This measure would proclaim the month of March 2009 as California Science Education Month, and would extend the Legislature's support to students of all ages who are interested in science.
Existing law requires that, upon a breach of the obligation of a mortgage or transfer of an interest in property, the trustee, mortgagee, or beneficiary record a notice of default in the office of the county recorder where the mortgaged or trust property is situated and mail the notice of default to the mortgagor or trustor. Existing law provides that, after not less than 3 months after the filing of the notice of default, the parties described above may give notice of sale, stating the time and place of the sale, as specified. This bill, until January 1, 2011, and only with respect to specified loans that were recorded between January 1, 2003, to January 1, 2008, would prohibit a mortgagee, trustee, or other person authorized to take sale from giving a notice of sale for an additional 90 days if the loan at issue is the first mortgage or deed of trust that the property secures, the borrower occupied the property as his or her principal residence at the time the loan became delinquent, and the notice of default has been filed. The bill would exempt certain loans from this prohibition, including, upon order of the Commissioner of Corporations, the Commissioner of Financial Institutions, or the Real Estate Commissioner, as applicable, the loans of a mortgage loan servicer, as defined, if the mortgage loan servicer applies to the commissioner for an exemption indicating that it has implemented a loan modification program with specified features and the commissioner concludes that the program meets specified requirements. The bill would permit a mortgage loan servicer to submit a revised application if its application is denied, and would permit the commissioner to revoke an exemption under certain circumstances. The bill would require the commissioners to adopt regulations in this regard, as specified. The bill would require the Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing to report to the Legislature 3 months after the first exemption is granted regarding the details of the actions on exemption of loans serviced by a mortgage loan servicer under a loan modification program and to submit subsequent reports every 6 months thereafter. The bill would require the secretary to post specified information on the exemption program on the agency's Internet Web site. The bill would provide that a person who violates these provisions is deemed to have violated his or her license law. The bill would provide that the failure to comply with the provisions described above does not invalidate a sale that is otherwise valid under specified provisions. The bill would require that a notice of sale include a declaration from the mortgage loan servicer regarding the issuance of a temporary or final order of exemption from the commissioner pursuant to these provisions and the timeframe applicable to the notice of sale. The bill would make a statement of legislative findings.
(1) The Real Estate Law provides for the licensure and regulation of real estate brokers and salespersons by the Real Estate Commissioner. Existing law authorizes the commissioner to suspend or revoke the license of a real estate licensee or corporation, or to deny the issuance of a license to an applicant or corporation, for specified violations. This bill would further authorize the commissioner to suspend or revoke those licenses, or to deny issuance of those licenses, upon a violation of specified federal lending laws or regulations. (2) Existing law imposes certain limitations and prohibitions on licensed persons, as defined, with respect to the making of a covered loan, defined as a consumer loan in which the original principal balance of the loan does not exceed the most current conforming loan limit for a single-family first mortgage loan established by the Federal National Mortgage Association in the case of a mortgage or deed of trust, and as specified. Existing law does not regulate or define the term "higher-priced mortgage loan." This bill would establish "higher-priced mortgage loans," as defined, as a new category of regulated loans. The bill would, among other things, limit prepayment penalties and prohibit provisions for negative amortization. The bill would prohibit a licensed person, as defined, from making false, deceptive, or misleading statements or representations in connection with higher-priced mortgage loans. The bill would also, among other things, prohibit a mortgage broker, as defined, who arranges higher-priced mortgage loans with prepayment penalties from receiving a compensation that exceeds certain amounts. The bill would provide that a violation of the provisions regulating higher-priced mortgage loans by a licensed person is also a violation of the person's licensing law. The bill would authorize a licensing agency or the Attorney General to enforce the provisions regulating higher-priced mortgage loans. The bill would authorize civil penalties in an amount up to $10,000 against a licensed person who willfully and knowingly violates the provisions regulating higher-priced mortgage loans, would nullify prepayment penalties or yield spread premiums that violate these provisions, would make a licensed person who violates these provisions liable to the borrower in the amount of the borrower's actual damages, and would authorize the court to award court costs and attorney's fees to a prevailing plaintiff. The bill would also establish specified duties for mortgage brokers performing mortgage brokerage services for higher-priced mortgage loans. The bill's provisions would apply to higher-priced mortgage loans originated on or after July 1, 2010. (3) Existing law imposes certain limitations and prohibitions on specified licensees, including commercial banks, credit unions, finance lenders, and residential mortgage lenders, with respect to the making of consumer loans. This bill would provide that a violation of specified federal lending laws or regulations by those licensees is also a violation of the licensing law of the licensee. The bill would also provide that a mortgage broker, as defined, providing mortgage brokerage services, as defined, to a borrower is the fiduciary of the borrower, and any violation of the broker's fiduciary duties is a violation of the mortgage broker's licensing law and specified civil penalty and liability provisions. The bill would further provide that this fiduciary duty includes a requirement that the mortgage broker place the economic interest of the borrower ahead of his or her own economic interest. (4) Because a violation of the bill's provisions by certain licensees may be punished as crimes under the licensing law of the licensees, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
