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On June 30, California Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill No. 130 (“AB130” or the “Bill”). Effective immediately, the Bill added a new section to the California Civil Code to codify that certain actions constitute unlawful practices when taken by a “mortgage servicer” in connection with a subordinate mortgage. The Bill also adds a number of certification and disclosure requirements that mortgage servicers must adhere to in connection with nonjudicial foreclosures of subordinate mortgage loans.  

At the outset, it is important to note that the Bill defines the term “mortgage servicer” broadly to include the current mortgage servicer and any prior mortgage servicers. Thus, the Bills’ requirements—including certifications that a mortgage servicer is required to record in connection with certain foreclosures—cover the activities of both the current servicer of a subordinate mortgage and any prior servicer of that mortgage.

Unlawful Practices for Subordinate Mortgages

Under the newly created Section 2924.13, a “subordinate mortgage” is defined to include a security instrument in residential real property that was, at the time it was recorded, subordinate to another security interest encumbering the same residential real property. The new section does not distinguish between loans for a consumer or business purpose. Pursuant to the new section, the following conduct constitutes an unlawful practice in connection with a subordinate mortgage:Continue Reading California Enacts Servicing Requirements for Subordinate Residential Mortgages

Maryland’s secondary mortgage market has been in turmoil since a disruptive 2024 court decision held that a purchaser of mortgage loans inherits the original lender’s obligations—including the obligation to obtain a Maryland Mortgage Lender license. Secondary market investors that acquire residential mortgage loans through a passive trust can breathe a sigh of relief now that…

The New York legislature has introduced no fewer than three separate bills in 2025 to license and regulate the business activities of providers of buy-now-pay-later (“BNPL”) products. The first quarter of the year has seen the introduction of Senate Bill 4606, Assembly Bill 6757, and lengthy budget bill Assembly Bill 3008, each of which would enact a similar, but not identical, “Buy-Now-Pay-Later Act.” If enacted into law, each of the three bills would require certain providers of BNPL credit to obtain a license from the New York Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS”).

BNPL products have experienced increasing popularity in recent years as an alternative to credit cards for small-dollar retail transactions. While there are differences between available BNPL programs, the most common BNPL model is an extension of credit repayable in four or fewer installments that does not carry any interest, origination fee, or other finance charges—although such products frequently charge other incidental charges such as late fees or insufficient funds charges. Providers historically have argued that products structured in this manner generally do not trigger cost-of-credit disclosure (and limited substantive) requirements under the federal Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”). That view was challenged recently with the May 2024 publication of a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) interpretive rule asserting that traditional four-installment BNPL loans with no finance charge may be subject to certain TILA requirements pertaining to credit cards if they are offered through a “digital user account” access model, but the CFPB has since indicated that it likely will rescind such guidance. Research conducted by the CFPB indicated that BNPL products are more likely to be used by consumers with higher levels of debt, lower incomes, and less liquidity than some competing products, which has been part of the impetus for regulatory action under a consumer protection rationale. Particularly in light of the CFPB’s rollback of its BNPL Interpretive Rule, states, like New York, may see a greater need to take a more active role in regulating the product.Continue Reading New York Proposes to License Buy-Now-Pay-Later Lenders

Mayer Brown has published a new edition of Licensing Link, a periodic publication that will keep you informed on hot topics and new developments in state licensing laws, and provide practice tips and primers on important issues related to state licensing across the spectrum of asset classes and financial services activities.

In this issue, we…

There were positive developments last week in connection with the recently announced licensing requirements for assignees of residential mortgage loans and installment loans in Maryland — a proposed legislative fix, an extended enforcement deadline, and a clarifying exception from the requirement.

As we discussed in our Legal Update last month, the Maryland Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) asserted that assignees of residential mortgage loans — including certain “passive trusts” that acquire or obtain assignments of residential mortgage loans in Maryland — must become licensed in Maryland prior to April 10, 2025, unless the assignee is expressly exempt under Maryland law. The guidance reflected the OFR’s understanding of an April 2024 decision by the Appellate Court of Maryland in Estate of Brown v. Ward that any assignee of any residential mortgage loan is required to obtain a Mortgage Lender license, and an Installment Loan license is required if the mortgage loans are made subject to the Credit Grantor provisions, regardless of whether the loans are open- or closed-end extensions of credit.

That guidance has caused significant turmoil in the Maryland residential mortgage markets, with significant practical concerns about requiring passive trusts to obtain a license and with certain industry participants suspending the purchase of Maryland mortgage loans.

To address these concerns, the OFR worked with industry participants to develop proposed legislation, the Maryland Secondary Market Stability Act of 2025 — two identical bills, Senate Bill 1026 and House Bill 1516, introduced on February 17, 2025.Continue Reading Update on Maryland Licensing for Loan Assignees

In response to the significant ambiguities raised by New Hampshire’s recent amendments to its Motor Vehicle Retail Installment Sales Act — not to mention their immediate effectiveness and draconian liability provisions — the state’s Banking Department has issued several nuggets of guidance.

Recently, the Department sought to address the pressing question of whether persons involved in various financing transactions and securitizations involving motor vehicle retail installment contracts must now obtain a license. As of August 26, 2024, the Department’s web site states that securitization trusts that are established for the purpose of pooling retail installment contracts and reconstituting them into securities are not required to obtain a sales finance company license in the state. While the Department stated further that the licensing requirement will typically be fulfilled by the servicer or other entity responsible for servicing the contracts in the securitization trust, it did not expressly address the licensing obligations applicable in other types of financing transactions or to other types of special purpose entities. We expect that a similar licensing exemption would apply to those transactions and entities, because the servicer would need to be licensed or an exempt entity.Continue Reading New Hampshire Banking Department Clarifies Licensing for Motor Vehicle Financing

On August 2, 2024, New Hampshire enacted legislation that significantly revises its Motor Vehicle Retail Installment Sales Act, effective July 1, 2024.

Unfortunately, that effective date is not a typographical error. The New Hampshire Banking Department apparently tried during the legislative process to extend the effective date until January 1, 2025, but that extension did not make it into the enacted bill. While the bill was enacted with an effective date of July 1, 2024, the Department attempts at least to provide assurances that the bill became effective upon signing, and not retroactively. Still, the effective date of the amendments is just one of the topics requiring clarification.Continue Reading New Hampshire Significantly Amends its Motor Vehicle Retail Installment and Sales Finance Company Act

Mayer Brown has published a new edition of Licensing Link, a periodic publication that will keep you informed on hot topics and new developments in state licensing laws, and provide practice tips and primers on important issues related to state licensing across the spectrum of asset classes and financial services activities.

In this issue, we…

Mere days before Halloween, California enacted California Senate Bill 666, imposing a set of restrictions on the fees that commercial financers may charge their small business customers. Signed by the governor on October 13, the legislation marks an escalation of the state’s regulation of commercial financing. What began as a disclosure-based regime with California’s…

Mayer Brown has published a new edition of Licensing Link, a periodic publication that will keep you informed on hot topics and new developments in state licensing laws, and provide practice tips and primers on important issues related to state licensing across the spectrum of asset classes and financial services activities.

In this issue, we…