CFPB Proposes to Expand Foreclosure Protections

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed on Thursday an additional set of measures designed to expand foreclosure protections for mortgage borrowers.

In an announcement Thursday afternoon, CFPB detailed the latest additions to its mortgage servicing rules, which first went into effect earlier this year. Since that time, the bureau says it has continued to engage in outreach with consumer advocacy groups, industry representatives, and other stakeholders to develop additional provisions to protect consumers and make it easier for companies to comply with the rules.

“The Consumer Bureau is committed to ensuring that homeowners and struggling borrowers are treated fairly by mortgage servicers and that no one is wrongly foreclosed upon,” CFPB Director Richard Cordray said in a statement. “Today’s proposal would give greater protections to mortgage borrowers.”

Chief among the proposed rules would be a requirement that servicers must provide additional foreclosure protections to borrowers who have already worked through the loss mitigation process previously and recovered.

Under the current rules, servicers are already required to provide certain protections, including the right to be evaluated under CFPB requirements for foreclosure avoidance options, once during the life of the mortgage.

The proposed rule would require servicers to offer those same protections again for borrowers who have brought their loans current at any time since the last loss mitigation application. The bureau says the rule is largely designed to protect those who obtain a permanent loan modification and then later suffer an unrelated hardship that could create additional struggles, such as a job loss or the death of a family member.

This is a developing story. Check back later for more details.

http://dsnews.com/news/11-20-2014/cfpb-proposes-expand-foreclosure-protections

No Foreclosure During Short Sale

In a recent California case, the judge ruled in favor of homeowners saying it is illegal to foreclose while a short sale is being negotiated. The Court opined: Most dual tracking claims involve a borrower’s application for a loan modification and CC 2923.6.

Dual tracking is also prohibited, however, if a borrower and servicer agree to a non-modification foreclosure alternative, like a short sale.

If a short sale agreement is in writing, and if the borrower submits proof of financing to the servicer, a servicer may not move forward with the foreclosure process. CC § 2924.11(a)-(b). Here, servicer was still reviewing borrower’s short sale application, but had already received proof of financing when it foreclosed.

Even without evidence of a final, approved, short sale agreement, the court found borrowers to have stated a viable dual tracking claim under CC 2924.11 and overruled servicer’s demurrer.

Foreclosure litigation attorney help