2012 Nebraska Revised Statutes
Chapter 45 - INTEREST, LOANS, AND DEBT
45-737 - Licensee; duties.

45-737. Licensee; duties.

A licensee shall:

(1) Disburse required funds paid by the borrower and held in escrow for the payment of insurance payments no later than the date upon which the premium is due under the insurance policy;

(2) Disburse funds paid by the borrower and held in escrow for the payment of real estate taxes prior to the time such real estate taxes become delinquent;

(3) Pay any penalty incurred by the borrower because of the failure of the licensee to make the payments required in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this section unless the licensee establishes that the failure to timely make the payments was due solely to the fact that the borrower was sent a written notice of the amount due more than fifteen calendar days before the due date to the borrower's last-known address and failed to timely remit the amount due to the licensee;

(4) At least annually perform a complete escrow analysis. If there is a change in the amount of the periodic payments, the licensee shall mail written notice of such change to the borrower at least twenty calendar days before the effective date of the change in payment. The following information shall be provided to the borrower, without charge, in one or more reports, at least annually:

(a) The name and address of the licensee;

(b) The name and address of the borrower;

(c) A summary of the escrow account activity during the year which includes all of the following:

(i) The balance of the escrow account at the beginning of the year;

(ii) The aggregate amount of deposits to the escrow account during the year; and

(iii) The aggregate amount of withdrawals from the escrow account for each of the following categories:

(A) Payments applied to loan principal;

(B) Payments applied to interest;

(C) Payments applied to real estate taxes;

(D) Payments for real property insurance premiums; and

(E) All other withdrawals; and

(d) A summary of loan principal for the year as follows:

(i) The amount of principal outstanding at the beginning of the year;

(ii) The aggregate amount of payments applied to principal during the year; and

(iii) The amount of principal outstanding at the end of the year;

(5) Establish and maintain a toll-free telephone number or accept collect telephone calls to respond to inquiries from borrowers, if the licensee services residential mortgage loans. If a licensee ceases to service residential mortgage loans, it shall continue to maintain a toll-free telephone number or accept collect telephone calls to respond to inquiries from borrowers for a period of twelve months after the date the licensee ceased to service residential mortgage loans. A telephonic messaging service which does not permit the borrower an option of personal contact with an employee, agent, or contractor of the licensee shall not satisfy the conditions of this section. Each day such licensee fails to comply with this subdivision shall constitute a separate violation of the Residential Mortgage Licensing Act;

(6) Answer in writing, within ten business days after receipt, any written request for payoff information received from a borrower or a borrower's designated representative. This service shall be provided without charge to the borrower, except that when such information is provided upon request within sixty days after the fulfillment of a previous request, a processing fee of up to ten dollars may be charged;

(7) Execute and deliver a release of mortgage pursuant to the provisions of section 76-252 or, in the case of a trust deed, execute and deliver a reconveyance pursuant to the provisions of section 76-1014.01;

(8) Maintain a copy of all documents and records relating to each residential mortgage loan and application for a residential mortgage loan, including, but not limited to, loan applications, federal Truth in Lending Act statements, good faith estimates, appraisals, notes, rights of rescission, and mortgages or trust deeds for a period of two years after the date the residential mortgage loan is funded or the loan application is denied or withdrawn;

(9) Notify the director in writing within three business days after the occurrence of any of the following:

(a) The filing of a voluntary petition in bankruptcy by the licensee or notice of a filing of an involuntary petition in bankruptcy against the licensee;

(b) The licensee has lost the ability to fund a loan or loans after it had made a loan commitment or commitments and approved a loan application or applications;

(c) Any other state or jurisdiction has invoked suspension or revocation procedures against the licensee;

(d) The filing of a criminal indictment or information against the licensee or any of its officers, directors, shareholders, partners, members, employees, or agents; or

(e) The licensee or any of the licensee's officers, directors, shareholders, partners, members, employees, or agents was convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or was found guilty after a plea of nolo contendere to (i) a misdemeanor under state or federal law which involves dishonesty or fraud or which involves any aspect of the mortgage banking business, depository institution business, or installment loan company business or (ii) any felony under state or federal law; and

(10) Notify the director in writing or through an electronic method as prescribed by the director within thirty days after the occurrence of a material development other than as described in subdivision (9) of this section, including, but not limited to, any of the following:

(a) Business reorganization;

(b) A change of name, trade name, doing business as designation, or main office address;

(c) The establishment of a branch office. Notice of such establishment shall be on a form prescribed by the department and accompanied by a fee of seventy-five dollars for each branch office; or

(d) The closing of a branch office.