NOTE:  As provided in LFC policy, this report is intended only for use by the standing finance committees of the legislature.  The Legislative Finance Committee does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this report when used for other purposes.

 

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F I S C A L   I M P A C T   R E P O R T

 

 

 

SPONSOR:

Smith

 

DATE TYPED:

2/17/03

 

HB

 

 

SHORT TITLE:

High-Cost Home Loans

 

SB

616

 

 

ANALYST:

Wilson

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY03

FY04

FY03

FY04

 

 

 

 

 

See Narrative

 

 

 

Relates to SB 225, SB 433, HB526, HB647 and HB427.

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

Responses Received From

Regulation & Licensing (RLD)

 

SUMMARY

 

     Synopsis of Bill

 

Senate Bill 616 amends the Mortgage Loan Company and Loan Broker Act (MLBA) by prohibiting certain mortgage lending practices by mortgage lenders/brokers and providing disclosure requirements, civil remedies and enforcement provisions.  SB 616 removes the exemption of consumer finance companies from the MLBA.

 

     Significant Issues

 

SB 616 allows the Director of the Financial Institutions Division to ultimately set the annual percentage rate and total points and fees that are the threshold for the definition of a high cost home loan.

 

The inclusion of consumer finance companies in this bill means that deferred deposit loan companies or payday lenders would be subject to the MLBA.

 

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

 

Verification of compliance with SB 616 will be on a case by case basis, upon the receipt of a complaint regarding a licensee.  The number of complaints that might arise is unknown, thus making it difficult to determine if there would be fiscal implications as a result of these amendments.  For the present RLD does not estimate any fiscal implication..

 

 RELATIONSHIP

 

SB 616 relates to the following bills: SB 225, SB 433, HB526, HB647, and HB427. These also have provisions referring to deferred deposit or payday loans.

 

TECHNICAL ISSUES

 

RLD provided the following:

 

Page 3, line 18, through page 4, line 5; define “high cost loans” by substituting the following:  “the annual percentage rate and points exceed the requirements of Federal truth in lending laws (Regulation Z Section 226.32 (a) (1)”.  Also omit the language on page 10, lines 10 through 17.

 

Page 4, lines 14 and 15; Various closing costs are normally charged by third party affiliates of mortgage lenders/brokers.

 

Page 6, line13; It appears that introductory language has been omitted (“…or an affiliate…”)

 

Page 7 line 5 – the sentence should begin with the word “shall”.

 

Page 7, lines 8 through 10;  (“prearranged appointment …expressed invitation”).  Verification would be obscure and enforcement elusive.

 

Page 8, lines 2 through 6; It should be noted that creditors incur costs to modify, refinance, extend or amend loans and that such activity may become necessary more often than once every twelve months.

 

Page 8, line10 through Page10, line 7; SB 616 does not require that disclosures need to be in a form that is signed and dated by a borrower for the purposes of verification and enforcement.

Page 7, line18 through page 8, line 1; (A late payment fee may not be charged more than once…”) This language is unclear and compliance may prohibit lenders from assessing late fees on loans where the borrower is chronically past due.

 

Page 12, lines 15 through 16;  (“…noncompliance was not intentional and resulted in a bona fide error.”)  Verification would be obscure and enforcement elusive.

 

Page 12, line 20;  (“…computer malfunction and programming...”) Verification will be obscure and enforcement elusive.

 

Page 12, line 10; the language, “Loan in good faith”, is unclear.

 

DW/sb