Source: https://consumerfinancewatch.com/category/fair-lending/
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 21:08:54+00:00

Document:
In April Lindblom v. Santander Consumer USA Inc., No. 15-cv-0990 (E.D. Cal. January 22, 2018), the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California held that the plaintiffs’ voluntary payment of a transactional fee that was not expressly authorized in the contract between the parties or by California state law was concrete injury sufficient to confer Article III standing.
On January 21, 2016, The CFPB (the “Bureau”) issued Consent Order Y King S Corp., d/b/a Herbies Auto Sales, finding various violations of the Truth in Lending Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1601 et seq., and Regulation Z, 12 C.F.R. Part 1026; and the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 (CFPA), 12 U.S.C. §§ 5531, 5536. (2016-CFPB-0001 (Jan. 16, 2016).) Among other violations, the Bureau found that Herbies Auto Sales (“Herbies) failed to accurately disclose the finance charge and annual percentage rate for financing agreements, as well as certain costs and discounts that should have been construed as finance charges. Cash purchasers were notably exempt from many of these costs. The Bureau also found that Herbies took unreasonable advantage of consumers, who were unable to protect their interests in selecting and obtaining financing for used car purchases.
Herbies’ sales practices also drew condemnation by the Bureau, which found purchasers’ ability to meaningfully comparison shop frustrated by Herbies’ policy of not disclosing the sale price of a vehicle until after credit purchasers had agreed to buy the car chosen for them, based on Herbies’ calculation of the monthly payment each credit purchaser could bear.
While the majority of the remedial portion of the Consent Order appears narrowly applicable to Herbies—including the requirement that Herbies obtain a signed acknowledgment of receipt of specific disclosures relating to the sale price and finance terms of future sales— the Bureau’s most significant determination may be its decision to construe the gap in average purchase price between cash and credit purchasers as a hidden finance charge in the form of a discount offered to cash purchasers. This decision to hold Herbies responsible for the disparity in bargaining power between cash and credit buyers may prove more significant to other targets of the Bureau’s enforcement activity going forward. It remains to be seen whether the Bureau will extrapolate its findings to other contexts outside of used car sales, in which cash and credit are used for consumer purchases.
The Supreme Court of the United States recently held that a borrower can exercise its right to rescind a loan pursuant to the federal Truth in Lending Act (TILA) by providing written notice to the lender within three (3) years of the loan closing date. In doing so, the Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit’s affirmation of the District Court of Minnesota’s decision, which had held that a borrower must file a lawsuit within three (3) years of the consummation of the loan to exercise his/her rescission rights.
In Jesinoski v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., the United States Supreme Court considered “whether a borrower exercises this right by providing written notice to his lender, or whether he must also file a lawsuit before the 3-year period elapses.” Jesinoski v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., No. 13-684, 574 U.S. _____ (2015).
Under TILA, borrowers have the right to rescind certain consumer mortgage transactions up to three days after the loan closes. Specifically, TILA grants borrowers the right to rescind a loan transaction, “until midnight of the third business day following the consummation of the transaction or the delivery of the [disclosures required by the Act], whichever is later, by notifying the creditor, in accordance with regulations of the [Federal Reserve] Board, of his intention to do so.” 15 U.S.C. 1635(a). However, if the creditor fails to provide requisite TILA disclosures, a borrower may rescind the transaction up to three years from the date the loan closes. 15 U.S.C. 1635(f).
On February 23, 2007, Larry and Cheryle Jesinoski (“Petitioners” or “Jesinoskis”) refinanced their home loan and obtained a mortgage from Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. (“Respondent” or “Lender”) in the amount of $611,000. Exactly three years later, the Jesinoskis mailed a purported rescission notice to Lender. The Lender responded on March 12, 2010 and refused to acknowledge the validity of the rescission. On February 24, 2011 – one year after the Jesinoskis sent their notice of rescission, the Jesinoskis filed suit in the District Court of Minnesota, seeking rescission of the mortgage and damages.
The District Court agreed with the Lender and held that the Petitioners were barred from exercising rescission pursuant to TILA, as they had failed to file a lawsuit within three years of the consummation of the loan. Jesinoski v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., 2012 WL 1365751 (D. Minn. Apr. 19, 2012). The District Court found that the Petitioners’ written notice within three years was insufficient to exercise their rescission rights. The Eighth Circuit affirmed. Jesinoski v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., 729 F. 3d 1092 (8th Cir. 2013) (per curiam). The Eighth Circuit relied on its prior decision in Keiran v. Home Capital, Inc., 720 F. 3d 721 (8th Cir. 2013), which held that a borrower must file a lawsuit for rescission within three years of the loan’s consummation to exercise rescission rights under TILA.
In light of this decision, lenders should be aware that a written notice provided by the borrower, within three years of the loan consummation is sufficient to exercise his/her right to rescission under TILA. However, the Supreme Court provided no guidance on when a lawsuit must be commenced after written notice of rescission is sent.
On October 22, 2014 The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Treasury; Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA); and Department of Housing and Urban Development adopted rules to implement the credit risk retention requirements of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The Dodd-Frank Act, enacted in 2010, requires the implementation of stricter rules governing mortgage-backed securities. The adopted rules seek to balance the importance of the securities market in providing credit to homeowners with appropriate underwriting standards, in light of the 2008 financial crisis. (“During the financial crisis, securitization transactions displayed significant vulnerabilities arising from inadequate information and incentive misalignment among various parties involved in the process.”) See Joint Final Rule to implement the requirements of section 941 of the Dodd–Frank Act.
Under Dodd-Frank, firms which issue mortgage-backed securities must retain a portion of the risk or demonstrate that the mortgages are held by borrowers with an ability to repay the debt. These risk retention requirements are meant to ensure that lenders retain some “skin in the game.” The rules require that lenders retain 5% of the risk associated with mortgages packaged as securities or comply with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rules governing borrower debt-to-income ratios. The latter exception would require that lenders verify that a borrower can repay the debt and comply with other requirements, such as verification that the borrower’s debt payments do not exceed 43% of his or her income.
The new rules go into effect in the Fall of 2015 and will only impact the market for private securities. Securities sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are exempt from the new rules.
On April 30, 2014, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) issued three minor proposed changes to the mortgage rules, aimed at ensuring access to credit. One of these proposed changes allows mortgage lenders to refund excess points and fees to borrowers, so that mortgages may remain classified as Qualified Mortgages and allow the lender to retain the protections from liability associated with these mortgages. This proposed change affects what is commonly known as the “Ability-to-Repay” rule under TILA (Regulation Z), and offers certain protections to Qualified Mortgages.
However, because determining the fees and points is often a complex process and involves judgment calls, there can be inadvertent errors.
The creditor (or assignee) originated the loan with a good faith intention that the loan constitute a qualified mortgage and otherwise complied with other qualified mortgage pre-requisites, as defined under the regulation.
The creditor (or assignee) must maintain and follow enumerated policies and procedures within the proposed changes for post-consummation review of loans and for refunding to consumers amounts that exceed the limit.
In short, this appears to be a welcome attempt by the CFPB at a limited safe haven provision for lenders or servicers who inadvertently exceed the 3 percent threshold on up-front points and fees. The CFPB is currently seeking public comment on this proposal.

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