Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

iStock_000015122897XSmall.jpgOn May 20, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009 (the “Act”). The Act was created during the height of the foreclosure crisis as a temporary measure to protect tenants who entered into a lease without realizing a property was in foreclosure. The Act provided that lenders and third-party purchasers who took title to a property at a foreclosure sale must provide a tenant with a minimum of 90 days’ notice, prior to seeking a writ of possession and evicting the tenant.

Sunset Provision of the Act

The Act was scheduled to expire on December 31, 2012, but the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act extended the sunset provision to December 31, 2014. There was much speculation within the legal community regarding whether the Act would be extended again. On November 21, 2013, the Senate introduced Bill 1761, titled “Permanently Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2013,” which sought to indefinitely extend the protections afforded under the original Act, as well as provide tenants with a private right of action against lenders and third-party purchasers who failed to comply with the Act. However, Senate Bill 1761 never progressed forward, and the Act expired on December 31, 2014.

What Happens After the Sunset?Continue Reading What to Expect Following the Sunset of the Protecting Tenants at Foreclose Act

Good Intentions

In passing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Congress created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The purpose of the CFPB was to safeguard consumers against fraud and other predatory practices by financial institutions.

The CFPB recently issued a final rule which will require residential mortgage lenders to begin