Bill Text: FL H0145 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Residential Foreclosure Proceedings

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2012-03-09 - Died in Civil Justice Subcommittee [H0145 Detail]

Download: Florida-2012-H0145-Introduced.html
HB 145

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to residential foreclosure
3proceedings; providing a short title; creating s.
4501.1379, F.S.; defining terms; prohibiting certain
5acts by mortgage collection firms; providing that
6violations are deceptive and unfair trade practices;
7providing penalties and remedies; providing for the
8award of attorney's fees and costs under certain
9circumstances; providing an effective date.
10
11Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13     Section 1.  This act may be cited as the "Florida Mortgage
14Collection Fairness Act."
15     Section 2.  Section 501.1379, Florida Statutes, is created
16to read:
17     501.1379  Mortgage collection firms; prohibited practices;
18penalties and remedies.-
19     (1)  As used in this section, the term:
20     (a)  "Mortgage collection firm" means:
21     1.  An attorney or law firm engaged to represent a party
22filing a residential mortgage foreclosure action; or
23     2.  A person engaged in debt collection services for a
24residential mortgage loan.
25     (b)  "Mortgage modification agreement" means a written
26agreement to modify the interest rate or other terms of a
27residential mortgage to avoid default of the mortgage or
28foreclosure proceedings.
29     (2)  A mortgage collection firm may not:
30     (a)  Offer evidence in a residential mortgage foreclosure
31proceeding that the firm knows to be false.
32     (b)  Knowingly breach a bona fide mortgage modification
33agreement.
34     (c)  Retake possession, without judicial process, of
35residential real property for a party filing a mortgage
36foreclosure action upon such property, unless such property is
37abandoned for more than 30 days.
38     (3)  A violation of subsection (2) is a deceptive and
39unfair trade practice and constitutes a violation of the Florida
40Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. A mortgage collection
41firm that violates subsection (2) is subject to the penalties
42and remedies provided in part II of this chapter, including the
43award of reasonable attorney's fees and costs under s. 501.2105.
44     Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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