Texas

Court grants nationwide injunction against enforcement of CTA

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The Corporate Transparency Act, which went into effect January 1, 2024, requires many companies to report beneficial ownership information to the United States Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Beneficial ownership information is defined as identifying information about the individuals who directly or indirectly own or control a company. The deadline for entities created before January 1, 2024 is January 1, 2025.

Lawyers have been scrambling to grasp the intricacies of the new law and to assist their corporate clients, including homeowners’ associations, in compliance.

But we have a huge development.

On December 3, the United District Court for the Eastern District of Texas granted a nationwide preliminary injunction that prohibits the federal government from enforcing the new law.

Six plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in May challenging the constitutionality of the law. The decision is based on the Commerce Clause, and the statute is based on national security and aimed at enforcing laws against money laundering. This case will surely go to the Supreme Court, and we will have to wait to see how that Court reacts. It is possible that the rationale for the legislation holds for some but not all entities. Homeowners’ associations seem to be likely candidates to dodge this particular bullet.

Texas Attorney General investigating Home Title Lock

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Several years ago, a prominent Myrtle Beach real estate lawyer called me to suggest that our (title insurance) company should develop a product like Home Title Lock. That company advertises that it alerts homeowners if fraudulent or forged deeds are recorded in their chains of title. I contacted corporate leaders to explore this idea, and it was quickly decided that the product was virtually meaningless.

Last week, another prominent Myrtle Beach-area lawyer emailed me with news that the Attorney General for Texas is investigating the company. Here the South Carolina dirt lawyer’s direct quote, “After the number of older clients I have had who come into a transaction confused and scared by the talking heads on conservative media who have been schilling for this company, I am glad to see law enforcement taking an interest.”

Ken Paxton, the Attorney General, apparently agrees. He issued a press release on January 24, stating, “I won’t tolerate false, misleading, or deceptive advertisements targeted to any Texas consumers—especially Texas seniors. If Home Title Lock is misrepresenting its services or the need for its services I will put a stop to its unlawful behavior.”

The AG announced an investigation of this company for potentially violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by misleading consumers with deceptive statements concerning the prevalence of home title theft and the need for this company’s services.

The press release states that Home Title Lock is a California-based entity that claims to provide 24/7 monitoring of a consumer’s home title. (How could that even be done?) The press release states that the company has received scrutiny in recent months over questionable advertisements, including its claim that the FBI calls home title theft “one of the fastest growing white-collar cyber-crimes in America.” Apparently, Home Title Lock admits that it markets to “older customers.”                      

The Texas AG’s office issued a Civil Investigative Demand on December 15 ordering the company to make documents available substantiating the following, among other matters:

  • Any home title theft resolution services;
  • Representative samples of customer contracts;
  • The claim that the Company monitors the title of consumers 24/7;
  • The claim that the Company provides nationwide monitoring;
  • The claim that like other white-collar crimes, title fraud remains under reported with losses totaling more than $5 million in 2015;”
  • The claim that a victim is responsible for payments incurred due to a fraudulent home equity loan. (“Now thieves take out massive loans using your home’s equity-leaving you with the payments and mountains of legal bills;”) and
  • The claim that the company offers “complete protection – including up to $250,000 in legal fees and expense coverage.”

I’m so glad to see this investigation is starting, and I hope other states follow.

What’s in Store for Dodd-Frank and Seller Financing?

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The Washington Post and The New York Times are both reporting on potential restructuring of the financial system when the new administration takes over in January.

We all heard President-Elect Donald Trump call the Dodd-Frank Act a “disaster” during his campaign. The Washington Post article reports his transition team has a stated goal, “to dismantle the Dodd-Frank Act and replace it with new policies to encourage economic growth and job creation.” What, exactly, does this mean?  At this point, we don’t know.

But The New York Times article states Representative Jeb Hensarling, a Texas Republican who chairs the House Financial Services Committee, has long been an opponent of Dodd-Frank and has introduced his idea for reform, the Financial Choice Act. “Choice”, according to the article, stands for Creating Hope and Opportunity for Investors, Consumers and Entrepreneurs.

financial-systemIt seems clear that the Republican controlled Congress will work hard to make sweeping changes to this legislation that has basically rocked our collective worlds with the implementation of new forms and rules for closings. We promise to keep everyone up to date as this drama unfolds. We can only hope that, from a closing standpoint, the changes won’t be as sweeping as those we have just tackled!

In other CFPB news, the Bureau is investigating seller financing situations involving National Asset Advisors LLC, National Asset Mortgage LLC and Harbour Portfolio LLC. Orders involved in these investigations can be read on CFPB’s website.

We should pay attention to these enforcement proceedings because seller financing for residential owner-occupied residences has become a concern in South Carolina as a result of the interplay of the federal and state SAFE Acts, HUD’s final rule, released in 2011, and Dodd Frank’s Consumer Financial Protection laws.

The interplay between these laws appears to require licensing and registration of mortgage loan originators for mortgages of owner-occupied residences other than the sale of the seller’s residence. Clients who fail to become licensed as loan originators or fall into an exemption may find they are unable to close, and may, along with the attorneys who closed the transactions, be subject to claims and litigation.

The CFPB has broad enforcement powers, including the power to impose civil monetary penalties ranging from $5,000 to $1 million per day. South Carolina’s legislature could improve this situation greatly by addressing certain inconsistencies between our version of the SAFE Act and the federal version. Again, we will attempt to keep everyone up to speed on this issue as it develops.