Collapse to view only § 1738. Insurance of mortgages
- § 1736. Definitions
- § 1737. Repealed.
- § 1738. Insurance of mortgages
- § 1739. Mortgage insurance benefits
- § 1740. Repealed.
- § 1741. State taxation of realty held by Secretary
- § 1742. Rules and regulations
- § 1743. Insurance of mortgages
- § 1744. Insurance of loans for manufacture of houses
- § 1745. Insurance of mortgages on sales of Government housing; limits and conditions; Greenbelt towns; State housing
- § 1746. Insurance on mortgages on large-scale housing projects
- § 1746a. Termination of commitment authority under this subchapter
In order to assist in relieving the acute shortage of housing which now exists and to increase the supply of housing accommodations available to veterans of World War II at prices within their reasonable ability to pay, the Secretary is authorized, upon application by the mortgagee, to insure as hereinafter provided any mortgage which is eligible for insurance as hereinafter provided, and, upon such terms as the Secretary may prescribe, to make commitments for the insuring of such mortgages prior to the date of their execution or disbursement thereon: Provided, That the aggregate amount of principal obligations of all mortgages insured under this subchapter shall not exceed $6,150,000,000 except that with the approval of the President such aggregate amount may be increased to not to exceed $6,650,000,000: Provided further, That no mortgage shall be insured under this section after April 30, 1948, except (A) pursuant to a commitment to insure issued on or before April 30, 1948, or (B) a mortgage given to refinance an existing mortgage insured under this section and which does not exceed the original principal amount and unexpired term of such existing mortgage, and no mortgage shall be insured under section 1743 of this title after March 1, 1950, except (i) pursuant to a commitment to insure issued on or before March 1, 1950, or (ii) a mortgage given to refinance an existing mortgage insured under section 1743 of this title and which does not exceed the original principal amount and unexpired term of such existing mortgage: Provided further, That no mortgage shall be insured under section 1743 of this title unless the mortgagor certifies under oath that in selecting tenants for the property covered by the mortgage he will not discriminate against any family by reason of the fact that there are children in the family, and that he will not sell the property while the insurance is in effect unless the purchaser so certifies, such certifications to be filed with the Secretary; and violation of any such certification shall be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not to exceed $500: And provided further, That the Secretary shall, in his discretion, have power to require the availability for rental purposes of properties covered by mortgages insured under this subchapter, in such instances and for such periods of time as he may prescribe.
Notwithstanding the first proviso of this subsection, mortgages may be insured under sections 1744 and 1746 of this title if the aggregate amounts of principal obligations of mortgages insured under said sections plus the aggregate amount of principal obligations of mortgages insured under section 1745 of this title do not exceed the limitation contained in said section 1745 upon the aggregate amount of principal obligations of mortgages insured pursuant to said section.
Notwithstanding the second proviso of this subsection, mortgages otherwise eligible for insurance under section 1743 of this title may be hereafter insured thereunder if the application for such insurance was received by the Department of Housing and Urban Development on or before March 1, 1950, and for such purpose the aggregate amount of principal obligations authorized to be insured under section 1743 of this title is increased by not to exceed $500,000,000.
The Secretary is authorized to fix a premium charge for the insurance of mortgages under this subchapter but in the case of any mortgage such charge shall not be less than an amount equivalent to one-half of 1 per centum per annum nor more than an amount equivalent to 1½ per centum per annum of the amount of the principal obligation of the mortgage outstanding at any time, without taking into account delinquent payments or prepayments. Such premium charges shall be payable by the mortgagee, either in cash, or in debentures issued by the Secretary under this subchapter at par plus accrued interest, in such manner as may be prescribed by the Secretary: Provided, That the Secretary may require the payment of one or more such premium charges at the time the mortgage is insured, at such discount rate as he may prescribe not in excess of the interest rate specified in the mortgage. If the Secretary finds, upon the presentation of a mortgage for insurance and the tender of the initial premium charge and such other charges as the Secretary may require, that the mortgage complies with the provisions of this subchapter, such mortgage may be accepted for insurance by endorsement or otherwise as the Secretary may prescribe; but no mortgage shall be accepted for insurance under this subchapter unless the Secretary finds that the project with respect to which the mortgage is executed is an acceptable risk in view of the shortage of housing referred to in this section. In the event that the principal obligation of any mortgage accepted for insurance under this subchapter is paid in full prior to the maturity date, the Secretary is further authorized in his discretion to require the payment by the mortgagee of an adjusted premium charge in such amount as the Secretary determines to be equitable, but not in excess of the aggregate amount of the premium charges that the mortgagee would otherwise have been required to pay if the mortgage had continued to be insured under this subchapter until such maturity date; and in the event that the principal obligation is paid in full as herein set forth, the Secretary is authorized to refund to the mortgagee for the account of the mortgagor all, or such portion as he shall determine to be equitable, of the current unearned premium charges theretofore paid. The Secretary shall prescribe such procedures as in his judgment are necessary to secure to veterans of World War II, and their immediate families, and to hardship cases as defined by the Secretary, preference or priority of opportunity to purchase or rent properties covered by mortgages insured under this subchapter.
Any contract of insurance heretofore or hereafter executed by the Secretary under this subchapter shall be conclusive evidence of the eligibility of the mortgage for insurance, and the validity of any contract of insurance so executed shall be incontestable in the hands of an approved mortgagee from the date of the execution of such contract, except for fraud or misrepresentation on the part of such approved mortgagee.
The Secretary may at any time, under such terms and conditions as he may prescribe, consent to the release of the mortgagor from his liability under the mortgage or the credit instrument secured thereby, or consent to the release of parts of the mortgaged property from the lien of the mortgage: Provided, That the mortgagor shall not be released from such liability in any case until the Secretary is satisfied that the mortgaged property has been sold to a purchaser satisfactory to the Secretary, and that such purchaser has paid on account of the purchase price, in cash or its equivalent, at least 10 per centum of the Secretary’s estimate of the value as of the date the mortgage is accepted for insurance.
Debentures issued under this subchapter shall be in such form and denominations in multiples of $50, shall be subject to such terms and conditions, and shall include such provisions for redemption, if any, as may be prescribed by the Secretary with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, and may be in coupon or registered form. Any difference between the value of the mortgage determined as herein provided and the aggregate face value of the debentures issued, not to exceed $350, shall be adjusted by the payment of cash by the Secretary to the mortgagee from the General Insurance Fund.
The debenture issued under this section to any mortgagee shall be executed in the name of the General Insurance Fund as obligor, shall be signed by the Secretary by either his written or engraved signature, and shall be negotiable. All such debentures shall be dated as of the date foreclosure proceedings were instituted, or the property was otherwise acquired by the mortgagee after default, except that debentures issued pursuant to claims for insurance filed on or after September 2, 1964, shall be dated as of the date of default or as of such later date as the Secretary, in his discretion, may establish by regulation. The debentures shall bear interest from such date at a rate determined by the Secretary, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, at the time the mortgage was accepted for insurance, but not to exceed 3 per centum per anspan, payable semiannually on the 1st day of January and the 1st day of July of each year. Such debentures as are issued in exchange for property covered by mortgages accepted for insurance under this section on or after May 26, 1942, shall mature ten years after the date thereof. Such debentures as are issued in exchange for property covered by mortgages accepted for insurance under this section prior to May 26, 1942, shall mature three years after the 1st day of July following the maturity date of the mortgage on the property in exchange for which the debentures were issued: Provided, That any mortgagee entitled to receive such debentures may elect to receive in lieu thereof debentures which shall mature ten years after the date thereof. Such debentures shall be exempt, both as to principal and interest, from all taxation (except surtaxes, estate, inheritance, and gift taxes) now or hereafter imposed by any Territory, dependency, or possession of the United States, or by the District of Columbia, or by any State, county, municipality, or local taxing authority, and shall be paid out of the General Insurance Fund, which shall be primarily liable therefor, and they shall be fully and unconditionally guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States, and such guaranty shall be expressed on the face of the debentures. In the event that the General Insurance Fund fails to pay upon demand, when due, the principal of or interest on any debentures issued under this subchapter, the Secretary of the Treasury shall pay to the holders the amount thereof which is authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and thereupon to the extent of the amount so paid the Secretary of the Treasury shall succeed to all the rights of the holders of such debentures.
The certificate of claim issued by the Secretary to any mortgagee shall be for an amount which the Secretary determines to be sufficient, when added to the face value of the debentures issued and the cash adjustment paid to the mortgagee, to equal the amount which the mortgagee would have received if, at the time of the conveyance to the Secretary of the property covered by the mortgage, the mortgagor had redeemed the property and paid in full all obligations under the mortgage and a reasonable amount for necessary expenses incurred by the mortgagee in connection with the foreclosure proceedings, or the acquisition of the mortgaged property otherwise, and the conveyance thereof to the Secretary. Each such certificate of claim shall provide that there shall accrue to the holder of such certificate with respect to the face amount of such certificate, an increment at the rate of 3 per centum per anspan which shall not be compounded. The amount to which the holder of any such certificate shall be entitled shall be determined as provided in subsection (f).
Notwithstanding any other provision of law relating to the acquisition, handling, or disposal of real property by the United States, the Secretary shall have power to deal with, complete, rent, renovate, modernize, insure, make contracts or establish suitable agencies for the management of, or sell for cash or credit, in his discretion, any properties conveyed to him in exchange for debentures and certificates of claim as provided in this subchapter; and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall also have power to pursue to final collection, by way of compromise or otherwise, all claims against mortgagors assigned by mortgagees to the Secretary as provided in this subchapter, except that no suit or action shall be commenced by the Secretary against any such mortgagor on account of any claim so assigned with respect to mortgages insured under section 1738 of this title unless such suit or action is commenced within six months after the assignment of such claim to the Secretary, or within six months after the last payment was made to the Secretary with respect to the claim so assigned, whichever is later: Provided, That section 6101 of title 41 shall not be construed to apply to any contract for hazard insurance, or to any purchase or contract for services or supplies on account of such property if the amount thereof does not exceed $1,000. The power to convey and to execute in the name of the Secretary deeds of conveyances, deeds of release, assignments, and satisfactions of mortgages, and any other written instrument relating to real property or any interest therein heretofore or hereafter acquired by the Secretary pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, may be exercised by an officer appointed by him, without the execution of any express delegation of power or power of attorney: Provided, That nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent the Secretary from delegating such power by order or by power of attorney in his discretion, to any officer, agent, or employee he may appoint.
No mortgagee or mortgagor shall have and no certificate of claim shall be construed to give to any mortgagee or mortgagor, any right or interest in any property conveyed to the Secretary or in any claim assigned to him; nor shall the Secretary owe any duty to any mortgagee or mortgagor with respect to the handling or disposal of any such property or the collection of any such claim.
Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to exempt any real property acquired and held by the Secretary under this subchapter from taxation by any State or political subdivision thereof, to the same extent, according to its value, as other real property is taxed.
The Secretary is authorized and directed to make such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this subchapter.
In addition to mortgages insured under section 1738 of this title, the Secretary is authorized to insure mortgages as defined in section 1736 of this title (including advances on such mortgages during construction) which are eligible for insurance as hereinafter provided.
The failure of the mortgagor to make any payment due under or provided to be paid by the terms of a mortgage insured under this section shall be considered a default under such mortgage, and if such default continues for a period of thirty days, the mortgagee shall be entitled to receive the benefits of the insurance as hereinafter provided, upon assignment, transfer, and delivery to the Secretary, within a period and in accordance with rules and regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of (1) all rights and interests arising under the mortgage so in default; (2) all claims of the mortgagee against the mortgagors or others, arising out of the mortgage transaction; (3) all policies of title or other insurance or surety bonds or other guaranties and any and all claims thereunder; (4) any balance of the mortgage loan not advanced to the mortgagor; (5) any cash or property held by the mortgagee, or to which it is entitled, as deposits made for the account of the mortgagor and which have not been applied in reduction of the principal of the mortgage indebtedness; and (6) all records, documents, books, papers, and accounts relating to the mortgage transaction. Upon such assignment, transfer, and delivery the obligation of the mortgagee to pay the premium charges for mortgage insurance shall cease, and the Secretary shall, subject to the cash adjustment provided for in section 1739(c) of this title, issue to the mortgagee debentures having a total face value equal to the value of the mortgage, and a certificate of claim as hereinafter provided. For the purposes of this subsection, the value of the mortgage shall be determined in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary, by adding to the amount of the original principal obligation of the mortgage which was unpaid on the date of default, the amount the mortgagee may have paid for (A) taxes, special assessments, and water rates, which are liens prior to the mortgage; (B) insurance on the property; and (C) reasonable expenses for the completion and preservation of the property and any mortgage insurance premiums paid after default; less the sum of (i) an amount equivalent to 1 per centum of the unpaid amount of such principal obligation on the date of default; (ii) any amount received on account of the mortgage after such date; and (iii) any net income received by the mortgagee from the property after such date: Provided, That the mortgagee in the event of a default under the mortgage may, at its option and in accordance with regulations of, and in a period to be determined by the Secretary, proceed to foreclose on and obtain possession of or otherwise acquire such property from the mortgagor after default, and receive the benefits of the insurance as herein provided, upon (1) the prompt conveyance to the Secretary of title to the property which meets the requirements of the rules and regulations of the Secretary in force at the time the mortgage was insured, and which is evidenced in the manner prescribed by such rules and regulations; and (2) the assignment to him of all claims of the mortgagee against the mortgagor or others, arising out of the mortgage transaction or foreclosure proceedings, except such claims that may have been released with the consent of the Secretary. Upon such conveyance and assignment, the obligation of the mortgagee to pay the premium charges for insurance shall cease and the mortgagee shall be entitled to receive the benefits of the insurance as provided in this subsection, except that in such event the 1 per centum deduction, set out in (i) hereof, shall not apply.
The certificate of claim issued by the Secretary to any mortgagee in connection with the insurance of mortgages under this section shall be for an amount determined in accordance with subsections (e) and (f) of section 1739 of this title, except that any amount remaining after the payment of the full amount under the certificate of claim shall be retained by the Secretary and credited to the General Insurance Fund.
Debentures issued under this section shall be issued in accordance with the provisions of section 1739 (d) of this title except that such debentures shall be dated as of the date of default as determined in subsection (c) of this section, and shall bear interest from such date.
The provisions of section 1713(k) of this title shall be applicable to mortgages insured under this section, except that, as applied to such mortgages, the reference therein to subsection (g) shall be construed to refer to subsection (c) of this section.
The Secretary shall also have power to insure under this subchapter or subchapter I, II, VIII, or X any mortgage executed in connection with the sale by him of any property acquired under any of such subchapters without regard to limitations upon eligibility, time, or aggregate amount contained therein.
In order to assist in relieving the acute shortage of housing which now exists and to promote the production of housing for veterans of World War II at moderate prices or rentals within their reasonable ability to pay, through the application of modern industrial processes, the Secretary is authorized to insure loans to finance the manufacture of housing (including advances on such loans) when such loans are eligible for insurance as hereinafter provided.
The Secretary may consent to the release of a part or parts of the property assigned or delivered as security for the loan, upon such terms and conditions as he may prescribe and the security documents may provide for such release.
The failure of the borrower to make any payment due under or provided to be paid by the terms of a loan under this section, or the failure to perform any other covenant or obligation contained in any assignment, agreement, or undertaking executed by the borrower in connection with such loan, shall be considered as a default under this section, and if such default continues for a period of thirty days, the lender shall be entitled to receive the benefits of the insurance hereinafter provided upon assignment, transfer, and delivery to the Secretary within a period and in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of (1) all rights and interest arising with respect to the loan so in default; (2) all claims of the lender against the borrower or others arising out of the loan transaction; (3) any cash or property held by the lender, or to which it is entitled, as deposits made for the account of the borrower and which have not been applied in reduction of the principal of the loan; and (4) all records, documents, books, papers, and accounts relating to the loan transaction. Upon such assignment, transfer, and delivery, the Secretary shall, subject to the cash adjustment provided for in section 1739(c) of this title, issue to the lender debentures having a face value equal to the unpaid principal balance of the loan.
Debentures issued under this section shall be issued in accordance with the provisions of section 1739(d) of this title except that such debentures shall be dated as of the date of default as determined in subsection (d) of this section and shall bear interest from such date.
The provisions of sections 1713(k) and 1738(a) of this title shall be applicable to loans insured under this section, except that as applied to such loans (1) the reference in section 1713(k) of this title to “subsection (g)” shall be construed to refer to “subsection (d)” of this section; (2) the references in section 1713(k) of this title to insured mortgages shall be construed to refer to the assignment or other security for loans insured under this section; and (3) the references in section 1738(a) of this title to a mortgage or mortgages shall be construed to include a loan or loans under this section. The provisions of section 1738(d) of this title shall also be applicable to loans insured under this section and the reference in section 1738(d) of this title to a mortgage shall be construed to include a loan or loans with respect to which a contract of insurance is issued pursuant to this section.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall have the power to assign or sell at public or private sale, or otherwise dispose of, any evidence of debt, contract, claim, personal property, or security assigned to or held by him in connection with the payment of insurance heretofore or hereafter granted under this section, and to collect or compromise all obligations assigned to or held by him and all legal or equitable rights accruing to him in connection with the payment of such insurance until such time as such obligations may be referred to the Attorney General for suit or collection.
The Secretary shall fix a premium charge for the insurance granted under this section, but such premium charge shall not exceed an amount equivalent to 1 per centum of the original principal of such loan, and such premium charge shall be payable in advance by the financial institution and shall be paid at such time and in such manner as may be prescribed by the Secretary. In addition to the premium charge herein provided for, the Secretary is authorized to charge and collect such amounts as he may deem reasonable for examining and processing applications for the insurance of loans under this section, including such additional inspections as the Secretary may deem necessary.
In addition to mortgages insured under other sections of this subchapter, and in order to assist and encourage the application of cost-reduction techniques through large-scale modernized site construction of housing and the erection of houses produced by modern industrial processes, the Secretary is authorized to insure mortgages (including advances on such mortgages during construction) which are eligible for insurance as hereinafter provided.
Preference or priority of opportunity in the occupancy of the mortgaged property for veterans of World War II and their immediate families and for hardship cases as defined by the Secretary shall be provided under such regulations and procedures as may be prescribed by the Secretary.
The provisions of subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f) of section 1743 of this title shall be applicable to mortgages insured under this section covering a project described in subsection (b) of this section, and the provisions of subsections (a) to (f), and (h) of section 1739 of this title shall be applicable to the individual mortgages insured pursuant to subsection (b)(4) of this section covering individual dwellings in the project.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, no mortgage or loan shall be insured under any section of this subchapter after August 2, 1954 except pursuant to a commitment to insure issued on or before such date.