A cut&paste; from Coldwell (from CAR) on the new moratorium:
Dear Managers,
For some reason this week has been swirling with stories of a ?New Foreclosure Moratorium? in California. For that reason I am forwarding an excerpt from a C.A.R. Q&A on the subject of the 90-DAY EXTENSION TO THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. You will see after reviewing the Q&A that this is not a moratorium in the true sense of the word.
This information should be shared with your team at your next business meeting.
If you have any questions feel free to call or email me [contact info deleted]
<strong>Q 83. What, in a nutshell, is the new law extending the foreclosure process by 90 days? </strong>
<em>A Under the new California Foreclosure Prevention Act, lenders foreclosing on certain loans are prohibited from giving a notice of sale until the lapse of at least 3 months plus 90 days after the filing of the notice of default (see Question 88). A loan servicer can obtain an exemption from this requirement by demonstrating that it has a comprehensive loan modification program (see Questions 89 to 94). </em>
<strong>Q 84. What is the purpose of this law? </strong>
<em>A The purpose of this law is to try to stem the tide of foreclosures and their adverse consequences by providing additional time for lenders to work out loan modifications with borrowers as well as creating an incentive for lenders to establish comprehensive loan modification programs. </em>
<strong>Q 85. When will this law be in effect? </strong>
<em>A This bill, which was enacted into law on February 20, 2009 along with the state budget, will go into effect 90 days thereafter which will be on or about May 22, 2009. The appropriate commissioners must adopt regulations to carry out this law no more than 10 days after the date this law takes effect (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.53(d)). The law becomes operative 14 days after the issuance of such regulations (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.52(d)).
This law will stay in effect only until January 1, 2011 at which time it will be repealed, unless it is deleted or extended by statute (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.52(d)). </em>
<strong>Q 86. How does this new law affect the foreclosure timeline? </strong>
<em>A Under preexisting law, a lender who files a notice of default in the foreclosure process must wait at least 3 months before giving a notice of sale (Cal. Civil Code ? 2924). The new law extends that 3-month period by an additional 90 days.
Also under preexisting law, the general rule of thumb is that the entire foreclosure process takes a minimum of 4 months from the filing of a notice of default until the final trustee?s sale. Under the new law, that general rule of thumb is extended by 90 more days for a total of about 7 months, unless the lender is exempt. For more information about the foreclosure process, C.A.R. offers a legal article entitled Foreclosure Timeline. </em>
<strong>Q 87. Under the new law, is the minimum time frame from the filing of a notice of default to the notice of sale a total of 6 months or 180 days? </strong>
<em>A Neither. The way the law is written, the minimum time frame from the filing of the notice of default to the notice of sale is technically ?3 months plus 90 days.? </em>
<strong>Q 88. What type of loan falls under the new law extending the foreclosure process by 90 days? </strong>
<em>A Unless otherwise exempt, the 90-day extension to the foreclosure process applies to loans that meet all of the following requirements:
? The loan was recorded from January 1, 2003 to January 1, 2008, inclusive;
? The loan is secured by a first deed of trust for residential real property;
? The borrower occupied the property as a principal residence at the time the loan became delinquent; and
? A notice of default has been recorded on the property.
(Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.52(a).) </em>
<strong>Q 89. What are the exceptions to the new law extending the foreclosure process by 90 days? </strong>
<em>A Most notably, a loan servicer is exempt from the 90-day extension to the foreclosure process if the loan servicer has obtained an order of exemption based on the implementation of a comprehensive loan modification program (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.53(a)) (see Questions 89 to 94). The order of exemption must be current and valid at the time the notice of sale is given (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.52(b)).
Other exceptions to the 90-day extension include the following:
? Certain state or local public housing agency loans (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.52(c)).
? When a borrower has surrendered the property as evidenced by a letter confirming the surrender or delivery of the keys to the property to the lender or authorized agent (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.55(a)).
? When a borrower has contracted with any person or entity whose primary business is advising people who have decided to leave their homes on how to extend the foreclosure process and avoid their contractual obligations to the lenders (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.55(b)).
? When a borrower has filed a bankruptcy case and the court has not entered an order closing or dismissing the case or granting relief from a stay of foreclosure (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.55(c)). </em>
<strong>Q 90. What constitutes a comprehensive loan modification program? </strong>
<em>A A comprehensive loan modification program that may exempt the loan servicer from the 90-day extension to the foreclosure process includes all of the following features:
? The loan modification program is intended to keep borrowers whose principal residences are located in California in those homes when the anticipated recovery under loan modification exceeds the anticipated recovery through foreclosure on a net present value basis (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.53(a)).
? It targets a 38 percent or less ratio of the borrower?s housing-related debt to the borrower?s gross income (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.53(a)). Housing-related debt is debt that includes loan principal, interest, property taxes, hazard insurance, flood insurance, mortgage insurance and homeowner association fees (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.53(k)(2)).
? It includes some combination of loan modifications terms as specified (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.53(a)) (see Question 91).
? The loan servicer seeks long-term sustainability for the borrower (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.53(a)). </em>
<strong>Q 91. What are the loan modification terms that must be included in a comprehensive loan modification program? </strong>
<em>A A comprehensive loan modification program that may qualify for exemption from the new law extending the foreclosure process by 90 days must include some combination of the following features:
? An interest rate reduction, as needed, for a fixed term of at least five years;
? An extension of the amortization period for the loan term to no more than 40 years from the original date of the loan;
? Deferral of some portion of the unpaid principal balance until loan maturity;
? Principal reduction;
? Compliance with a federally mandated loan modification program; or
? Other factors that the appropriate commissioner determines.
(Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.53(a)(3).) See also Question 92. </em>
<strong>Q 92. Does a loan servicer have to modify loans to get an exemption from the 90 day extension to the foreclosure process? </strong>
<em>A No. A loan servicer is not required to modify a loan for a borrower who is not willing or able to pay under the modification. Furthermore, a loan servicer is not required to violate any contractor agreement for investor-owned loans. (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.53(i).) </em>
<strong>Q 93. How does a loan servicer obtain an order of exemption from the new law extending the foreclosure process by 90 days? </strong>
<em>A A loan servicer may apply to the appropriate commissioner (see Question 94) for an order exempting loans that it services from the new law extending the foreclosure process by 90 days (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.53(b)(1)). Upon receipt of an initial application for exemption, the commissioner must issue a temporary order exempting the mortgage loan servicer from the 90-day extension to the foreclosure process (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.53(b)(2)). Within 30 days of receipt of the application, the commissioner must make a final determination by issuing a final order exempting the loan servicer or denying the application (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.53(b)(3)). If the application is denied, the temporary order of exemption shall expire 30 days after the date of denial (Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.53(b)(1)). </em>
<strong>Q 94. To which commissioner does a loan servicer apply for exemption?</strong>
<em>A A lender or loan servicer would apply for an exemption to the following commissioner as appropriate:
? Commissioner of the Department of Financial Institutions for commercial and industrial banks, savings associations, and credit unions organized in California to service mortgage loans;
? Commissioner of the Department of Real Estate for licensed real estate brokers servicing mortgage loans; and
? Commissioner of the Department of Corporations for licensed residential mortgage lenders and servicers, licensed finance lenders and brokers, and any other entities servicing mortgage loans not regulated by the Department of Financial Institutions or Department of Real Estate.
(Cal. Civil Code ? 2923.53(k)(1).) </em>
(continued below)