Regulation Z — Truth in Lending
Supplement I to Part 226—Official Staff Interpretations
Section 226.39—Mortgage transfer disclosures.
39(a) Scope.
Paragraph 39(a)(1).
1. Covered persons. The disclosure requirements of § 226.39 apply to any “covered person” that becomes the legal owner of an existing mortgage loan, whether through a purchase, assignment, or other transfer, regardless of whether the person also meets the definition of a “creditor” in Regulation Z. The fact that a person purchases or acquires mortgage loans and provides disclosures under § 226.39 does not by itself make that person a “creditor” as defined in the regulation.
2. Acquisition of legal title. To become a “covered person” subject to § 226.39, a person must become the owner of an existing mortgage loan by acquiring legal title to the debt obligation. The transfer of ownership of a mortgage loan is subject to the disclosure requirements of this section when the acquiring party is a separate legal entity from the transferor, even if the parties are affiliated entities. Section 226.39 does not apply to persons who acquire only a beneficial interest in the loan or a security interest in the loan. Section 226.39 also does not apply to a party that assumes the credit risk without acquiring legal title to the loan. Thus, an investor that acquires mortgage-backed securities, pass-through certificates, or participation interests and does not directly acquire legal title in the underlying mortgage loans is not covered by this section.
3. Loan servicers. Pursuant to TILA Section 131(f)(2), the servicer of a mortgage loan is not treated as the owner of the obligation for purposes of § 226.39 if the servicer holds title to the loan as a result of the assignment of the obligation to the servicer solely for the administrative convenience of the servicer in servicing the obligation.
4. Mergers, corporate acquisitions, or reorganizations. Disclosures are required under § 226.39 when, as a result of a merger, corporate acquisition, or reorganization the ownership of a mortgage loan is transferred to a different legal entity.
Paragraph 39(a)(2).
1. Mortgage transactions covered. Section 226.39 applies to any consumer credit transaction secured by the principal dwelling of a consumer, which includes closed-end mortgage loans as well as home equity lines of credit.
39(b) Disclosure required.
1. Generally. A covered person must mail or deliver the disclosures required by § 226.39 on or before the 30th calendar day following the date that the covered person acquired the loan, unless the exception in § 226.39(c) applies. For example, if a covered person acquires a mortgage loan on March 1, the required disclosure must be mailed or delivered on or before March 31. For purposes of this requirement, the date that the covered person acquires the loan is the acquisition date recognized in its books and records.
2. Disclosure provided on behalf of multiple entities. A mortgage loan may be acquired by a covered person and subsequently transferred to an affiliate or other entity that is also a covered person required to provide disclosures under § 226.39. In such cases, a single disclosure may be provided on behalf of both entities instead of providing two separate disclosures, as long as the disclosure satisfies the timing and content requirements applicable to both entities. For example, if a covered person acquires a loan on August 31 with the knowledge that it will assign the loan to another entity on October 15, the covered person could mail a single disclosure on or before September 30 which provides the required information for both entities and indicates when the subsequent transfer is expected to occur. Even though one person delegates responsibility for the disclosures to another covered person, each has a duty to ensure that disclosures related to its acquisition are accurate and provided in a timely manner.
39(c) Exceptions.
Paragraph 39(c)(1)
1. Example. If a mortgage loan is originated on February 22nd and the original creditor sells the loan on March 1 to a covered person, under the exception in § 226.39(c) the covered person would not be required to provide disclosures under § 226.39 if the loan is sold or otherwise transferred or assigned to another party on or before March 31.
Paragraph 39(c)(2)
1. Repurchase agreements. The original creditor or owner of the mortgage loan might sell or transfer legal title to the loan to secure short-term business financing under an agreement where the original creditor or owner is also obligated to repurchase the loan within a brief period, typically a month or less. If the original creditor or owner does not recognize such transactions as a sale of the loan on its own books and records for accounting purposes, the transfer of the loan in connection with such a repurchase agreement is not covered by § 226.39 and the acquiring party is not required to provide disclosures. However, if the transferor does not repurchase the mortgage loan, the acquiring party must make the disclosures required by § 226.39 within 30 days after the date that the transaction is recognized as an acquisition in its books and records.
39(d) Content of required disclosures.
1. Identifying the loan. The disclosures required by this section should identify the loan that was acquired or transferred. The covered person has flexibility in determining what information to provide for this purpose. For example, the covered person may identify the loan by stating the address of the mortgaged property along with the account number or other identification number previously known to the consumer, which may appear in a truncated format. Alternatively, the covered person might identify the loan by specifying the date on which the credit was extended and the original amount of the loan or credit line.
Paragraph 39(d)(1).
1. Identification of covered person. Section 226.39(d)(1) requires acquiring parties to provide their name, address, and telephone number. The party identified must be the covered person who owns the mortgage loan, regardless of whether another party has been appointed to service the loan or otherwise serve as the covered person’s agent. In addition to providing a postal address and a telephone number, the covered person may, at its option, provide an address for receiving electronic mail or an internet web site address but is not required to do so.
Paragraph 39(d)(3).
1. Identifying agents. Under § 226.39(d)(3), the covered person must provide contact information for the agent or other party having authority to act on behalf of the covered person and who is authorized to receive legal notices on behalf of the covered person and resolve issues concerning the consumer’s payments on the loan. Section 226.39(d)(3) does not require that a covered person designate an agent or other party, but if the consumer cannot use the covered person’s contact information for these purposes the disclosure must provide contact information for an agent or other party that can address these matters. If multiple agents are listed on the disclosure, the disclosure shall state the extent to which the authority of each agent differs by indicating if only one of the agents is authorized to receive legal notices, or only one of the agents is authorized to resolve issues concerning payments. For purposes of § 226.39(d)(3), it is sufficient to provide a telephone number as the contact information provided that consumers can use the telephone number to obtain the mailing address for the agent or other person identified.
2. Other contact information. The covered person may also provide an agent’s electronic mail address or internet web site address but is not required to do so.
Paragraph 39(d)(4).
1. Recording location. Section 226.39(d)(4) requires disclosure of the location where transfer of ownership of the debt to the covered person is recorded. If the transfer of ownership has not been recorded in public records at the time the disclosure is provided, the covered person complies with § 226.39(d)(4) by stating this fact. Whether or not the transfer has been recorded at the time the disclosure is made, the disclosure may state that the transfer “is or may be recorded” at the specified location.
2. Postal address not required. In disclosing the location where the transfer of ownership is recorded, the covered person is not required to provide a postal address for the governmental office where the covered person’s ownership interest is recorded. The covered person also is not required to provide the name of the county or jurisdiction where the property is located. For example, it would be sufficient to disclose that the transaction is or may be recorded in the office of public land records or the recorder of deeds office “for the county or local jurisdiction where the property is located.”
39(e) Optional disclosures.
1. Generally. Section 226.39(e) provides that covered persons may, at their option, include additional information about the mortgage transaction that they consider relevant or helpful to consumers. For example, the covered person may choose to inform consumers that the location where they should send mortgage payments has not changed.
