As financial institutions continue to provide lending services to consumers, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a rule and an opinion to help facilitate these processes. The documents discuss the utilization of bona fide emergency and regulatory flexibility status to waive certain timing and servicing requirements to expedite the loan process.
Loan Estimate, Closing Disclosure, and Right of Rescission Notices
On April 28, 2020, the CFPB issued an interpretative rule regarding performance under the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) Rule and the Regulation Z right of rescission requirement. Under the TRID Rule, creditors generally must deliver or mail the Loan Estimate to consumers no later than seven business days before consummation, and consumers must receive the Closing Disclosure no later than three business days before consummation. The Regulation Z Rescission Rules also provide consumers with at least three business days from consummation to rescind certain credit obligations secured by the consumer’s principal dwelling, and creditors are required to provide consumers with a disclosure informing them of this rescission right.
Under the TRID Rule and the Regulation Z Rescission Rules, a consumer may modify or waive these waiting periods after receiving the required disclosure. The consumer may waive the waiting periods if the consumer determines that the loan is needed to meet a bona fide personal financial emergency. The consumer must submit a dated written statement that describes the emergency, specifically modifies or waives the waiting period, and contains the signature of all consumers who are primarily liable on the legal obligation (for the TRID Rule) or who are entitled to rescind (for the Regulation Z Rescission Rules).
This interpretative rule states that borrowers may exercise their ability to request a waiver if the following conditions are satisfied:
- The consumer determines that the extension of credit is needed to meet a bona fide personal financial emergency
- The consumer’s “brief statement” describes the emergency that identifies a financial need due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- The emergency necessitates consummating the credit transaction before the end of an applicable TRID Rule waiting period or must be met before the end of the Regulation Z Rescission Rules waiting period
Regulation Z doesn’t require that creditors inform consumers of their ability to use these modifications and waiver provisions if the consumer has a bona fide financial emergency. However, creditors may consider voluntarily informing consumers with need of these rights, given the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Changed Circumstances
Creditors must reasonably estimate, “in good faith,” the settlement costs associated with the requested loan product and disclose them on the Loan Estimate to the consumer. Regulation Z allows for the revision of certain estimated closing costs due to “changed circumstances.” Changed circumstances are defined as being “an extraordinary event beyond the control” of the lender, such as war or natural disaster. The CFPB states that the COVID-19 pandemic is an extraordinary event, and thus constitutes a changed circumstance. Creditors may revise estimates of previously disclosed settlement costs if the COVID-19 pandemic has affected such settlement cost estimates. The CFPB provides an example of a Loan Estimate quoting an appraisal fee that was previously reasonably market priced, but is now increasing due to the shortage of appraisers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lenders must still comply with changed circumstances validation, documentation, and notification requirements.
ECOA Copies of Appraisals/Valuations
On April 29, 2020, the CFPB revised its Mortgage Origination Rules FAQs related to the COVID-19 Emergency to include a specific reminder regarding the distribution of copies of appraisals and valuations. Generally, Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA)§ 1002.14(a) requires the creditor provide the applicant for a loan secured a first-lien on a dwelling with a copy of the collateral property valuation. The copy must be provided (the earlier of) either upon completion of the appraisal/valuation or within three business days of the loan consummation (closed-end credit) or account opening (open-end credit).
The ECOA Valuation Rule allows an applicant to waive the advance distribution timing requirement through and agree to receive any copy at or before consummation or account opening, except where otherwise prohibited by law. The applicant must communicate the waiver request through an affirmative oral or written statement. The creditor must obtain the waiver no later than three business days prior to consummation or account opening.
A September 14, 2018 CFPB Statement on Supervisory Practices Regarding Financial Institutions and Consumers Affected by a Major Disaster or Emergency lists the ECOA valuation distribution as an example of regulatory flexibility to be utilized during emergencies. The April 29, 2020 CFPB Mortgage Origination Rules FAQs related to the COVID-19 Emergency addresses that the COVID-19 pandemic merits similar regulatory flexibility measures regarding valuation copy distributions.
