2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations › Title I - Title to Real Property › Chapter 183c - Predatory Home Loan Practices › Section 2 - Definitions

Section 2. As used in this chapter, the following words shall, unless the context requires otherwise, have the following meanings:—
''Annual percentage rate'', the annual percentage rate for a loan calculated according to the Federal Truth In Lending Act (15 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) and the regulations promulgated thereunder by the federal Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection or chapter 140D and the regulations promulgated thereunder by the commissioner of banks.
''Benchmark rate'', the interest rate which the borrower can reduce by paying bona fide discount points; this rate shall not exceed the weekly average yield of United States Treasury securities having a maturity of 5 years, on the fifteenth day of the month immediately preceding the month in which the loan is made, plus 4 percentage points.
''Bona fide loan discount points'', loan discount points which are: (1) knowingly paid by the borrower; (2) paid for the express purpose of lowering the benchmark rate; and (3) in fact reducing the interest rate or time-price differential applicable to the loan from an interest rate which does not exceed the benchmark rate.
''Broker'', any person who for compensation directly or indirectly solicits, processes, places or negotiates home mortgage loans for others or who closes home mortgage loans which may be in the person's own name with funds provided by others and which loans are thereafter assigned to the person providing the funding of the loans; provided, that broker shall not include a person who is an attorney providing legal services in association with the closing of a home mortgage loan who is not also funding the home loan and is not an affiliate of the lender.
''Commissioner'', the commissioner of banks.
''Conventional mortgage rate'', the most recently published annual yield on conventional mortgages published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, as published in statistical release H.15 or any publication that may supersede it, as of the applicable time set forth in 12 C.F.R. 1026.32(a)(1)(i).
''Conventional prepayment penalty'', any prepayment penalty or fee that may be collected or charged in a home loan, and that is authorized by law other than this chapter, provided the home loan (1) does not have an annual percentage rate that exceeds the conventional mortgage rate by more than 2 percentage points; and (2) does not permit any prepayment fees or penalties that exceed 2 per cent of the amount prepaid.
''High cost home mortgage loan'', a consumer credit transaction that is secured by the borrower's principal dwelling, other than a reverse mortgage transaction, a home mortgage loan that meets 1 of the following conditions:—
(i) the annual percentage rate at consummation will exceed by more than 8 percentage points for first-lien loans, or by more than 9 percentage points for subordinate-lien loans, the yield on United States Treasury securities having comparable periods of maturity to the loan maturity as of the fifteenth day of the month immediately preceding the month in which the application for the extension of credit is received by the lender; and when calculating the annual percentage rate for adjustable rate loans, the lender shall use the interest rate that would be effective once the introductory rate has expired.
(ii) Excluding either a conventional prepayment penalty or up to 2 bona fide discount points, the total points and fees exceed the greater of 5 per cent of the total loan amount or $400; the $400 figure shall be adjusted annually by the commissioner of banks on January 1 by the annual percentage change in the Consumer Price Index that was reported on the preceding June 1.
''Lender'', an entity that originated 5 or more home mortgage loans within the past 12 month period or acted as an intermediary between originators and borrowers on 5 or more home mortgage loans within the past 12 month period, provided that lender shall not include a person who is an attorney providing legal services in association with the closing of a home loan who is not also funding the home loan and is not an affiliate of the lender. For the purposes of this chapter, lender shall also mean a broker.
''Obligor'', a borrower, co-borrower, cosigner, or guarantor obligated to repay a home mortgage loan.
''Points and fees'', (i) items required to be disclosed pursuant to sections 1026.4(a) and 1026.4(b) of Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations or 209 CMR 32.04(1) and 209 CMR 32.04(2) of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations, as amended from time to time, except interest or the time-price differential; (ii) charges for items listed under sections 1026.4(c)(7) of Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations or 209 CMR 32.04(3)(g) of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations, as amended from time to time, but only if the lender receives direct or indirect compensation in connection with the charge, otherwise, the charges are not included within the meaning of the term ''points and fees''; (iii) the maximum prepayment fees and penalties that may be charged or collected under the terms of the loan documents; (iv) all prepayment fees of penalties that are incurred by the borrower if the loan refinances a previous loan made or currently held by the same lender; (v) all compensation paid directly or indirectly to a mortgage broker, including a broker that originates a home loan in its own name in a table-funded transaction, not otherwise included in clauses (i) or (ii); (vi) the cost of all premiums financed by the creditor, directly or indirectly for any credit life, credit disability, credit unemployment or credit property insurance, or any other life or health insurance, or any payments financed by the creditor directly or indirectly for any debt cancellation or suspension agreement or contract, except that insurance premiums or debt cancellation or suspension fees calculated and paid on a monthly basis shall not be considered financed by the creditor. Points and fees shall not include the following: (1) taxes, filing fees, recording and other charges and fees paid to or to be paid to a public official for determining the existence of or for perfecting, releasing or satisfying a security interest; and, (2) fees paid to a person other than a lender or to the mortgage broker for the following: fees for flood certification; fees for pest infestation; fees for flood determination; appraisal fees; fees for inspections performed before closing; credit reports; surveys; notary fees; escrow charges so long as not otherwise included under clause (i); title insurance premiums; and fire insurance and flood insurance premiums, if the conditions in sections 1026.4(d)(2) of Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations or 209 CMR 32.04(4)(b) of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations, as amended from time to time, are met. For open-end loans, the points and fees shall be calculated by adding the total points and fees known at or before closing, including the maximum prepayment penalties that may be charged or collected under the terms of the loan documents, plus the minimum additional fees the borrower would be required to pay to draw down an amount equal to the total credit line.
''Total loan amount'', the total amount the consumer will borrow, as reflected by the face amount of the note.