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Center For Responsible Lending - A Resource For Predatory Lending Opponents

Mortgage Lending

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CRL State Legislative Scorecard

Predatory Mortgage Lending

People who live in states with strong laws against predatory lending are more likely to get responsible mortgages at a lower cost. How does your state fare? Compare your state with the minimum standards set by federal law (the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act of 1994, or HOEPA), and see if your state protects you against these specific abuses.

Learn more about why state laws are a better deal for homeowners.

Get help reading this scorecard at the bottom of this page. We update these ratings once all state legislatures have completed their annual sessions.  The current scorecard is current as of 12/31/2005.

State Date in Effect Provisions
COV P&F PPP FLP HCP HCR
Alabama Pre-1998
Alaska Pre-1998
Arizona NA
Arkansas 01/2004
California 07/2002
Colorado 01/2003
Connecticut 04/2002
Delaware NA
District of Columbia 05/2002
Florida 10/2002
Georgia 03/2003
Hawaii NA
Idaho Pre-1998
Illinois 01/2004
Indiana 01/2005
Iowa Pre-1998
Kansas 04/1999
Kentucky 06/2003
Louisiana 07/1999
Maine 09/2003
Maryland 10/2002
Massachusetts 11/2004
Michigan 12/2002
Minnesota 01/2003
Mississippi Pre-1998
Missouri Pre-1998
Montana NA
Nebraska NA
Nevada 10/2003
New Hampshire NA
New Jersey 07/2004
New Mexico 04/2004
New York 04/2003
North Carolina 10/2003
North Dakota NA
Ohio 05/2002
Oklahoma 07/2004
Oregon NA
Pennsylvania 08/2001
Rhode Island Pre-1998
South Carolina 01/2004
South Dakota NA
Tennessee NA
Texas 09/2001
Utah 05/2004
Vermont Pre-1998
Virginia Pre-1998
Washington NA
West Virginia 06/2000
Wisconsin 02/2005
Wyoming NA
How to read the
CRL scorecard

Provision grades

= Strong
= Moderate
= Weak/none

States in bold have laws that are stronger than HOEPA, the current federal law.

Provision abbreviations

  • COV = Types of mortgages covered under the statute. Strong provisions include all loan types, such as conventional, government-insured, and open-end.
  • P&F = Protections against excessive points and fees.  Strong provisions avoid loopholes for suprime prepayment penalties and yield spread premiums while providing protection at a lower threshold.
  • PPP = Restrictions on subprime prepayment penalties. Strong provisions restrict the term and amount of allowable prepayment penalties.
  • FLP = Protections against flipping (harmful refinance loans). Strong provisions prohibit flipping that has no net benefit to the borrower on all home loans.
  • HCP = High-cost loan protections. Strong provisions require loan counseling, ban prepayment penalties, and/or limit fees on high-cost loans.
  • HCR = Remedies for violations of high-cost loan protections. Strong provisions allow homeowners to defend against foreclosure, without exception.

IN THIS SECTION

FOCUS ON

Subprime Spillover

Lost Home Equity

See the Effect of Foreclosure on Home Values and Tax Bases
by State & Local Market.

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