The pace of legislative activity from this year’s current session can make it hard to stay abreast of new laws.  The Consumer Finance ABstract’s “Consumer Finance State Roundup” is intended to provide a brief overview of recently enacted measures of potential interest.  

During this current legislative session, the following three states have enacted measures of potential interest to Consumer Finance ABstract readers:

• Colorado:  Effective August 8, 2023, Senate Bill 248 (2023 Colo. Sess. Laws 360) amends collection agency licensure requirements under the Colorado Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.  First, the measure amends Section 5-16-119 of the Colorado Revised Statutes to allow licensees to work from remote locations under certain conditions.  Specifically, the licensee must: (a) ensure that no in-person customer interactions are conducted at the remote location; (b) not designate the remote location as a business location to the consumer; (c) maintain appropriate safeguards for licensee data and consumer data, information, and records, including utilizing a secure VPN for secure access; (d) employ appropriate risk-based monitoring and oversight processes of work performed from a remote location that includes maintaining records of the monitoring and oversight processes; (e) ensure that consumer information and records are not maintained at a remote location; (f) provide appropriate employee training to ensure employees keep conversations confidential about and with consumers that are conducted from a remote location, and ensure that employees work in an environment that is conducive to ensure privacy and confidential conversations; and (g) ensure that consumer and licensee information and records are available for regulatory oversight and examination.  Second, the measure defines “remote location” as “a private residence of an employee of a licensee or another location selected by the employee and approved by the licensee.”

• Colorado:  Effective June 7, 2023, House Bill 1266 (2023 Colo. Sess. Laws 440) amends the reverse mortgages provisions of the Colorado Revised Statutes to address an exception to repayment requirements of reverse mortgage transactions when a subject property is uninhabitable.  First, the measure defines the term “force majeure” in Section 11-38-102, describing certain criteria that would designate a subject property as uninhabitable as a principal residence of the reverse mortgage borrower.  Second, the measure amends Section 11-38-107 to create exceptions to repayment requirements of a reverse mortgage transaction when a home is not occupied due to a “force majeure”.   When the home is temporarily uninhabitable, the measure establishes that the reverse mortgage will not become due and payable to the lender (to the extent allowable by HUD’s regulations and policies), provided that all of the following conditions are met:  (a) the borrower must be engaged in repairing the home with the intent to reoccupy the home as a principal residence, or must sell the home; (b) the borrower must stay in communication with the lender while the home is being repaired and must reasonably respond to any lender inquiries; (c) the borrower must comply with all other terms and conditions of the reverse mortgage; and (d) the repairing or rebuilding of the home must not reduce the lender’s security.  Further, the amended section requires the lender to disclose these requirements to the borrower at closing.

• Nebraska:  Effective June 7, 2023, Legislative Bill 92 amends various provisions of the Nebraska Revised Statutes, including the Nebraska Residential Mortgage Licensing Act (the “Mortgage Act”) and the Nebraska Installment Loan Act (the “Installment Act”).  First, the measure amends Section 45-735 under the Mortgage Act, to authorize the Department of Banking and Finance (“Department”) to adopt and promulgate rules, regulations, and orders to regarding the use of remote work arrangements conducted outside of a main office location or branch office by employees or agents, including mortgage loan originators, of licensed mortgage bankers, registrants, or installment loan companies.  (Current law prohibits a mortgage loan originator from conducting mortgage loan origination activities at any location that is not the main office of a licensed mortgage banker, registrant, or installment loan company, or a branch office of a licensed mortgage banker or registrant.)  Second, the measure amends the Installment Act by: (a) in Section 45-1002, adding definitions for the terms “consumer” and “loan”; (b)in Section 45-1003, adding a licensure requirement  for persons that are not financial institutions; and (c) in in Section 45-1006, permitting the Director of the Department to waive hearing requirements for any applicant that does not originate loans under the statute.

• Texas:  Effective September 1, 2023, House Bill 219 adds provisions relating to lien release to Chapter 343 of the Texas Finance Code.  First, this measure requires that no later than the 60th day after receiving the correct payoff amount for a home loan from a mortgagor, a mortgage servicer or mortgagee must: (a) deliver to the mortgagor a release of lien for the home loan; or (b) file the release of lien with the appropriate county clerk’s office for recording in the real property records of the county.  Second, the measure requires a mortgage servicer or mortgagee to deliver or file the release of lien not later than the 30^th day after receipt of the written request from the mortgagor, if on or before the 20^th day after the date of the home loan payoff, the mortgagor delivers a written request to the mortgage servicer or mortgagee for the release of lien to be delivered to the mortgagor or filed with the county clerk.  Third, the measure requires a mortgage servicer or mortgagee to comply with these new requirements only if the entity has the authority to deliver or file a release of lien for the home loan. Fourth, in the event of a conflict between the new requirements and a home loan agreement entered prior to the measure’s effective date, the provisions of the home loan agreement would prevail.  Fifth, the measure provides relevant definitions, namely:  (a) that the terms “mortgage servicer”, “mortgagee” and “mortgagor” have the same meaning as under  Section 51.0001 of the Texas Property Code; and (b) the term “release of lien” means “a release of a deed of trust or other lien securing a home loan”.

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