Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 183C, sec. 15 — MA Code / Part II / Title I / Chapter 183C / Section 15
Affirmative claims and defenses available; applicability
Status: in_force

Section 15. (a) Any person who purchases or is otherwise assigned a high-cost home mortgage loan shall be subject to all affirmative claims and any defenses with respect to the loan that the borrower could assert against the original lender or broker of the loan; provided that this subsection shall not apply if the purchaser or assignee demonstrates by a preponderance of the evidence that it: (1) has in place at the time of the purchase or assignment of the subject loans, policies that expressly prohibit its purchase or acceptance of assignment of any high-cost home mortgage loans; (2) requires by contract that a seller or assignor of home loans to the purchaser or assignee represents and warrants to the purchaser or assignee that either (i) the seller or assignor will not sell or assign any high-cost home mortgage loans to the purchaser or assignee or (ii) that the seller or assignor is a beneficiary of a representation and warranty from a previous seller or assignor to that effect; and (3) exercises reasonable due diligence at the time of purchase or assignment of home loans or within a reasonable period of time after the purchase or assignment of the home loans, intended by the purchaser or assignee to prevent the purchaser or assignee from purchasing or taking assignment of any high-cost home mortgage loans; provided, however, that reasonable due diligence shall provide for sampling and shall not require loan by loan review. (b) Limited to amounts required to reduce or extinguish the borrower's liability under the high-cost home mortgage loan plus amounts required to recover costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, a borrower acting only in an individual capacity may assert claims that the borrower could assert against a lender of the home loan against any subsequent holder or assignee of the home loan as follows: (1) A borrower may bring an original action for a violation of this chapter in connection with the loan within 5 years of the closing of a high-cost home mortgage loan; (2) A borrower may, at any time during the term of a high-cost home mortgage loan, employ any defense, claim, counterclaim, including a claim for a violation of this chapter, after an action to collect on the home loan or foreclose on the collateral securing the home loan has been initiated or the debt arising from the home loan has been accelerated or the home loan has become 60 days in default, or in any action to enjoin foreclosure or preserve or obtain possession of the home that secures the loan. (c) This section shall be effective notwithstanding any other provision of law; provided, that nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the substantive rights, remedies or procedural rights available to a borrower against any lender, assignee or holder under any other law. The rights conferred on borrowers by subsections (a) and (b) are independent of each other and do not limit each other.

Section 15. (a) Any person who purchases or is otherwise assigned a high-cost home mortgage loan shall be subject to all affirmative claims and any defenses with respect to the loan that the borrower could assert against the original lender or broker of the loan; provided that this subsection shall not apply if the purchaser or assignee demonstrates by a preponderance of the evidence that it:

(1) has in place at the time of the purchase or assignment of the subject loans, policies that expressly prohibit its purchase or acceptance of assignment of any high-cost home mortgage loans;

(2) requires by contract that a seller or assignor of home loans to the purchaser or assignee represents and warrants to the purchaser or assignee that either (i) the seller or assignor will not sell or assign any high-cost home mortgage loans to the purchaser or assignee or (ii) that the seller or assignor is a beneficiary of a representation and warranty from a previous seller or assignor to that effect; and

(3) exercises reasonable due diligence at the time of purchase or assignment of home loans or within a reasonable period of time after the purchase or assignment of the home loans, intended by the purchaser or assignee to prevent the purchaser or assignee from purchasing or taking assignment of any high-cost home mortgage loans; provided, however, that reasonable due diligence shall provide for sampling and shall not require loan by loan review.

(b) Limited to amounts required to reduce or extinguish the borrower's liability under the high-cost home mortgage loan plus amounts required to recover costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, a borrower acting only in an individual capacity may assert claims that the borrower could assert against a lender of the home loan against any subsequent holder or assignee of the home loan as follows:

(1) A borrower may bring an original action for a violation of this chapter in connection with the loan within 5 years of the closing of a high-cost home mortgage loan;

(2) A borrower may, at any time during the term of a high-cost home mortgage loan, employ any defense, claim, counterclaim, including a claim for a violation of this chapter, after an action to collect on the home loan or foreclose on the collateral securing the home loan has been initiated or the debt arising from the home loan has been accelerated or the home loan has become 60 days in default, or in any action to enjoin foreclosure or preserve or obtain possession of the home that secures the loan.

(c) This section shall be effective notwithstanding any other provision of law; provided, that nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the substantive rights, remedies or procedural rights available to a borrower against any lender, assignee or holder under any other law. The rights conferred on borrowers by subsections (a) and (b) are independent of each other and do not limit each other.