§ 25.6 - Violations creating grounds for administrative action.

§ 25.6 Violations creating grounds for administrative action.

Any administrative action imposed under 12 U.S.C. 1708(c) shall be based upon one or more of the following violations:

(a) The transfer of an insured mortgage to non-approved mortgagee, except pursuant to 24 CFR 203.433 or 203.435;

(b) The failure of a mortgagee to segregate all escrow funds received from mortgagors on account of ground rents, taxes, assessments and insurance premiums, or failure to deposit these funds with one or more financial institutions in a special account or accounts that are fully insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by the National Credit Union Administration except as otherwise provided in writing by the Assistant Secretary for Housing - Federal Housing Commissioner;

(c) The use of escrow funds for any purpose other than that for which they are received;

(d) The termination of a mortgagee's supervision by a governmental agency;

(e) The failure of a nonsupervised mortgagee to submit the required annual audit report of its financial condition prepared in accordance with instructions issued by the Secretary within 90 days of the close of its fiscal year, or such longer period as the Assistant Secretary of Housing - Federal Housing Commissioner may authorize in writing prior to the expiration of 90 days;

(f) The payment by a mortgagee of a referral fee to any person or organization; or payment of any thing of value, directly or indirectly, in connection with any insured mortgage transaction or transactions to any person, including but not limited to an attorney, escrow agent, title company, consultant, mortgage broker, seller, builder or real estate agent, if that person has received any other compensation from the mortgagor, the seller, the builder or any other person for services related to such transactions or from or related to the purchase or sale of the mortgaged property, except compensation paid for the actual performance of such services as may be approved by the Assistant Secretary for Housing - Federal Housing Commissioner;

(g) Failure to comply with any agreement, certification, undertaking, or condition of approval listed on, or applicable to, either a mortgagee's application for approval or an approved mortgagee's branch office notification;

(h) Failure of an approved mortgagee to meet or maintain the applicable net worth, liquidity or warehouse line of credit requirements of 24 CFR part 202 pertaining to net worth, liquid assets, and warehouse line of credit or other acceptable funding plan;

(i) Failure or refusal of an approved mortgagee to comply with an order of the Board, the Secretary, the hearing official, hearing officer or other independent official to whom matters are referred under § 25.8(d)(2).

(j) Violation of the requirements of any contract or agreement with the Department, or violation of the requirements set forth in any statute, regulation, handbook, mortgagee letter, or other written rule or instruction;

(k) Submission of false information to HUD in connection with any HUD/FHA insured mortgage transaction;

(l) Failure of a mortgagee to respond to inquiries from the Board;

(m) Indictment or conviction of a mortgagee or any of its officers, directors, principals or employees for an offense which reflects upon the responsibility, integrity, or ability of the mortgagee to participate in HUD/FHA programs as an approved mortgagee;

(n) Employing or retaining:

(1) An officer, partner, director, or principal at such time when such person was suspended, debarred, ineligible, or subject to a limited denial of participation under 2 CFR part 2424 or otherwise prohibited from participation in HUD programs, where the mortgagee knew or should have known of the prohibition;

(2) An employee who is not an officer, partner, director, or principal and who is or will be working on HUD/FHA program matters at a time when such person was suspended, debarred, ineligible, or subject to a limited denial of participation under 2 CFR part 2424 or otherwise prohibited from participation in HUD programs, where the mortgagee knew or should have known of the prohibition;

(o) Violation by an approved mortgagee of the nondiscrimination requirements of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (15 U.S.C. 1691-1691f), Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601-3619), Executive Order 11063 (27 FR 11527), and all regulations issued pursuant thereto;

(p) Business practices which do not conform to generally accepted practices of prudent mortgagees or which demonstrate irresponsibility;

(q) Failure to cooperate with an audit or investigation by the Department's Office of Inspector General or an inquiry by HUD/FHA into the conduct of the mortgagee's HUD/FHA insured business or any other failure to provide information to the Secretary or a representative related to the conduct of the mortgagee's HUD/FHA business;

(r) Violation by an approved mortgagee of the requirements or prohibitions of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (12 U.S.C. 2601-2617);

(s) Without regard to the date of the insurance of the mortgage, failure to service an insured mortgage in accordance with the regulations and any other requirements of the Secretary which are in effect at the time the act or omission occurs;

(t) Failure to administer properly an assistance payment contract under section 235 of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715z);

(u) Failure to pay the application and annual fees required by 24 CFR part 202;

(v) The failure of a coinsuring mortgagee:

(1) To properly perform underwriting, servicing or property disposition functions in accordance with instructions and standards issued by the Commissioner;

(2) To make full payment to an investing mortgagee as required by 24 CFR part 204;

(3) To discharge responsibilities under a contract for coinsurance;

(4) To comply with restrictions concerning the transfer of a coinsured mortgage to an agency not approved under 24 CFR part 250;

(5) To maintain additional net worth requirements, as applicable;

(w) Failure to remit, or timely remit, mortgage insurance premiums, loan insurance charges, late charges, or interest penalties to the Department;

(x) Failure to submit a report required under 24 CFR 202.12(c) within the time determined by the Commissioner, or to commence or complete a plan for corrective action under that section within the time agreed upon with the Commissioner.

(y) Failure to properly perform underwriting functions in accordance with instructions and standards issued by the Department;

(z) Failure to fund mortgage loans or any other misuse of mortgage loan proceeds;

(aa) Permitting the use of strawbuyer mortgagors in an insured mortgage transaction where the mortgagee knew or should have known of such use of strawbuyers;

(bb) Breach by the mortgagee of a fiduciary duty owed by it to any person as defined in § 25.3, including GNMA and the holder of any mortgage-backed security guaranteed by GNMA, with respect to an insured loan or mortgage transaction.

(cc) Violation by a Title I lender of any of the applicable provisions of this section or 24 CFR 202.11(a)(2).

(dd) Failure to pay any civil money penalty, but only after all administrative appeals requested by the mortgagee have been exhausted.

(ee) Submitting, or causing to be submitted, with an application for FHA mortgage insurance an appraisal, valuation condition sheet, or any other documentation relating to an appraisal that does not satisfy FHA requirements.

(ff) Any other violation of Federal Housing Administration requirements that the Board or the Secretary determines to be so serious as to justify an administrative sanction.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under Control Number 2502-0450)

[57 FR 31051, July 13, 1992; 57 FR 37085, Aug. 18, 1992, as amended at 57 FR 58339, Dec. 9, 1992; 60 FR 13836, Mar. 14, 1995; 60 FR 39238, Aug. 1, 1995; 61 FR 685, Jan. 9, 1996; 62 FR 20081, Apr. 24, 1997; 69 FR 43509, July 20, 2004; 72 FR 73492, Dec. 27, 2007. Redesignated and amended at 73 FR 60541, Oct. 10, 2008; 77 FR 51467, Aug. 24, 2012]