In an unmistakable warning shot to mortgage servicers, the CFPB recently issued a “Mortgage Servicing Special Edition” of its Supervisory Highlights. The CFPB also updated portions of its Mortgage Servicing Examination Procedures.
In the Bureau’s accompanying press release, and throughout the Supervisory Highlights, there is a particular focus on perceived technological failures. In the words of Director Cordray: “Mortgage servicers can’t hide behind their bad computer systems or outdated technology. There are no excuses for not following federal rules.” The clear takeaway is that the CFPB will not be persuaded by arguments that system limitations impair a servicer’s ability to comply with CFPB regulatory interpretations.
The Supervisory Highlights focuses primarily on issues involving loss mitigation procedures and servicing transfers. Scrutiny in these areas should not be a surprise to the industry, due to the CFPB’s continued emphasis in the areas, the logistical difficulties involved, and the inherent potential impact on consumers.
On the topic of loss mitigation, the CFPB first addresses issues with loss mitigation acknowledgment notices under Regulation X. Findings include obvious issues, such as failing to send an acknowledgment notice due to system glitches, and failing to send the notice within the five-day time frame. The report also highlights issues with requests for additional information in connection with incomplete loss mitigation applications. Notably, the findings cite failures to request necessary documents, requesting documentation that is not applicable to a particular borrower, and requesting documents that a borrower already submitted. As we have noted in response to past Supervisory Highlights, the CFPB expects that five-day acknowledgement notices be tailored to the particular borrower and reflective of information already on file.
The CFPB also cites issues regarding loss mitigation offer letters. Noted issues include deceptive statements of the time at which fees, charges, and advances would be assessed. The document notes examples of servicers taking “unreasonable advantage of borrowers’ lack of understanding of the material risks of the loan modification” in terms of when certain charges would be assessed. These findings reinforce the importance of considering potential payment shock for borrowers through the life of a modified loan, and the clarity with which payment schedules are disclosed in modification agreements and accompanying materials.
The Supervisory Highlights provide several other examples of issues for loss mitigation offers. Such issues include the failure to disclose conditions of a permanent loan modification with the trial modification plan, and failure to timely convert completed trial modifications into permanent modifications. In the category of easily preventable issues, the report notes repeated findings of broad waivers of consumer rights in loss mitigation agreements. In our experience, such waiver-of-rights provisions are common in legacy loss mitigation agreement templates. If not done already, servicers should review all loss mitigation agreement templates to remove these types of broad waiver clauses.
Finally on the topic of loss mitigation, the Supervisory Highlights notes issues pertaining to denial notices. Cited issues include incorrect statements of the reason for denial, and failing to correctly state the borrower’s right to appeal the denial.
Regarding servicing transfers, the CFPB notes that incompatibilities between servicer platforms have, in part, caused issues related to in-process loss mitigation. Examples of issues include a transferee servicer failing to honor the terms of loss mitigation agreements already in place at the time of transfer, and delays converting trial loan modifications to permanent loan modifications.
Notably, this section of the Supervisory Highlights includes some limited positive feedback. The CFPB states that one or more transferee servicers began to use certain tools available to the industry, such as Fannie’s HomeSaver Solutions Network and the HAMP Reporting Tool, to reconcile loan data during transfer and better identify in-flight modifications.
As noted above, the CFPB also revised its Mortgage Servicing Examination Procedures. On the topic of complaint handling, the revised module focuses on a servicer’s procedures for expedited evaluation of complaints and information requests for borrowers in foreclosure. The CFPB also notes that it will be conducting targeted reviews of fair lending issues for mortgage servicers.
The Mortgage Servicing Special Edition of the CFPB’s Supervisory Highlights can be found here, and the updated Mortgage Servicing Examination Procedures can be found here.
