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Kristine E. Kruger

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Kristine Kruger is an experienced litigator who works closely with her clients to develop effective litigation strategies by carefully evaluating each client’s case-specific goals and business objectives. She has extensive experience representing a broad range of clients in high priority complex litigation matters, including consumer protection, product liability, environmental litigation, consumer finance, business disputes, and general commercial matters.

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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has survived many constitutional challenges since it was created by the Consumer Financial Protection Act, 12 U.S.C. §§ 5481, et seq. (the “Act”), in 2011.[1]  But on October 19, 2022, the CFPB suffered a setback in the wake of the Fifth Circuit’s decision in Community Financial Services Association of America, Ltd. v. CFPB, No. 21-50826, (5th Cir. 2022).

In a unanimous decision, the Fifth Circuit held that “Congress’s decision to abdicate its appropriations power under the Constitution, i.e., to cede its power of the purse to the Bureau, violates the Constitution’s structural separation of powers.”Continue Reading CFPB Files Petition for Writ of Certiorari Seeking Expedited Review of Fifth Circuit Decision Finding Funding Structure Unconstitutional

With the rapid rise of nonbank financial product and service companies in an everchanging marketplace, there is growing concern that nonbanks will evade federal oversight. To keep pace with these changes, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it will expand its oversight of nonbank entities, including nonbanks that brand themselves as “fintechs.” 

CFPB Director Rohit Chopra intends to hold nonbanks to the same standards to which banks are held. To level the playing field for banks and nonbanks, the CFPB will conduct examinations of nonbank financial companies that the CFPB has “reasonable cause” to determine are posing risks to consumers. Mr. Chopra seeks to “stop harm before it spreads.”Continue Reading The CFPB Expands Its Oversight of Nonbank Entities

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Rohit Chopra warned consumer finance companies that he will be expanding the bureau’s anti-discrimination efforts “to combat discriminatory practices across the board in consumer finance.”

Under the Dodd-Frank Act, it is unlawful for providers of consumer financial products or services to engage in any unfair, deceptive, or abusive act or practice (UDAAP). The Act also provides the CFPB with supervisory and enforcement authority to detect and prevent UDAAPs in connection with any consumer financial product or service.
Continue Reading CFPB Announces Expanded Anti-Discrimination Efforts Through UDAAP

On December 8th, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued the 25th edition of its Supervisory Highlights report, which covers examinations completed in the first half of 2021. The CFPB reported on violations that occurred in the areas of credit card account management, debt collection, deposits, fair lending, mortgage servicing, payday lending, prepaid accounts, and remittance transfers.

The report signals that the CFPB will continue to enhance enforcement actions against mortgage servicers. Since March 2020, the CFPB has prioritized mortgage servicing supervision due to the increase in borrowers applying for and receiving mortgage forbearance under the CARES Act as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. CFPB examiners found that mortgage servicers unlawfully charged borrowers late fees and default-related fees. Examiners found that mortgage servicers failed to refund some of the fees until almost a year later. The CFPB vowed to continue its work to ensure that all mortgage servicers meet their homeowner protection objections under applicable consumer protection laws.
Continue Reading Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Issues 25th Supervisory Highlights

On July 21, Acting Director Dave Uejio celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) by giving prepared remarks highlighting the CFPB’s activities over the past 10 years in enforcement, consumer empowerment, and racial equity, as well as its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Uejio advised that the CFPB’s enforcement and supervision work has resulted in approximately $14.4 billion in consumer relief and that its enforcement actions have resulted in $1.7 billion in civil penalties; however, he notes that there is much more to be done in enforcement.
Continue Reading The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary

Today the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued an interim final rule supporting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) temporary eviction moratorium. The CDC’s temporary eviction moratorium has been extended through June 30, 2021 based on the current and projected epidemiological context of SARS-CoV-2 transmission throughout the United States. The CDC order generally prohibits landlords from evicting tenants for non-payment of rent if the tenant submits a written declaration that they are unable to afford full rental payments and would likely become homeless or have to move into a shared living setting. This prohibition applies to an agent or attorney acting as a debt collector on behalf of a landlord or owner of the residential property.
Continue Reading The CFPB Issues Interim Final Rule Clarifying that Tenants Can Hold Debt Collectors Accountable for Illegal Evictions

On April 5th, the CFPB proposed a set of rule changes intended to prevent foreclosures as emergency federal foreclosure protections expire this summer. Given that the expected surge of borrowers exiting forbearance in the fall will put mortgage servicers under strain, the proposed rules seek to ensure that servicers and borrowers work together to prevent foreclosures.

The proposed rules intend to:

  1. Give borrowers time: The proposed rules provide a special pre-foreclosure review period that would generally prohibit servicers from starting foreclosure until after December 31, 2021.
  2. Give servicers options: The proposed rules permit servicers to offer certain streamlined loan modification options to borrowers with COVID-19-related hardships based on the evaluation of an incomplete application. This provision would only be available for modifications that do not increase a borrower’s monthly payment and that extend the loan’s term by no more than 40 years from the modification’s effective date.
  3. Keep borrowers informed: The proposed rules provide temporary changes to certain required servicer communications to make sure that borrowers receive key information about their options at the appropriate time.

Continue Reading CFPB Proposes Mortgage Servicing Rule Changes to Prevent Foreclosures

The CFPB issued a compliance bulletin on April 1st warning mortgage servicers to take all necessary steps to prevent a wave of foreclosures this fall. The CFPB advised that beginning with the expiration of the federal foreclosure moratoriums at the end of June 2021, mortgage servicers will need ramped-up capacity to reach out and…

While the COVID-19 pandemic affected nearly every industry last year, the consumer finance industry faced unique challenges in the wake of economic changes and government response. In this report Perkins Coie offers an analysis of the past year’s most noteworthy regulatory developments and litigation outcomes in the mortgage lending and servicing industry. We review the…