclusively available to servicemembers. The financing program is marketed as a credit repair or credit-establishing opportunity through a different entity, but according to the complaint, the separate entity is merely an “alter-ego” of the jewelry company, a relationship which is not disclosed to servicemembers. The company markets the financing program to active duty servicemembers as a way to build credit scores to purchase other consumer goods, such as a motor vehicle; however, once a servicemember agrees to the program, the Attorney General alleges the company’s employees are instructed to “’sell’ enough product to maximize the amount of credit [the company] is willing to advance.” The amount of credit is allegedly based on the amount of time the servicemember has left in active service, not on traditional underwriting standards such as credit history. Additionally, the complaint alleges the company marks up poor-quality jewelry between 600 and 1,000 percent over the wholesale price and advertises a “per payday” price on the merchandise, which bears “little resemblance to the total amount paid by a consumer at the end of the financing contract.” Of special interest to all creditors doing business in New York, the complaint appears to include in its civil and criminal usury claims the concept that the effective interest rate was higher because the good being purchased had “inflated retail prices.” The complaint seeks civil money penalties, restitution, and injunctive relief.

    State Issues Military Lending Deceptive Unfair Advertisement Servicemembers State Attorney General

  • DOJ settles with Washington state foreclosure trustee for alleged SCRA violations

    Federal Issues

    On September 27, the DOJ announced a settlement with a Washington state foreclosure services company resolving allegations that the company violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by foreclosing on homes owned by servicemembers without first obtaining the required court orders. As previously covered by InfoBytes, in November 2017, the DOJ filed a complaint in the Western District of Washington alleging its investigation into the company’s practices uncovered at least 28 unlawful non-judicial foreclosures. The DOJ initiated the investigation following the same court’s dismissal of a private SCRA action brought by a veteran on the ground that it was time-barred.

    Under the settlement, each affected servicemember may receive up to $125,000, with a total payout by the company of up to $750,000. The DOJ notes that the company ceased operations in December 2017 and was placed into receivership in March.

    Federal Issues DOJ SCRA Servicemembers Foreclosure

  • California expands state servicemember civil relief protections

    State Issues

    On September 19, the California governor signed AB 3212 that provides several benefits and protections to servicemembers under the state’s Military and Veterans Code. The legislation’s protections apply to members of the National Guard, State Military Reserve, and the Naval Militia called to full-time active state service or full-time active federal service, as well as other individuals called to full-time active duty for a period in excess of seven days in any 14-day period. Highlights of the amendments include:

    • Extension of Interest Rate Protection. The legislation extends the prohibition on charging an interest rate in excess of six percent on any obligations bearing interest to 120 days after military service. The legislation also extends the six percent interest rate protection for student loans to one year after military service, which previously only applied to mortgage obligations.
    • Written response for Good Faith Requests for Relief. The legislation requires that any person who receives a good faith request from a servicemember for relief and believes the servicemember is not entitled to the relief to provide, within 30 days of the request, a written response acknowledging the request. The written response must include (i) the basis for asserting that the request was incomplete or that the servicemember is not entitled to the relief; (ii) information/materials that are missing, if the servicemember’s request was deemed incomplete; and (iii) contact information. If the written response is not provided, the person waives any objection to the request, and the servicemember shall be entitled to the relief requested.
    • Extension of the Default Judgment Protection. At any stage in any action or proceeding in which a servicemember is involved, the court may stay an action or proceeding during the period of military service or 120 days thereafter (previously 60 days).
    • Inclusion of Motor Vehicles in the Lease Termination Protection. Existing state law allows for the termination of leases of premises that are occupied for dwelling, professional, business, agricultural, or similar purposes by the servicemember, upon entry into military service. The legislation now mirrors the federal Servicemember Civil Relief Act protections for motor vehicle lease termination. Specifically, it provides that a servicemember may terminate a motor vehicle lease after the servicemember’s entry into military service for a period of not less than 180 days. Additionally, it provides for cancelation of leases executed while in a period of military service if the servicemember receives military orders for a change of permanent station from a location in the continental U.S. to a location outside the continental U.S., or from a location in a state outside the continental U.S. to any location outside that state, or to deploy for a period not less than 180 days.

    State Issues Military Lending SCRA Servicemembers Auto Finance Interest Rate Student Lending Mortgages

  • DOJ settles with apartment owner for alleged SCRA violations

    Consumer Finance

    On September 11, the Department of Justice announced a settlement with a Nebraska apartment complex owner resolving allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by unlawfully charging lease termination fees for 65 servicemembers. The complaint, which was filed on the same day as the settlement, alleges that between January 2012 and June 2017, the apartment complex owner imposed early lease termination fees, ranging from $78 to almost $1,500, on servicemembers who sought termination due to qualifying military orders under the SCRA. The settlement requires the apartment complex owner, among other things, to (i) pay more than $76,000 in damages to the 65 identified servicemembers; (ii) pay a $20,000 civil money penalty, and (iii) develop policies and procedures related to SCRA lease terminations.

    Consumer Finance DOJ SCRA Settlement Servicemembers

  • Washington state Attorney General sues towing company for alleged state SCRA violation

    State Issues

    On September 11, the Washington state Attorney General announced the filing of a lawsuit against a towing company for allegedly auctioning off a servicemember’s car while he was deployed, in violation of the Washington Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act (WSCRA). The complaint argues that the towing company impounded and unlawfully sold a deployed servicemember’s car without first determining the military status of the car’s owner and without obtaining a court order, as required by the WSCRA. The complaint rejects the towing company’s arguments that the responsibility fell on the servicemember’s creditor to redeem the vehicle as the legal owner because the law places the duty for determining military status on the party enforcing the lien. The complaint seeks restitution for the servicemember and a permanent injunction. Additionally, the complaint seeks civil penalties of up to $55,000 for a first offense and up to $110,000 for subsequent offenses, as allowed by the WSCRA.

    State Issues State Attorney General SCRA Consumer Finance Auto Finance Servicemembers

  • Washington expands the state’s Service Member’s Civil Relief Act

    State Issues

    On March 22, the Washington governor signed HB 1056, which amends the Washington Service Member’s Civil Relief Act (WSCRA) to update the definition of “service member” and allow for a service member to terminate or suspend certain private contracts without penalty. Specifically, HB 1056 defines “service member” as “an active member of the United States armed forces, a member of a military reserve component, or a member of the national guard who is either stationed in or a resident of Washington state.” The law allows for a service member, after receiving orders for a permanent change of station or deployment (for at least 30 days), to terminate or suspend certain contracts for the following: telecommunication services, internet services, health studio services, and subscription television services. After proper written notice is given to the service provider for termination, suspension or reinstatement, the service member may not be charged a “penalty, fee, loss of deposit, or any other additional cost” due to the notice. Additionally, HB 1056 allows the Washington Attorney General to recover costs and fees in an action brought to enforce the WSCRA. The law becomes effective on June 7.

    State Issues SCRA Servicemembers State Legislation State Attorney General

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