Bill Text: NY A04365 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to the purchase of community land mortgages; defines a community land mortgage as a mortgage that is secured by a first lien on a leasehold estate in real property that is improved by a residential structure wherein title to the real property is retained by a not-for-profit housing company or housing development fund company; authorizes the state of New York mortgage agency to purchase community land mortgages from banks within the state; ensures not-for-profit housing remains as affordable housing.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to housing [A04365 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A04365-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4365

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 14, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. FITZPATRICK, TAGUE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of
          A. MANKTELOW -- read once and referred to the Committee on Housing

        AN  ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to the purchase
          of community land mortgages

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Section  2402 of the public authorities law is amended by
     2  adding a new subdivision 18 to read as follows:
     3    (18) "Community land mortgage". A mortgage secured by a first lien  on
     4  a  leasehold  estate  in real property that is improved by a residential
     5  structure wherein title to the real property is retained by  a  not-for-
     6  profit  housing  company  or  housing  development  fund company and the
     7  improvements thereon are sold to persons or families of low or  moderate
     8  income who also execute a long-term lease for the real property.
     9    §  2.  The  public  authorities law is amended by adding a new section
    10  2405-g to read as follows:
    11    § 2405-g. Purchase of community land mortgages.  (1) A purpose of  the
    12  agency  shall  be to purchase community land mortgages from banks within
    13  the state during periods when there is an inadequate  supply  of  credit
    14  available  for  new residential mortgages or available for such loans at
    15  carrying charges within the financial means of persons and  families  of
    16  low and moderate income.
    17    It  is  hereby  found  and declared that such activities by the agency
    18  will alleviate a condition in this state which is contrary to the public
    19  health, safety and general welfare and which has constituted in the past
    20  and from time to time in the future can  be  expected  to  constitute  a
    21  public  emergency.  It  is further found and declared that such purposes
    22  are in all respects for the benefit of the people of the  state  of  New
    23  York and the agency shall be regarded as performing an essential govern-
    24  mental  function  in  carrying  out  its  purposes and in exercising the
    25  powers granted by this title.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD08409-01-3

        A. 4365                             2

     1    (2) The agency shall purchase community land mortgages from  banks  at
     2  such  prices  and  upon such terms and conditions as it shall determine;
     3  provided, however, that the  total  purchase  price,  exclusive  of  any
     4  amounts representing a refund of commitment or other fees paid by a bank
     5  to  the  agency,  for all mortgages which the agency commits to purchase
     6  from a bank at any one time shall in no event be more than the total  of
     7  the unpaid principal balances thereof, plus accrued interest thereon.
     8    (3)  In conducting its program of purchasing community land mortgages,
     9  the agency shall be governed by  the  provisions  of  paragraph  (b)  of
    10  subdivision three of section twenty-four hundred five of this part.
    11    (4)  The  agency shall require as a condition of purchase of community
    12  land mortgages from banks that each such bank  certify  that  each  such
    13  community  land mortgage is to an individual borrower and is in addition
    14  to the mortgages such certifying bank otherwise would have made.
    15    (4-a) The agency must approve the ground lease used by the lessor  for
    16  the  lease  of  the  real property to the lessee. Such lease may contain
    17  certain resale provisions limiting future eligible buyers and/or maximum
    18  sales price provided that such provisions are recorded with  the  appro-
    19  priate  public  official  and  that  they  terminate upon foreclosure or
    20  assignment in lieu of foreclosure of the first leasehold mortgage.
    21    (5) Notwithstanding the  maximum  interest  rate,  if  any,  fixed  by
    22  section  5-501  of  the  general  obligations  law  or any other law not
    23  specifically amending or applicable to this section, the agency may  set
    24  the  interest  rate to be borne by community land mortgages purchased by
    25  the agency from banks at a rate or rates which the agency from  time  to
    26  time  shall determine to be at least sufficient, together with any other
    27  available monies, to provide for the payment of its bonds and notes, and
    28  community land mortgages bearing such interest rate shall not be  deemed
    29  to  violate  any such law or to be unenforceable if originated by a bank
    30  in good faith pursuant to an undertaking with the agency with respect to
    31  the sale thereof notwithstanding any subsequent failure of the agency to
    32  purchase the mortgage or any subsequent sale or disposition of the mort-
    33  gage by the agency to such bank or any other person.
    34    (6) The agency shall require the submission to it by  each  bank  from
    35  which  the agency has purchased community land mortgages evidence satis-
    36  factory to the agency of the making, and if applicable,  the  servicing,
    37  of  such  community land mortgages in conformity with such bank's under-
    38  taking with the agency and in  connection  therewith  may,  through  its
    39  employees  or  agents  or those of the department of financial services,
    40  inspect the books and records of any such bank.
    41    (7) Compliance by any bank with the terms of  its  agreement  with  or
    42  undertaking  to  the agency with respect to the sale, and if applicable,
    43  the servicing, of community land mortgages may be enforced by decree  of
    44  the  supreme court. The agency may require as a condition of purchase of
    45  community land mortgages from any bank the consent of such bank  to  the
    46  jurisdiction  of  the supreme court over any such proceeding. The agency
    47  may also require agreement by any bank, as a condition of  the  agency's
    48  purchase  of  community land mortgages from such bank, to the payment of
    49  penalties to the agency for violation by the bank of its undertakings to
    50  the agency, and such penalties shall be recoverable at the suit  of  the
    51  agency.
    52    (8)  The agency shall require as a condition of purchase of any commu-
    53  nity land mortgage from a bank that the bank represent  and  warrant  to
    54  the agency that:
    55    (a)  the mortgage was not made in satisfaction of an obligation of the
    56  bank under section twenty-four hundred five of this part;

        A. 4365                             3

     1    (b) the unpaid principal balance of the mortgage and the interest rate
     2  thereon have been accurately stated to the agency;
     3    (c)  the  amount  of  the  unpaid  principal balance is justly due and
     4  owing;
     5    (d) the bank has no notice  of  the  existence  of  any  counterclaim,
     6  offset  or  defense asserted by the mortgagor or any successor in inter-
     7  est;
     8    (e) the mortgage is evidenced by a bond or promissory note and a mort-
     9  gage document which has been  properly  recorded  with  the  appropriate
    10  public official;
    11    (f)  the  mortgage constitutes a valid first lien on the real property
    12  leasehold described to the agency subject only to  real  property  taxes
    13  not  yet due, installments of assessments not yet due, and easements and
    14  restrictions of record which do not  adversely  affect,  to  a  material
    15  degree, the use or value of the real property or improvements thereon;
    16    (g) the mortgagor is not now in default in the payment of any install-
    17  ment  of  principal  or  interest,  escrow funds, real property taxes or
    18  otherwise in the performance of his obligations under the mortgage docu-
    19  ments and has not to the knowledge of the bank been in  default  in  the
    20  performance  of  any  such  obligation for a period of longer than sixty
    21  days during the life of the mortgage; and
    22    (h) the improvements to the  mortgaged  real  property  leasehold  are
    23  covered by a valid and subsisting policy of insurance issued by a compa-
    24  ny  authorized by the superintendent of financial services to issue such
    25  policies in the state of New York and providing fire and extended cover-
    26  age to an amount not less than eighty percent of the insurable value  of
    27  the improvements to the mortgaged real property.
    28    (9)  Each  bank shall be liable to the agency for any damages suffered
    29  by the agency by reason of the untruth  of  any  representation  or  the
    30  breach  of  any warranty and, in the event that any representation shall
    31  prove to be untrue when made or in the event of any breach of  warranty,
    32  the bank shall, at the option of the agency, repurchase the mortgage for
    33  the original purchase price adjusted for amounts subsequently paid ther-
    34  eon, as the agency shall determine.
    35    (10) The agency need not require the recording of an assignment of any
    36  community  land  mortgage  purchased  by it from a bank pursuant to this
    37  section and shall not  be  required  to  notify  the  mortgagor  of  its
    38  purchase of the mortgage. The agency shall not be required to inspect or
    39  take  possession  of  the  mortgage documents if the bank from which the
    40  community land mortgage  is  purchased  by  the  agency  shall  enter  a
    41  contract to service such mortgage and account to the agency therefor.
    42    (11) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the agency is author-
    43  ized to require, as a condition to the purchase from banks of any commu-
    44  nity land mortgage, such restrictions upon assumability of the mortgage,
    45  default  provisions, rights to accelerate, and other terms applicable to
    46  such community land mortgages made by the bank pursuant to  undertakings
    47  with  the  agency  with  respect  to  the sale thereof as the agency may
    48  determine to be necessary or desirable to assure the  repayment  of  its
    49  bonds  and  notes  and  the  exemption  from federal income taxes of the
    50  interest payable on its  bonds  and  notes.  All  such  terms  shall  be
    51  enforceable by the originating bank, the agency, and any successor hold-
    52  er of the mortgage unless expressly waived in writing by or on behalf of
    53  the agency.
    54    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
    55  it shall have become a law.
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