Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 244 § 35C

Current through Chapter 231 of the 2024

Section 244:35C - Creditor actions in violation of chapter

(a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-

"Borrower", a mortgagor of a mortgage loan.

"Creditor", a person or entity that holds or controls, partially, wholly, indirectly, directly or in a nominee capacity, a mortgage loan securing a residential property, including, but not limited to, an originator, holder, investor, assignee, successor, trust, trustee, nominee holder, Mortgage Electronic Registration System or mortgage servicer, including the Federal National Mortgage Association or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. The term creditor shall also include any servant, employee or agent of a creditor.

"Mortgage loan", a loan to a natural person made primarily for personal, family or household purposes secured wholly or partially by a mortgage on residential property.

"Residential property", real property located in the commonwealth on which there is a dwelling house with accommodations for 4 or fewer separate households and occupied, or to be occupied, in whole or in part, by the obligor on the mortgage debt; provided, however, that residential property shall be limited to the principal residence of a person; provided, further, that residential property shall not include an investment property or residence other than a primary residence; and provided, further, that residential property shall not include residential property taken in whole or in part as collateral for a commercial loan.

(b) A creditor shall not cause publication of notice of foreclosure, as required under section 14, when the creditor knows or should know that the mortgagee is neither the holder of the mortgage note nor the authorized agent of the note holder.

Prior to publishing a notice of a foreclosure sale, as required by section 14, the creditor, or if the creditor is not a natural person, an officer or duly authorized agent of the creditor, shall certify compliance with this subsection in an affidavit based upon a review of the creditor's business records. The creditor, or an officer or duly authorized agent of the creditor, shall record this affidavit with the registry of deeds for the county or district where the land lies. The affidavit certifying compliance with this subsection shall be conclusive evidence in favor of an arm's-length third party purchaser for value, at or subsequent to the resulting foreclosure sale, that the creditor has fully complied with this section and the mortgagee is entitled to proceed with foreclosure of the subject mortgage under the power of sale contained in the mortgage and any 1 or more of the foreclosure procedures authorized in this chapter; provided that, the arm's-length third party purchaser for value relying on such affidavit shall not be liable for any failure of the foreclosing party to comply and title to the real property thereby acquired shall not be set aside on account of such failure. The filing of such affidavit shall not relieve the affiant, or other person on whose behalf the affidavit is executed, from liability for failure to comply with this section, including by reason of any statement in the affidavit. For purposes of this subsection, the term "arm's-length, third party purchaser for value" shall include such purchaser's heirs, successors and assigns.

(c) A creditor violates this chapter if the creditor imposes upon a third party the cost of correcting, curing or confirming documentation relating to the sale, transfer or assignment of a mortgage loan, including, but not limited to, costs related to curative actions taken because a foreclosure was commenced without the creditor's possession of a valid, written, signed and dated assignment evidencing the assignment of the mortgage, in violation of section 14. A third party may recover all of the third party's costs including reasonable attorneys' fees for having to correct, cure or confirm documentation.

(d) A creditor violates this chapter if the creditor makes statements to a state or federal court related to foreclosure or compliance with this chapter, orally or in writing, that it knows or should know are false, including, but not limited to, statements about the offering of a loan modification, the borrower's history of payments, the validity of the assignment of the mortgage loan, that the creditor is the record holder of the mortgage loan or the creditor's compliance with any other requirements of this chapter.

(e) A creditor violates this chapter if the creditor imposes a fee upon a borrower for goods not rendered or services not performed in connection with a foreclosure.

(f) No person shall give and no person shall accept any portion, split or percentage of any charge made or received for the rendering of a service in connection with a transaction involving a foreclosure upon a mortgage loan other than for services actually performed.

(g) The division of banks may adopt, amend or repeal rules and regulations for the administration and enforcement of this section.

(h) In all circumstances in which an offer to purchase either a mortgage loan or residential property is made by an entity with a tax-exempt filing status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or an entity controlled by an entity with such tax exempt filing status, no creditor shall require as a condition of sale or transfer to any such entity any affidavit, statement, agreement or addendum limiting ownership or occupancy of the residential property by the borrower and, if obtained, such affidavit, statement, agreement or addendum shall not provide a basis to avoid a sale or transfer nor shall it be enforceable against such acquiring entity or any real estate broker, borrower or settlement agent named in such affidavit, statement or addendum.

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 244, § 35C

Added by Acts 2012, c. 194,§ 2, eff. 11/1/2012.