On May 16, 2022, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published its second metrics report as part of its ongoing supervisory monitoring of mortgage servicers’ COVID-19 pandemic response. The data collected is part of the Bureau’s metrics requests to sixteen servicers representing “a broad cross-section of the mortgage servicing industry.” The first report, published in August 2021, covered the period from December 2020 through April 2021. Continue Reading CFPB’s May 2022 Mortgage Servicers Metrics Report

Citing a surge of COVID-19 cases in July 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new federal eviction moratorium on August 3, 2021 (Order). The Order is similar to the CDC’s previous eviction moratorium, which expired on July 31, 2021, with one major exception—the Order applies only to U.S. counties that are experiencing “substantial or high” levels of COVID-19 transmission, as defined by the CDC. Based on this standard, the Order currently applies to more than 80% of all U.S. counties.
Continue Reading CDC Issues New Federal Eviction Moratorium

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

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

As the government revives its Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) with hundreds of billions of dollars in additional loans available to small businesses, there are fresh signs that government fraud investigations and whistleblower litigation related to the loan program are ramping up. DOJ’s first-ever settlement of violations of the civil False Claims Act related to the

The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that they will begin accepting loan applications from community financial institutions for new “first draw” Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans beginning on January 11 and for “second draw” PPP loans beginning on January 13. Other lenders will be allowed to submit loan applications shortly thereafter.

New guidance and loan

The latest COVID-19 relief legislation provided some additional aid and clarity for a select group of debtors and left many other questions unanswered. While most of the attention was directed to restarting the PPP payments and other benefits to individuals, the law makes changes to the Bankruptcy Code as well.

Small business debtors (plus family

In this episode of White Collar Briefly, Perkins Coie’s David Biderman, firmwide chair of the Consumer Products & Services Litigation group, sits down with Craig Lackey, general counsel of Rushmore Loan Management Services, a major servicer of residential mortgages nationwide. Their discussion covers topics such as the COVID-19-related downturn on the economy and mortgage servicer