Iowa Code § 714F.8 - Prohibited practices

A foreclosure purchaser shall not do any of the following: 1. Enter into, or attempt to enter into, a foreclosure reconveyance with a foreclosed homeowner unless all of the following apply: a. 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. A rebuttable presumption arises that a foreclosed homeowner is reasonably able to pay for the subsequent conveyance if the foreclosed homeowner’s payments for primary housing expenses and regular principal and interest payments on other personal debt, on a monthly basis, do not exceed sixty percent of the foreclosed homeowner’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. A rebuttable presumption arises 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. b. 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 the creation of a mortgage on the real property conducted by a closing agent, 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. c. 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. d. The foreclosure purchaser complies with the requirements for disclosure, loan terms, and conduct in the federal Home Ownership Equity Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. §1639, 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 12 C.F.R. §226.32(a) and (b). 2. Enter into a foreclosure reconveyance unless the foreclosure purchaser notifies all existing mortgage lien holders of the foreclosure purchaser’s intent to accept conveyance of any interest in the property from the foreclosed homeowner, and fully complies with all terms and conditions contained in the mortgage lien documents including but not limited to due-on-sale provisions or meeting all qualification requirements for assuming the repayment of the mortgage. 3. Fail to do any of the following: a. Ensure that title to the subject dwelling has been reconveyed to the foreclosed homeowner. b. (1) Make a payment to the foreclosed homeowner such that the foreclosed homeowner has received consideration in an amount of at least eighty-two percent of the fair market value of the property, as the property was when the foreclosed homeowner vacated the property, within ninety days of either the eviction or voluntary relinquishment of possession of the property 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 ninety-day period. The accounting shall be on a form prescribed by the attorney general, in consultation with the superintendent of the banking division of the department of insurance and financial services without being subject to the rulemaking procedures of chapter 17A. (2) For purposes of this paragraph “b”, all of the following shall apply: (a) A rebuttable presumption arises 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. (b) 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 sixty 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 sixty 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 within one hundred eighty days of the eviction or voluntary relinquishment of the property by the foreclosed homeowner and payment, if required, shall be made to the foreclosed 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 fifteen 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 fifteen 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 superintendent of the banking division of the department of insurance and financial services, without being subject to the rulemaking procedures of chapter 17A. (c) “Consideration” means any payment or thing of value provided to the foreclosed homeowner, including payment of 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 that creates a lien against the affected residence, or the payment of reasonable cost of repairs for damage to the dwelling caused by the foreclosed homeowner; or a payment of a penalty imposed by a court for the filing of a frivolous claim under section 714F.9, subsection 6, but “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. 4. 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. 5. Represent, directly or indirectly, any of the following: a. 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 foreclosed homeowner. b. The foreclosure purchaser has a qualification, 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. c. The foreclosure purchaser is assisting the foreclosed homeowner to “save the house” or a substantially similar phrase. d. The foreclosure purchaser is assisting the foreclosed homeowner in preventing a completed foreclosure, forfeiture, or tax sale if the result of the transaction is that the foreclosed homeowner will not complete a redemption of the property. 6. 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. 7. Do any of the following until the time during which the foreclosed homeowner may cancel the transaction has fully elapsed: a. Accept from a foreclosed homeowner an execution of, or induce a foreclosed homeowner to execute, an instrument of conveyance of any interest in the residence in foreclosure. b. Record with the county recorder or file with the registrar of titles any document including but not limited to an instrument of conveyance, signed by the foreclosed homeowner. c. Transfer or encumber or purport to transfer or encumber any interest in the residence in foreclosure to any third party. 2008 Acts, ch 1125, §17, 19; 2009 Acts, ch 41, §168; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §2764, 2765