2007 Minnesota Statutes

325N.17 PROHIBITED PRACTICES.
A foreclosure purchaser shall not:
(a) enter into, or attempt to enter into, a foreclosure reconveyance with a foreclosed
homeowner unless:
(1) the foreclosure purchaser verifies and can demonstrate that the foreclosed homeowner
has a reasonable ability to pay for the subsequent conveyance of an interest back to the foreclosed
homeowner. In the case of a lease with an option to purchase, payment ability also includes the
reasonable ability to make the lease payments and purchase the property within the term of the
option to purchase. There is a rebuttable presumption that a homeowner is reasonably able to
pay for the subsequent conveyance if the owner's payments for primary housing expenses and
regular principal and interest payments on other personal debt, on a monthly basis, do not exceed
60 percent of the owner's monthly gross income. For the purposes of this section, "primary
housing expenses" means the sum of payments for regular principal, interest, rent, utilities,
hazard insurance, real estate taxes, and association dues. There is a rebuttable presumption
that the foreclosure purchaser has not verified reasonable payment ability if the foreclosure
purchaser has not obtained documents other than a statement by the foreclosed homeowner of
assets, liabilities, and income;
(2) the foreclosure purchaser and the foreclosed homeowner complete a closing for any
foreclosure reconveyance in which the foreclosure purchaser obtains a deed or mortgage from a
foreclosed homeowner. For purposes of this section, "closing" means an in-person meeting to
complete final documents incident to the sale of the real property or creation of a mortgage on the
real property conducted by a closing agent, as defined in section 82.17, who is not employed by
or an affiliate of the foreclosure purchaser, or employed by such an affiliate, and who does not
have a business or personal relationship with the foreclosure purchaser other than the provision
of real estate settlement services;
(3) the foreclosure purchaser obtains the written consent of the foreclosed homeowner to
a grant by the foreclosure purchaser of any interest in the property during such times as the
foreclosed homeowner maintains any interest in the property; and
(4) the foreclosure purchaser complies with the requirements for disclosure, loan terms, and
conduct in the federal Home Ownership Equity Protection Act, United States Code, title 15,
section 1639, or its implementing regulation, Code of Federal Regulations, title 12, sections
226.31, 226.32, and 226.34, for any foreclosure reconveyance in which the foreclosed homeowner
obtains a vendee interest in a contract for deed, regardless of whether the terms of the contract for
deed meet the annual percentage rate or points and fees requirements for a covered loan in Code
of Federal Regulations, title 12, sections 226.32 (a) and (b);
(b) fail to either:
(1) ensure that title to the subject dwelling has been reconveyed to the foreclosed
homeowner; or
(2) make a payment to the foreclosed homeowner such that the foreclosed homeowner has
received consideration in an amount of at least 82 percent of the fair market value of the property
within 150 days of either the eviction or voluntary relinquishment of possession of the dwelling
by the foreclosed homeowner. The foreclosure purchaser shall make a detailed accounting of
the basis for the payment amount, or a detailed accounting of the reasons for failure to make a
payment, including providing written documentation of expenses, within this 150-day period.
The accounting shall be on a form prescribed by the attorney general, in consultation with the
commissioner of commerce, without being subject to the rulemaking procedures of chapter 14.
For purposes of this provision, the following applies:
(i) there is a rebuttable presumption that an appraisal by a person licensed or certified by an
agency of the federal government or this state to appraise real estate constitutes the fair market
value of the property;
(ii) the time for determining the fair market value amount shall be determined in the
foreclosure reconveyance contract as either at the time of the execution of the foreclosure
reconveyance contract or at resale. If the contract states that the fair market value shall be
determined at the time of resale, the fair market value shall be the resale price if it is sold
within 120 days of the eviction or voluntary relinquishment of the property by the foreclosed
homeowner. If the contract states that the fair market value shall be determined at the time of
resale, and the resale is not completed within 120 days of the eviction or voluntary relinquishment
of the property by the foreclosed homeowner, the fair market value shall be determined by an
appraisal conducted during this 120-day period and payment, if required, shall be made to the
homeowner, but the fair market value shall be recalculated as the resale price on resale and
an additional payment amount, if appropriate based on the resale price, shall be made to the
foreclosed homeowner within 15 days of resale, and a detailed accounting of the basis for the
payment amount, or a detailed accounting of the reasons for failure to make additional payment,
shall be made within 15 days of resale, including providing written documentation of expenses.
The accounting shall be on a form prescribed by the attorney general, in consultation with the
commissioner of commerce, without being subject to the rulemaking procedures of chapter 14;
(iii) "consideration" shall mean any payment or thing of value provided to the foreclosed
homeowner, including unpaid rent or contract for deed payments owed by the foreclosed
homeowner prior to the date of eviction or voluntary relinquishment of the property, reasonable
costs paid to third parties necessary to complete the foreclosure reconveyance transaction, payment
of money to satisfy a debt or legal obligation of the foreclosed homeowner, or the reasonable cost
of repairs for damage to the dwelling caused by the foreclosed homeowner; or a penalty imposed
by a court for the filing of a frivolous claim under section 325N.18, subdivision 6, but
(iv) "consideration" shall not include amounts imputed as a down payment or fee to
the foreclosure purchaser, or a person acting in participation with the foreclosure purchaser,
incident to a contract for deed, lease, or option to purchase entered into as part of the foreclosure
reconveyance, except for reasonable costs paid to third parties necessary to complete the
foreclosure reconveyance;
(c) enter into repurchase or lease terms as part of the subsequent conveyance that are unfair
or commercially unreasonable, or engage in any other unfair conduct;
(d) represent, directly or indirectly, that:
(1) the foreclosure purchaser is acting as an advisor or a consultant, or in any other manner
represents that the foreclosure purchaser is acting on behalf of the homeowner;
(2) the foreclosure purchaser has certification or licensure that the foreclosure purchaser does
not have, or that the foreclosure purchaser is not a member of a licensed profession if that is untrue;
(3) the foreclosure purchaser is assisting the foreclosed homeowner to "save the house"
or substantially similar phrase; or
(4) the foreclosure purchaser is assisting the foreclosed homeowner in preventing a
completed foreclosure if the result of the transaction is that the foreclosed homeowner will not
complete a redemption of the property;
(e) make any other statements, directly or by implication, or engage in any other conduct
that is false, deceptive, or misleading, or that has the likelihood to cause confusion or
misunderstanding, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the value of the residence in
foreclosure, the amount of proceeds the foreclosed homeowner will receive after a foreclosure
sale, any contract term, or the foreclosed homeowner's rights or obligations incident to or arising
out of the foreclosure reconveyance; or
(f) do any of the following until the time during which the foreclosed homeowner may
cancel the transaction has fully elapsed:
(1) accept from any foreclosed homeowner an execution of, or induce any foreclosed
homeowner to execute, any instrument of conveyance of any interest in the residence in
foreclosure;
(2) record with the county recorder or file with the registrar of titles any document, including
but not limited to, any instrument of conveyance, signed by the foreclosed homeowner;
(3) transfer or encumber or purport to transfer or encumber any interest in the residence in
foreclosure to any third party, provided no grant of any interest or encumbrance is defeated
or affected as against a bona fide purchaser or encumbrance for value and without notice of a
violation of sections 325N.10 to 325N.18, and knowledge on the part of any such person or entity
that the property was "residential real property in foreclosure" does not constitute notice of a
violation of sections 325N.10 to 325N.18. This section does not abrogate any duty of inquiry
which exists as to rights or interests of persons in possession of the residential real property in
foreclosure; or
(4) pay the foreclosed homeowner any consideration.
History: 2004 c 263 s 17; 2007 c 106 s 9

NOTE: This section, as added by Laws 2004, chapter 263, section 17, expires December
31, 2009. Laws 2004, chapter 263, section 26.