Section 50701 Of Chapter 9. Brokerage Services For Borrowers From California Financial Code >> Division 20. >> Chapter 9.
50701
. (a) As soon as practical after a borrower requests that the
residential mortgage lender licensee arrange a loan to be made by
another institutional lender, and before the licensee performs
brokerage services for the borrower, the licensee and borrower shall
enter into a written loan brokerage agreement that satisfies the
requirements of this section.
(b) Both the licensee's authorized representative, who shall be a
licensed mortgage loan originator, and the borrower shall sign and
date the loan brokerage agreement, and the licensee shall deliver a
copy of the fully executed loan brokerage agreement to the borrower
either upon execution, if the documents are signed in the licensee's
office, or within three business days after execution.
(c) The loan brokerage agreement shall include the mortgage loan
originator's unique identifier.
(d) The loan brokerage agreement shall contain an explicit
statement that (1) the licensee is acting as the agent of the
borrower in providing brokerage services to the borrower, and (2)
when acting as agent for the borrower, it owes to that borrower a
fiduciary duty of utmost care, honesty, and loyalty in the
transaction, including the duty of full disclosure of all material
facts. If the licensee is authorized to act as an agent for any other
person, the brokerage agreement shall contain a statement of that
fact and identification of that person.
(e) The loan brokerage agreement shall contain a detailed
description of the services the licensee agrees to perform for the
borrower, and a good faith estimate of any fees the licensee will
receive for those services, whether paid by the borrower, the
institutional lender, or both.
(f) The loan brokerage agreement shall carry a clear and
conspicuous statement of the conditions under which the borrower is
obligated to pay the licensee for brokerage services rendered under
the agreement.
(g) The loan brokerage agreement shall provide that, if the
licensee makes a materially false or misleading statement or omission
in the inducement or implementation of the agreement, the borrower
may, in addition to any other legal rights or remedies, upon written
notice, do any of the following:
(1) Rescind the brokerage agreement.
(2) Recover fees paid by the borrower to the licensee for
brokerage services rendered by the licensee pursuant to the
agreement.
(3) Recover actual costs, including attorney's fees, for enforcing
the borrower's rights under the loan brokerage agreement.
(h) If the loan brokerage agreement fails to set forth the rights
in subdivision (g), these rights shall be implied by operation of
law.
(i) The loan brokerage agreement shall be the only agreement
between the borrower and the licensee with respect to a single loan.
(j) A licensee whose services to a borrower are limited to
providing brokerage services may not require a borrower to pay fees
or charges before the residential mortgage loan closing, other than
either of the following:
(1) Actual charges to be incurred by the licensee on behalf of the
borrower for services from third parties necessary to process the
application, such as credit reports, appraisals, inspections, flood
certification, and tax service, and, in transactions where those
services are provided by the licensee, a charge not to exceed the fee
customarily charged for the same or comparable service in the
community in which the service was rendered.
(2) An application fee.
A licensee may not accept a fee under Section 50203(a)(1) or (2)
and subsequently require a borrower to pay additional fees or charges
under this paragraph for the borrower's loan transaction.
(k) Any loan brokerage agreement that provides for the collection
of an application fee shall be approved as to form by the
commissioner before its use by a licensee, if the agreement meets the
following requirements:
(1) The agreement specifies the services to be rendered for the
application fee.
(2) The agreement sets forth the amount of the application fee and
the date the fee becomes due and payable.
(3) The agreement does not contain a provision that purports to
except or relieve the licensee from the responsibility to fulfill
verbal commitments and representations made by employees or agents of
the licensee when contracting for the application fee, or guarantee
that a loan will be obtained.
(4) The agreement sets forth a definite date for full performance
of the services promised in exchange for the application fee.