Can my Lender sue me for not Making my Mortgage Payments?

The wave of possible lender lawsuits against borrowers has started, primarily by junior lenders whose seconds (often HELOCS) were wiped out when a senior lender foreclosed. We presently know of borrowers being represented in a number of these lawsuits and have already settled several. The most important points to remember if you are served with a lawsuit are: 1) don't panic and ignore it. Get competent legal counsel in your State to advise you how and when to respond; and 2) almost all such lawsuits will resolve without going to trial.
There are several defenses that can be raised in defense to any lender lawsuit that may reduce or even eliminate their claim. These include:

1. Lender does not own the loan - In order to file a lawsuit against you, the lender must actually "own" the loan, that is they own and have possession of the Promissory Note. Loans change ownership all the time and it is possible that the lawsuit has been brought by a loan "servicer" or collection company, not the actual owner. If they cannot prove ownership, they do not have "legal standing" to file the lawsuit and they would potentially lose.

2. Loan was predatory - One of the key reasons why we had this market collapse was that from 2000 through 2006, lenders made loans to borrowers who in reality could not afford the loan. Sometime this was done by misstating income on "stated income" or "no document" loans and often this misstatement was done by the lender, not the borrower. Other times the loan was unrealistic, such as a 1% interest rate on which the borrower qualified for the loan but which jumped up much higher after the first month. So the buyer only qualified on month one but would never qualify on month two. Failure was inevitable unless the buyer could quickly flip the property. If the lender should never have made the loan, they likely will not recover against the borrower in court. For the agents that have the FACS certification we call these loans NINJA Loans (No Income No Job or Assets)

3. Loan was result of fraud - Similar to predatory loans, many borrowers obtained loans through actual fraud where the loan agent altered information supplied by the borrower or made false representations to the borrower such as: "take this adjustable rate now and we'll convert it to a fixed rate within a year". For most borrowers, that loan agent was never to be found within the year, the fixed rate was not obtainable, and the increasing adjustable rate forced the borrower into default. If the lender's loan agent defrauded the borrower into getting the loan, they likely will not recover against the borrower in court.

4. Lender failed to do diligence - One of the biggest causes of the market collapse was that the lenders failed to exercise any diligence in checking to make sure the information on the loan application was true, such as checking tax returns and confirming the borrower’s employment and income. The banking deregulation in the late 1990's created a flood of money in the market for new loans to be made and lenders accepted virtually any application without checking whether the loan was good. The result was billions of dollars of bad loans secured with property that was not worth the debt. If the lender should never have made the loan, they likely will not recover against the borrower in court. If the lender is trying to give you a commissionectamy when negotiating a commission, remind that lender of exactly the above point and additionally you did not tell them how many points to charge when they originated the loan.

5. Lender knew the market was inflated in a bubble - The combination of banking deregulation and easy money created a huge increase in demand by possible homeowners and investors which drove up the prices on available properties, often increasing by $10,000 or more in a single month. Developers rushed in with new subdivisions everywhere trying to fill the demand as competition for homes kept driving prices upwards. This inflationary bubble was almost entirely fueled by high-risk loans, speculative appraisals, and the lack of real underwriting and diligence by the lenders. It was completely foreseeable to lenders that this bubble would burst but they made the loans anyway because they earned commissions and could sell the loans in the secondary mortgage market. It was no real surprise to lenders when the borrowers started defaulting in 2005 on the increasingly expensive loans which led to the collapse starting in 2006. If the lender should never have made the loan, they likely will not recover against the borrower in court.

6. Lender has insurance for the loss - Many of the loans made were 100% of purchase price and even more. Generally, if the loan was for more than 80% of the property value, mortgage insurance (PMI) was required. Although paid for by the borrower, this insurance paid the lender for any loss on a default. The lawsuit may be an attempt by the lender to collect on a loss that they have already recovered on through the insurance. If the lender has already been compensated for any loss, they likely will not recover against the borrower in court.

7. Lender has been bailed out by the taxpayers - Between 2008 and 2009, Federal bailout monies paid by taxpayers (including the borrower) provided protection for lenders damaged because of loan losses. Our government guaranteed billions of dollars in lender bad debt, guarantees that we and our children will be paying for years to come. Many consider these bailouts to be a reward for bad business practices instead of the punishment that might be deserved. If the lender has already been compensated for any loss, they likely will not recover against the borrower in court.

8. How Should You Prepare? - In many states, the deadline for a lender to bring a claim against a borrower is four years other states are six years while I have heard as high as seven years in other states. Don’t forget that most states the owners of the debt are able to get an extension for up to ten years and in some states you can get that extension of ten years twice. Meaning for the next twenty six years the homeowner is going to be on the hook for the debt. That’s generally from the date the borrower defaulted, not to be confused with the actual foreclosure date. With hundreds of thousands of borrowers just now in default, these lawsuits will be a constant threat for many years to come. These may be joined by deficiency lawsuits following short sales to which the same defenses can be raised in addition to several other defenses unique to short sales which I'll cover in subsequent Blogs assuming I have the time!

Before anybody makes any kind of decision concerning your upside-down home or investment property, be certain to get tax and legal advice from qualified professionals in your State who can look at your specific situation and advise you on how these rules apply to you, particularly on how to identify and minimize the risks of a lender lawsuit. Thank you to Attorney Mr. Steve Bedde from the Sacramento California area in helping us to recognize these steps. www.stevebeede.com

This article in no way is serving as a function of legal advice. You must talk to an attorney in the state your property is located in order to make an intelligent decision in diagnosing the recourse of your debt.

-Christopher Rockey