Fannie Mae Extends Foreclosure Timelines in 33 States

Investor Update
September 3, 2015

Raises number of allowable days for foreclosure proceedings

Fannie Mae announced that it is increasing the maximum number of allowable days for “routine” foreclosure proceedings for much of the country.
 
In total, Fannie Mae increased the maximum number of allowable days for a foreclosure sale for 33 states, effective for foreclosure sales on or after Aug. 1.
 
Fannie Mae made the announcement Thursday in an email to its servicers.
 
According to the announcement, Fannie Mae increased the maximum number of allowable days for the following jurisdictions: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
 
As part of its servicing guide, Fannie Mae establishes time frames under which it expects routine foreclosure proceedings to be completed.
 
According to Fannie Mae, the maximum number of allowable days takes represents the maximum allowable time lapse between the due date of the last paid installment and the completion of the foreclosure sale.
 
The allowable time frame also signifies the time typically required for what Fannie Mae calls a “routine, uncontested” foreclosure proceeding.
 
The allowable time frame reflects the legal requirements of the applicable jurisdiction, and takes into consideration delays that may occur outside of the control of the servicer, Fannie Mae said.
 
If the number of days to complete a foreclosure sale exceeds stated maximum number of allowable days and the servicer does not provide an adequate explanation to Fannie Mae as to the reasons for the delay, Fannie Mae requires the servicer to pay a “compensatory fee.”
 
According to Fannie Mae, the list of “reasonable explanations” includes:

  • Bankruptcy
  • Probate
  • Military indulgence
  • Contested foreclosure
  • The mortgage loan is currently in review for HAMP
  • The mortgage loan is in an active mortgage loan modification trial plan or unemployment forbearance
  • Recent legislative, administrative, or judicial changes to existing state foreclosure laws, provided that the servicer is diligently working toward resolution of the delay to the extent feasible
     

Fannie Mae noted in its announcement that there is currently a compensatory fee moratorium for Washington D.C., Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey and stated that the moratorium will last, “at a minimum,” until Dec. 31.
 
Click here to see the updated allowable foreclosure time frames for all 50 states, as well as the territories that Fannie Mae operates in.

Source: HousingWire

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Alan Jaffa

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Alan joined Safeguard in 1995, learning the business from the ground up. He was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2002, and was named CEO in May 2010. His hands-on experience has given him unique insights as a leader to innovate, improve and strengthen Safeguard’s processes to assure that the company adheres to the highest standards of quality and customer service.

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Business Development Safeguard Properties