Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 81 - BANKS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (§§ 81-1-1 — 81-29-3) › Chapter 18 - MISSISSIPPI S.A.F.E. MORTGAGE ACT (§§ 81-18-1 — 81-18-63) › IN GENERAL (§§ 81-18-1 — 81-18-55) › Section 81-18-55 - Activities prohibited in the course of residential mortgage loan transactions; compliance with borrower's request for information; compliance with certain requirements whether residential mortgage loan is in default or borrower is in bankruptcy

(1)
In addition to the activities prohibited under other provisions of this chapter, it shall be unlawful in the course of any residential mortgage loan transaction:
(a)
For any person to fail to comply with the mortgage loan servicing transfer, escrow account administration, or borrower inquiry response requirements imposed by Sections 6 and 10 of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) and regulations adopted thereunder;
(b)
For a mortgage lender to fail to provide written notice to a borrower upon taking action to place hazard, homeowners, or flood insurance on the mortgaged property or to place such insurance when the mortgage lender knows or has reason to know that the insurance is in effect;
(c)
For a mortgage lender to place hazard, homeowners or flood insurance on a mortgaged property for an amount that exceeds either the value of the insurable improvements or the last-known coverage amount of insurance;
(d)
For a mortgage lender to fail to provide to the borrower a refund or earned premiums paid by a borrower or charged to the borrower for hazard, homeowners, or flood insurance placed by a mortgage lender if the borrower provides reasonable proof that the borrower has obtained coverage such that the forced placement is no longer necessary and the property is insured. If the borrower provides reasonable proof within twelve (12) months of the placement that no lapse in coverage occurred such that the forced placement was not necessary, the mortgage lender shall refund the entire premium;
(e)
For a mortgage lender to refuse to reinstate a delinquent loan upon a tender of payment made timely under the contract which is sufficient in amount, based upon the last written statement received by the borrower, to pay all past-due amounts, outstanding or overdue charges, and restore the loan to a nondelinquent status, but his reinstatement shall be available to a borrower no more than twice in any twenty-four-month period;
(f)
For a mortgage lender to fail to mail, at least forty-five (45) days before the power-of-sale foreclosure auction is conducted, a notice addressed to the borrower at the borrower's last-known address with the following information:
(i)
An itemization of all past-due amounts causing the loan to be in default;
(ii)
An itemization of any other charges that must be paid in order to bring the loan current;
(iii)
A statement that the borrower may have options available other than foreclosure and that the borrower may discuss the options with the mortgage lender, or a counselor approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD);
(iv)
The address, telephone number, and other contact information for the mortgage lender or the agent for the mortgage lender who is authorized to attempt to work with the borrower to avoid foreclosure;
(v)
The name, address, telephone number, and other contact information for one or more HUD-approved counseling agencies operating to assist borrowers in Mississippi to avoid foreclosure; and
(vi)
The address, telephone number, and other contact information for the consumer complaint section of the Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance;
(g)
For a mortgage lender to fail to make all payments from any escrow account held for the borrower for insurance, taxes and other charges with respect to the property in a timely manner so as to ensure that no late penalties are assessed or other negative consequences result regardless of whether the loan is delinquent, unless there are not sufficient funds in the account to cover the payments and the mortgage lender has a reasonable basis to believe that recovery of the funds will not be possible.
(2)
The mortgage lender shall make reasonable attempts to comply with a borrower's request for information about the home loan account and to respond to any dispute initiated by the borrower about the loan account, as provided in this section. The mortgage lender shall maintain, until the home loan is paid in full, otherwise satisfied, or sold, written or electronic records of each written request for information regarding a dispute or error involving the borrower's account. Specifically, the mortgage lender is required to do all of the following:
(a)
Provide a written statement to the borrower within ten (10) business days of receipt of a written request from the borrower that includes or otherwise enables the mortgage lender to identify the name and account of the borrower and includes a statement that the account is or may be in error or otherwise provides sufficient detail to the mortgage lender regarding information sought by the borrower. The borrower is entitled to one such statement in any six-month period free of charge, and additional statements shall be provided if the borrower pays the mortgage lender a reasonable charge for preparing and furnishing the statement not to exceed Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00). The statement shall include the following information if requested:
(i)
Whether the account is current or, if the account is not current, an explanation of the default and the date the account went into default;
(ii)
The current balance due on the loan, including the principal due, the amount of funds (if any) held in a suspense account, the amount of the escrow balance (if any) known to the mortgage lender, and whether there are any escrow deficiencies or shortages known to the mortgage lender;
(iii)
The identity, address and other relevant information about the current holder, owner or assignee of the loan; and
(iv)
The telephone number and mailing address of a mortgage lender representative with the information and authority to answer questions and resolve disputes;
(b)
Provide the following information and/or documents within twenty-five (25) business days of receipt of a written request from the borrower that includes or otherwise enables the mortgage lender to identify the name and account of the borrower and includes a statement that the account is or may be in error or otherwise provides sufficient detail to the mortgage lender regarding information sought by the borrower:
(i)
A copy of the original note, or if unavailable, an affidavit of the lost note;
(ii)
A statement that identifies and itemizes all fees and charges assessed under the loan transaction and provides a full payment history identifying in a clear and conspicuous manner all of the debits, credits, application of and disbursement of all payments received from or for the benefit of the borrower, and other activity on the home loan including escrow account activity and suspense account activity, if any. The period of the account history shall cover at a minimum the two-year period prior to the date of the receipt of the request for information. If the mortgage lender has not serviced the home loan for the entire two-year time period the mortgage lender shall provide the information going back to the date on which the mortgage lender began servicing the home loan. For purposes of this subsection, the date of the request for the information shall be presumed to be no later than thirty (30) days from the date of the receipt of the request. If the mortgage lender claims that any delinquent or outstanding sums are owed on the home loan prior to the two-year period or the period during which the mortgage lender has serviced the loan, the mortgage lender shall provide an account history beginning with the month that the mortgage lender claims any outstanding sums are owed on the loan up to the date of the request for the information. The borrower is entitled to one (1) such statement in any six-month period free of charge. Additional statements shall be provided if the borrower pays the mortgage lender a reasonable charge for preparing and furnishing the statement not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00); and
(c)
Promptly correct errors relating to the allocation of payments, the statement of account, or the payoff balance identified in any notice from the borrower provided in accordance with paragraph (b) of this subsection, or discovered through the due diligence of the mortgage lender or other means.
(3)
A mortgage lender must comply as to every residential mortgage loan, regardless of whether the loan is considered in default or the borrower is in bankruptcy or the borrower has been in bankruptcy, with the following requirements:
(a)
Any fee that is incurred by a mortgage lender shall be both:
(i)
Assessed within forty-five (45) days of the date on which the fee was incurred. Provided, however, that attorney or trustee fees and costs incurred as a result of a foreclosure action shall be assessed within forty-five (45) days of the date they are charged by either the attorney or trustee to the mortgage lender; and
(ii)
Explained clearly and conspicuously in a statement mailed to the borrower at the borrower's last-known address within thirty (30) days after assessing the fee, provided the mortgage lender shall not be required to take any action in violation of the provisions of the federal bankruptcy code. The mortgage lender shall not be required to send such a statement for a fee that: results from a service that is affirmatively requested by the borrower, is paid for by the borrower at the time the service is provided, and is not charged to the borrower's loan account.
(b)
All amounts received by a mortgage lender on a home loan at the address where the borrower has been instructed to make payments shall be accepted and credited, or treated as credited, within one (1) business day of the date received, provided that the borrower has made the full contractual payment and has provided sufficient information to credit the account. If a mortgage lender uses the scheduled method of accounting, any regularly scheduled payment made prior to the scheduled due date shall be credited no later than the due date. Provided, however, that if any payment is received and not credited, or treated as credited, the borrower shall be notified within ten (10) business days by mail at the borrower's last-known address of the disposition of the payment, the reason the payment was not credited, or treated as credited to the account, and any actions necessary by the borrower to make the loan current.
(c)
The notification required by paragraph (b) of this subsection is not necessary if the mortgage lender complies with the terms of any agreement or plan made with the borrower and has applied and credited payments received in the manner required, and the mortgage lender is applying and crediting payments to the borrower's account in compliance with all applicable state and federal laws, including bankruptcy laws, and if at least one (1) of the following occurs:
(i)
The borrower has entered into written loss mitigation, loan modification, or forebearance agreement with the mortgage lender that itemizes all amounts due and specifies how payments will be applied and credited;
(ii)
The borrower has elected to participate in an alternative payment plan, such as a biweekly payment plan, that specifies as part of a written agreement how payments will be applied and credited; or
(iii)
The borrower is making payments pursuant to a bankruptcy plan.
(d)
Failure to charge the fee or provide the information within the allowable time and in the manner required under subsection (3)(a)(i) of this section constitutes a waiver of such fee.
(e)
All fees charged by a mortgage lender must be otherwise permitted under applicable law and the contracts between the parties. Nothing herein is intended to permit the application of payments or method of charging interest which is less protective of the borrower than the contracts between the parties and other applicable law.
(f)
A mortgage lender shall charge a sum or prepayment penalty for the prepayment of any residential mortgage loan only as authorized by Section
75-17-31
.
(g)
A mortgage lender shall charge a late payment charge only as authorized by Section
75-17-27
.
(h)
The costs of collection and reasonable attorney fees may not be in excess of twenty-five percent (25%) of the unpaid debt after default, when the debt has been referred to an attorney for collection.
(i)
Charges or premiums for credit life insurance actually written on the life of the borrower or endorser in an amount not to exceed the total sum payable under the residential mortgage loan, including all interest, fees, costs and charges.
Laws, 2012, ch. 571, § 31, eff. 7/1/2012.
Reenacted without change by Laws, 2020, ch. 310, SB 2427,§ 32, eff. 7/1/2020.
Reenacted and amended by Laws, 2016, ch. 360, SB 2504, 33, eff. 7/1/2016.