New York Courts Lift Suspension of Foreclosure Proceedings, Add Additional Conference Requirement

July 29, 2020 by Mitra P. Singh, Brian S. McGrath

On July 24, 2020, the New York State Courts issued Administrative Order 157/20 (AO/157/20). Effective July 27, 2020, AO/157/20 removes the formal suspension of all residential foreclosures, but keeps a limited suspension of commercial foreclosures in place until August 19, 2020. Under this new directive, foreclosure actions can be resumed by courts first scheduling at least one conference. Those conferences are expected to be the same as the mandatory CPLR 3408 settlement conferences—even if settlement conferences were previously held—because the courts were directed to consider all aspects of the case, including "the effects, if any, that the COVID-19 pandemic has had upon the parties." More ›

Long-Awaited DFS Cyber Enforcement Action Sees Charges Filed Against Title Insurer For Exposing Millions of Documents Containing Consumer Personal Information

July 23, 2020 by Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

After several years of anticipation, the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) has filed its first enforcement action under the agency's groundbreaking and first-in-the-nation 2017 cybersecurity regulation (Part 500 of Title 23 of the New York Codes, Rules, and Regulations), which prescribes how financial services companies licensed to operate in New York should construct their cybersecurity programs. This action is a wakeup call to covered entities to fully implement the directives of Part 500. More ›

SCOTUS Decides Federal Debt is not Exempted from TCPA, While FCC Autodialer Declaration Further Alters TCPA Landscape

July 9, 2020 by Vaishali S. Rao

With a major U.S. Supreme Court decision leading the way, recent developments continue to reshape the landscape of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). More ›

FCC Clarifies Autodialer Definition, Including in Bulk Text Message Context

July 8, 2020 by Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently issued a Declaratory Ruling clarifying the definition of an autodialer. Exactly what constitutes an autodialer under the TCPA has been a burgeoning topic in consumer litigation. The TCPA prohibits any person from texting or calling a cellular telephone number using an automatic dialing system (“autodialer” or “ATDS”) without prior express consent. The TCPA defines an ATDS as equipment which has the capacity to (A) to store or produce telephone numbers to be called, using a random or sequential number generator; and (B) to dial such numbers. More ›

SCOTUS Holds CFPB's Single Director Structure Unconstitutional, Leaves Open Questions on Existing Bureau Matters

June 29, 2020 by Vaishali S. Rao

Earlier today, the United States Supreme Court issued a two part decision in Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The Court first decided, in a 5-4 decision with Chief Justice Roberts authoring the Court's opinion, that the CFPB's leadership by a single Director removable only for inefficiency, neglect, or malfeasance violates the separation of powers doctrine. The Court next decided that the Director's unconstitutional removal protection is severable from the other provisions of Dodd-Frank that establish the CFPB and define its authority. The severability holding was also authored by Roberts, but drew a 7-2 split. More ›

New York State Enacts New Procedures for Residential Mortgage Forbearance Plans

June 24, 2020 by Mitra P. Singh, Brian S. McGrath

On June 17, 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed Senate Bills 8243C and 8428 into law, adding Section 9-x to the Banking Law. The section creates new procedures for mortgagors and servicers in relation to forbearances of residential mortgage payments affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. More ›

Rhode Island Supreme Court Demands Strict Compliance with Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac "Paragraph 22" in Foreclosures

June 15, 2020 by Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

In a case of first impression, the Rhode Island Supreme Court concluded in Woel v. Christiana Trust that mortgage default notices sent to borrowers must strictly comply with the notice requirements included in a mortgage. The Court held that a lender's notice of default does not strictly comply with the terms of the standard Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac mortgage Paragraph 22, if the notice fails to inform the borrower of the right to reinstate after acceleration. More ›

New York DFS Launches "FastForward" Program Aimed at Driving Innovative Financial Services and Products

June 10, 2020 by Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

In support of re-opening and adapting New York to the new economic and social normal caused by COVID-19, New York's Department of Financial Services (DFS) announced the launch of a program called "DFS FastForward" which will support innovators who can deliver novel digital solutions that advance the state's recovery from the pandemic. The program builds on the successful launch in February of an InsurTech pilot program by DFS, and promises to "reduce barriers and speed up" the regulatory process for qualifying services and products. More ›

Exploring the Expansion of the Bankruptcy Code under the CARES Act

May 27, 2020 by Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, provides widespread economic relief for individuals and businesses adversely affected by the coronavirus outbreak and includes several key modifications and amendments to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. We explore how these revisions will immediately impact the bankruptcy landscape for both individual debtors and small businesses below. More ›

Payment Deferral Now an Option for Borrowers in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac COVID-19 Forbearance Plans

May 14, 2020 by Samuel C. Bodurtha

We previously reported on the impact of the CARES Act on federally backed mortgage loans, including the immediate availability of a 180 – 360 day forbearance plan for borrowers impacted by the pandemic. One key feature of this legislation and accompanying guidance publications is that servicers of GSE loans are required to evaluate borrowers for repayment options—including reinstatement, a repayment plan, modification, or some other workout—at the conclusion of the forbearance period. The forbearance plans do not offer loan forgiveness, and borrowers and their servicers are expected to resolve the forbearance amount at the end of the plan. More ›

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