1. As used in this section, the term "loan" means a loan of money which is wholly or in part to be used for the purpose of purchasing real property which is a single-family or a two-family dwelling occupied or to be occupied by the borrower. "Loan" includes the refinancing of a contract of sale, and the refinancing of a prior loan, whether or not the borrower also was the borrower under the prior loan, and the assumption of a prior loan.
2. a. A lender may collect, in connection with a loan made pursuant to a written agreement executed by the borrower on or after July 1, 1983, or in connection with a loan made pursuant to a written commitment by the lender mailed or delivered to the borrower on or after that date, a loan processing fee which does not exceed two percent of an amount which is equal to the loan principal; except that to the extent of an assumption by a new borrower of the obligation to make payments under a prior loan, or to the extent that the loan principal is used to refinance a prior loan between the same borrower and the same lender, the lender may collect a loan processing fee which does not exceed an amount which is a reasonable estimate of the expenses of processing the loan assumption or refinancing but which does not exceed one percent of the unpaid balance of the loan that is assumed or refinanced. In addition, a lender may collect from a borrower, a seller of property, another lender, or any other person, or from any combination of these persons, in contemplation of or in connection with a loan, a commitment fee, closing fee, or both, that is agreed to in writing by the lender and the persons from whom the charges are to be collected. A loan fee collected under this paragraph is compensation to the lender solely for the use of money, notwithstanding any provision of the agreement to the contrary. However, a loan fee collected under this paragraph shall be disregarded for purposes of determining the maximum charge permitted by section 535.2 or 535.9, subsection 2. The collection in connection with a loan of a loan origination fee, closing fee, commitment fee, or similar charge is prohibited other than expressly authorized by this paragraph or a payment reduction fee authorized by subsection 3.
b. A lender may collect in connection with a loan any of the following costs which are incurred by the lender in connection with the loan and which are disclosed to the borrower:
(1) Credit reports.
(2) Appraisal fees paid to a third party, or when the appraisal is performed by the lender, a fee which is a reasonable estimate of the expense incurred by the lender in performing the appraisal.
(3) Attorney's opinions.
(4) Abstracting fees paid to a third party, or when the abstracting is performed by the lender, a fee which is a reasonable estimate of the expense incurred by the lender in performing the abstracting.
(5) County recorder's fees.
(6) Inspection fees.
(7) Mortgage guarantee insurance charge.
(8) Surveying of property.
(9) Termite inspection.
(10) The cost of a title guaranty issued by the Iowa finance authority pursuant to chapter 16.
The lender shall not charge the borrower for the cost of revenue stamps or real estate commissions which are paid by the seller. Collection of any cost other than as expressly permitted by this lettered paragraph is prohibited.
c. If the purpose of the loan is to enable the borrower to purchase a single-family or two-family dwelling, for the borrower's residence, any provision of a loan agreement which prohibits the borrower from transferring the borrower's interest in the property to a third party for use by the third party as the third party's residence, or any provision which requires or permits the lender to make a change in the interest rate, the repayment schedule or the term of the loan as a result of a transfer by the borrower of the borrower's interest in the property to a third party for use by the third party as the third party's residence shall not be enforceable except as provided in the following sentence. If the lender on reasonable grounds believes that its security interest or the likelihood of repayment is impaired, based solely on criteria which is not more restrictive than that used to evaluate a new mortgage loan application, the lender may accelerate the loan, or to offset any such impairment, may adjust the interest rate, the repayment schedule or the term of the loan. A provision of a loan agreement which violates this paragraph is void.
d. If a lender collects a fee or charge which is prohibited by paragraph "a" or "b" of this subsection or which exceeds the amount permitted by paragraph "a" or "b" of this subsection, the person from whom the fee was collected has the right to recover the unlawful fee or charge or the unlawful portion of the fee or charge, plus attorney fees and costs incurred in any action necessary to effect recovery.
e. Notwithstanding section 628.3 when a foreclosure of a mortgage on real property results from the enforcement of a due-on-sale clause, the mortgagor may redeem the real property at any time within three years from the day of sale under the levy, and the mortgagor shall, in the meantime, be entitled to the possession thereof; and for the first thirty months thereafter such right of redemption is exclusive. Any real property redeemed by the debtor shall thereafter be free and clear from any liability for any unpaid portion of the judgment under which the real property was sold. The right of redemption established by this paragraph is not subject to waiver by the mortgagor and the period of redemption established by this paragraph shall not be reduced. The times for redemption by creditors provided in sections 628.5, 628.15 and 628.16 shall be extended to thirty-three months in any case in which the mortgagor's period for redemption is extended by this paragraph. This paragraph does not apply to foreclosure of a mortgage if for any reason other than enforcement of a due-on-sale clause. As used in this paragraph, "due-on-sale clause" means any type of covenant which gives the mortgagee the right to demand payment of the outstanding balance or a major part thereof upon a transfer by the mortgagor to a third party of an interest of the mortgagor in property covered by the mortgage. This paragraph applies to any foreclosure occurring on or after May 10, 1980. However, this paragraph does not apply if the lender establishes, based on reasonable criteria which are not more restrictive than those used to evaluate new mortgage-loan applications, that the security interest or the likelihood of repayment is impaired as a result of the transfer of interest.
This lettered paragraph applies only to a mortgage given in connection with a loan as defined in subsection 1 of this section.
3. A lender who offers to make a loan with only those fees authorized by subsection 2 may also offer in exchange for the payment of an interest reduction fee to make a loan on all of the same terms except at a lower interest rate and with the lower payments resulting from the lower interest rate. Prior to accepting an application for a loan which includes a payment reduction fee, the lender shall provide the potential borrower with a written disclosure describing in plain language the specific terms which the loan would have both with the payment reduction fee and without it. This disclosure shall include a good faith example showing the amount of the payment reduction fee and the reduction in payments which would result from the payment of this fee in a typical loan transaction. A payment reduction fee which complies with this subsection may be collected in connection with a loan in addition to the fees authorized by subsection 2.
4. A lender shall not, as a condition of making a loan as defined in this section, require the borrower to place money, or to place property other than that which is given as security for the loan, on deposit with or in the possession or control of the lender or some other person if the effect is to increase the yield to the lender with respect to that loan; provided that this subsection shall not prohibit a lender from requiring the borrower to deposit money without interest with the lender in an escrow account for the payment of insurance premiums, property taxes and special assessments payable by the borrower to third persons. Any lender who requires an escrow account shall not violate the provisions of section 507B.5, subsection 1, paragraph "a".
5. If any lender receives interest either in a manner or in an amount which is prohibited by subsection 4 of this section, the borrower shall have the right to recover all amounts collected or earned by the lender, whether or not from the borrower, in violation of this section, plus attorney fees, plus court costs incurred in any action necessary to effect such recovery.
6. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any loan which is subject to the provisions of section 636.46, nor shall it apply to origination fees, administrative fees, commitment fees or similar charges paid by one lender to another lender if these fees are not ultimately paid either directly or indirectly by the borrower who occupies or will occupy the dwelling or by the seller of the dwelling.
A lender shall not use an appraisal for any purpose in connection with making a loan under this section if the appraisal is performed by a person who is employed by or affiliated with any person receiving a commission or fee from the seller of the property. If a lender violates this paragraph the borrower is entitled to recover any actual damages plus the costs paid by the borrower, plus attorney fees incurred in an action necessary to effect recovery.
[C79, S79, C81, § 535.8; 81 Acts, ch 176, § 1, 2]
83 Acts, ch 124, § 19, 20; 85 Acts, ch 252, §39
Referred to in § 16.42, 524.905, 533.16, 534.205, 534.206, 535.2, 535.10, 536A.20, 537.1301
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