Rep. Hill: We Can't Defend Bureaucratic Intransigence at the Expense of our Home-Buying Public

During a hearing Sept. 14 before the House Financial Services Committee, U.S. Rep. French Hill encouraged Congress to pass legislation that would provide for limited liability for those who in good faith attempt to comply with the new TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) requirements that go into effect Oct. 3.

On July 9, the House Financial Services Committee passed legislation introduced by Hill that would extend the hold-harmless period until Feb. 1, 2016. The Homebuyers Assistance Act (H.R. 3192) also says that no lawsuit may be filed against a person for a violation of the TRID rule occurring before such date, so long as the person has made a good faith effort to comply with the rule.

During the hearing, Hill said that some 230,000 Americans refinance or buy a new home every month and “they’re going to be the ones who are victimized by this confusing rule that doesn’t get implemented properly due to a technology reason or a misunderstanding at a real estate brokerage, or a title company, or a bank.”

“I hope we can (pass H.R. 3192) before October 3, so that our title (companies), commercial banks, mortgage bankers, real estate agents all have some confidence that they can go into this new closing regime and not be penalized, either by the federal government or through civil liability,” Hill added. “We can't defend bureaucratic intransigence at the expense of our home-buying public.”

ALTA has joined 17 other industry groups urging federal regulators to provide formal guidance on how regulators plan to enforce TRID for the initial months following implementation on Oct. 3.

The letter asks the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) “to implement a clearly articulated transition period that addresses how regulators will oversee and examine regulated institutions for TRID compliance during this transition period.”

Without clear guidance, it’s expected access to mortgage credit will be constrained due to fear of enforcement actions for errors committed in good faith. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has said it will be sensitive to those making good-faith efforts to comply.

“Transitioning to the new TRID regulatory framework is a sea change for every participant in the mortgage lending,” the letter stated. “Industry stakeholders have undertaken extensive efforts to comply with these rules, but, even now, they are discovering significant compliance issues. These discoveries raise liability concerns that cannot be realistically resolved before the October 3 deadline, as many will require formal authoritative guidance.”

The letter also asked the FFIEC to recognize the severe penalties that can arise under these new rules. Because of this, the groups asked that the FFIEC announce guidelines that would provide institutions making a good-faith effort to comply relief from enforcement for a reasonable period following Oct. 3.

Joining ALTA on the letter were American Bankers Association, American Escrow Association, The Appraisal Firm Coalition, Appraisal Institute, Collateral Risk Network, Consumer Bankers Association, Community Home Lenders Association, Consumer Mortgage Coalition, Community Mortgage Lenders, Credit Union National Association, Housing Policy Council, Independent Community Bankers of America, Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Mortgage Brokers, National Association of Realtors and Real Estate Services Providers Council.

The Title Action Network has asked members to take action and urge their representatives to co-sponsor and vote yes on H.R. 3192.