§ 36.4805 - Terms of the partial claim payment.

§ 36.4805 Terms of the partial claim payment.

(a) In order for a partial claim payment to be payable, the servicer must submit to the Secretary, not later than 120 days after the date the veteran exits the COVID-19 forbearance, a request for such payment, as prescribed in § 36.4807.

(b) The amount of the partial claim payment that VA will pay to the servicer, as calculated under paragraph (e) of this section, shall not exceed 30 percent of the unpaid principal balance of the guaranteed loan. For the purposes of this paragraph (b), the unpaid principal balance of the guaranteed loan means such balance as of the date the veteran entered into a COVID-19 forbearance.

(c) VA will pay only one partial claim payment per guaranteed loan.

(d) VA will pay only one partial claim payment per veteran.

(e)

(1) Because VA will pay only one partial claim payment per guaranteed loan, and only one partial claim payment per veteran, a servicer must, when calculating the amount of partial claim payment to be paid by VA to the servicer, include the full amount of indebtedness that is necessary to bring the guaranteed loan current.

(2) To bring the guaranteed loan current, servicers must include the full COVID-19 indebtedness, comprising -

(i) All scheduled but missed monthly payments of principal and interest; and

(ii) As applicable, all scheduled but missed monthly escrow payments for real estate taxes and insurance premiums, or where the guaranteed loan documents do not provide for monthly escrowing, all payments the servicer made to real estate tax authorities and insurance providers, on the veteran's behalf, during the COVID-19 forbearance.

(3) Also in bringing the guaranteed loan current, servicers must include -

(i) All scheduled monthly payments (comprising principal, interest, and escrow payments for real estate taxes and insurance premiums) due within 31 days of the date the servicer provides to the veteran the note and security instrument described in § 36.4806;

(ii) If applicable, all scheduled monthly payments (comprising principal, interest, and escrow payments for real estate taxes and insurance premiums) that were missed on or after March 1, 2020, but before the veteran was granted the COVID-19 forbearance; and

(iii) The actual amount of recording fees, recording taxes, or other charges levied by the recording authority, that must be paid in order to record the security instrument described in § 36.4806.

(4) Except for amounts identified in paragraphs (e)(2) and (3) of this section, servicers shall not include any amounts (e.g., fees, penalties, or interest) beyond the amounts scheduled or calculated as if the veteran made all contractual payments on time and in full under the terms of the guaranteed loan.

(5) Nothing in this section shall preclude a veteran from making an optional payment or a servicer from waiving a veteran's indebtedness, such that the amount of partial claim payment would not exceed the 30 percent cap described in paragraph (b) of this section.

(6) If the servicer miscalculates the partial claim amount, resulting in an overpayment to the servicer, the amount of such overpayment shall constitute a liability of the servicer to the United States. The servicer must remit the overpaid amount immediately to VA.

(7) If the servicer miscalculates the partial claim amount, resulting in underpayment (i.e., an amount insufficient to bring the guaranteed loan current), the servicer must waive the difference.

(8) Servicers shall not include any amounts for a monthly payment that is scheduled to be paid on a date that is more than 31 days after the servicer provides to the veteran the note and security instrument described in § 36.4806.

(f) The servicer must prepare a note and security instrument in favor of the “Secretary of Veterans Affairs, an Officer of the United States”. The name of the incumbent Secretary should not be included unless State law requires naming a real person.

(1) The note must be consistent with the terms described in § 36.4806 and include all borrowers who are obligated on the guaranteed loan; and

(2) The security instrument must include all persons (borrowers, as well as non-borrowers) who hold a title interest in the property securing the guaranteed loan.

(g) Subject to paragraph (a) of this section, all loan documents must be fully executed not later than 90 days after the veteran exits the COVID-19 forbearance.

(h) The servicer must record the security instrument timely, as prescribed in § 36.4807.

(i) The servicer must not charge, or allow to be charged, to the veteran any fee in connection with the COVID-19 Veterans Assistance Partial Claim Payment program.

(The Office of Management and Budget has approved the information collection requirements in this section under control number 2900-XXXX0889)

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3703(c), 3720, 3732)

[86 FR 28708, May 28, 2021, as amended at 86 FR 46983, Aug. 23, 2021]