**U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development**

Washington, D.C. 20410-8000

August 31, 1998

OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY

FOR HOUSING-FEDERAL HOUSING COMMISSIONER

> TI-468

TO: ALL TITLE I LENDING INSTITUTIONS

SUBJECT: Consolidation of Title I Activities in the Financial Operations
Center

As part of HUD\'s 2020 Management Reform Plan, the Department is
consolidating many of its Title I activities in its Financial Operations
Center located in Albany, New York. Effective September 1, 1998, the
Financial Operations Center will provide \"one stop shopping\" for those
Title I activities that are the responsibility of the FHA Comptroller.
Title I activities of the Office of Single Family Housing, including
originating, servicing and lender approval, will continue to be
performed in HUD Headquarters.

Title I activities of the Financial Operations Center include new loan
manifest and loan transfer processing, billing and collecting insurance
premiums, examination and payment of Title I Claims for Loss, and
nationwide asset recovery of Title I debts. The Department\'s Seattle
and Chicago Offices will no longer collect Title I debts.

[Calling the Financial Operations Center]{.underline}

The Financial Operations Center has established a single toll free
number for all its activities. That phone number is 1-800-669-5152. The
Center also may be reached at 518-464-4200; this is not a toll free
number.

To assist lenders, the Center has created two distinct \'help lines\'.

l\. For premium matters, including questions about monthly billing
statements, the status of insurance reserves and reserve transfers, and
Automated Clearing House, lenders should contact the \"Title I Lenders\'
Premiums Help Line\" at extension 4232.

2\. For claims examination matters, including status of insurance
claims, lenders should contact the \"Title I Lenders\' Claims Help
Line\" at extension 4236. Lenders are asked not to call requesting the
status of pending claims until at least 30 days after they are filed
with HUD. Calling earlier will cause delays in claims processing.

2

So that these \'help lines\' remain exclusive for lenders\' needs,
lenders should not share these extensions with Title I debtors. Lenders
should guide Title I debtors to the toll free number, 1-800-669-5152,
without any extension. The Center\'s automated attendant will lead
debtors to the Debt Servicing Representative assigned to their
individual account.

[Faxing to the Financial Operations Center]{.underline}

Lenders should send to 518-464-4300 facsimile documents concerning
insurance premium processing and claim examination. Title I debtors and
their representatives should use 518-464-4299 to send collection related
facsimile documents to the Financial Operations Center.

[Delivery to the Financial Operations Center]{.underline}

To simplify the delivery of documents to the Financial Operations
Center, all mail and deliveries should be sent to the following
address-.

U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development

Albany Financial Operations Center

52 Corporate Circle

Albany, New York 12203

To assist with mail handling, lenders should use an attention line on
their mailings. An attachment provides more guidance about mail routing
and attention lines.

[Title I functions not handled by the Financial Operations
Center]{.underline}

Assistance to lenders with regard to Title I loan origination and
servicing is provided by the Home Improvement Branch in Headquarters;
the telephone number is 202-708-6396; FAX is 202-401-8951 and mailing
address is FHA Home Improvement Branch, 451 7th Street, SW, Room 9272,
Washington, DC 20410.

Assistance to lenders with regard to their approval as a FHA Title I
lender is provided by the Lender Approval and Recertification Division
in Headquarters-, the telephone number is 202-708-3976; FAX is
202-755-0303; and mailing address is FHA Lender Approval and
Recertification Division, 451 7th Street, SW B-133/P3214, Washington, DC
20410.

3

Borrower and dealer noncompliance reports should be submitted to the
Quality Assurance Division at Headquarters using the instructions
contained in TI-447.

Title I Handbooks, Letters and Forms: Paper copies can be ordered for no
charge from HUD\'s Customer Service Center at 1-800-767-7468. Electronic
copies are available through HUD\'s Web site at:
www.hud.gov/handbook.html.

If you have any questions about his letter, please write to Lester J.
West, Director, Financial Operations Center, 52 Corporate Circle,
Albany, N.Y. 12203 or contact the Center at 1-800-669-5152.

Sincerely,

Ira Peppercorn

General Deputy Assistant Secretary

for Housing

Attachment

[Delivery Identification: Financial Operations Center]{.underline}

All U.S. Postal Service mail, express mail, courier deliveries,
overnight deliveries, etc. should be delivered to the Financial
Operations Center at the 52 Corporate Circle, Albany, N.Y. address. To
speed mail distribution in the Center, any delivery should be addressed
with an attention line that clearly identifies the contents of the
delivery. The following samples of attention lines, while not all
inclusive, will assist you in addressing your deliveries.

[Samples of attention lines for insurance premium related
deliveries:]{.underline}

New loan manifests

Transfer of note reports

[Samples of attention lines for claims examination related
deliveries:]{.underline}

Initial claim submissions

Resubmittals

Request for supplementary claim payment

Appeal of claim denial

Waiver request

Debtor correspondence - claims not paid

[Samples of attention lines for asset recovery related
deliveries]{.underline}.

Debtor correspondence - paid claims

Recorded assignments of liens

[Example:]{.underline}

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Albany Financial Operations Center

Attention: Debtor correspondence - paid claims

52 Corporate Circle

Albany, New York 12203

If the package contains multiple type items, lenders should segregate
and clearly identify each type into its own envelope within the larger
package.