12 USC 1715 - Cooperative housing insurance

View all text of Subchapter II [§ 1707 - § 1715z-25]

§ 1715e. Cooperative housing insurance

(a) Projects insurableIn addition to mortgages insured under section 1713 of this title, the Secretary is authorized to insure mortgages as defined in section 1713(a) of this title (including advances on such mortgages during construction), which cover property held by—

(1) a nonprofit cooperative ownership housing corporation or nonprofit cooperative ownership housing trust, the permanent occupancy of the dwellings of which is restricted to members of such corporation or to beneficiaries of such trust;

(2) a nonprofit corporation or nonprofit trust organized for the purpose of construction of homes for members of the corporation or for beneficiaries of the trust; or

(3) a mortgagor, approved by the Secretary which (A) has certified to the Secretary, as a condition of obtaining the insurance of a mortgage under this section, that upon completion of the property or project covered by such mortgage it intends to sell such property or project to a nonprofit corporation or nonprofit trust of the character described in paragraph (1) of this subsection at the actual cost of such property or project as certified pursuant to section 1715r of this title and will faithfully and diligently make and carry out all reasonable efforts to consummate such sale, and (B) shall be regulated or restricted by the Secretary as to rents, charges, capital structure, rate of return, and methods of operation during any period while it holds the mortgaged property or project; and for such purpose the Secretary may make such contracts with, and acquire for not to exceed $100 such stock or interest in, any such mortgagor as the Secretary may deem necessary to render effective such restriction or regulation, such stock or interest to be paid for out of the Cooperative Management Housing Insurance Fund and to be redeemed by such mortgagor at par upon the sale of such property or project to such nonprofit corporation or nonprofit trust;

which corporations or trusts referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection are regulated or restricted for the purposes and in the manner provided in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) of section 1713 of this title: Provided, That as applied to mortgages the mortgage insurance for which is the obligation of the Management Fund, the reference to the General Insurance Fund in section 1713(b)(2) of this title shall be construed to refer to the Management Fund. Nothing in this section may be construed to prevent membership in a nonprofit housing cooperative from being held in the name of a trust, the beneficiary of which shall occupy the dwelling unit in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary.

(b) Eligibility conditions for projects under subsection (a)(1) of this sectionTo be eligible for insurance under this section a mortgage on any property or project of a corporation or trust of the character described in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of this section shall involve a principal obligation in an amount—

(1) Repealed. Pub. L. 93–383, title III, § 304(b), Aug. 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 678.

(2)

(A) not to exceed, for such part of the property or project as may be attributable to dwelling use (excluding exterior land improvements as defined by the Secretary), $41,207 per family unit without a bedroom, $47,511 per family unit with one bedroom, $57,300 per family unit with two bedrooms, $73,343 per family unit with three bedrooms, and $81,708 per family unit with four or more bedrooms, and not to exceed 98 per centum of the amount which the Secretary estimates will be the replacement cost of the property or project when the proposed physical improvements are completed: Provided, That as to projects to consist of elevator-type structures the Secretary may, in his discretion, increase the dollar amount limitations per family unit to not to exceed $43,875 per family unit without a bedroom, $49,710 per family unit with one bedroom, $60,446 per family unit with two bedrooms, $78,197 per family unit with three bedrooms, and $85,836 per family unit with four or more bedrooms, as the case may be, to compensate for the higher costs incident to the construction of elevator-type structures of sound standards of construction and design; (B)(i) the Secretary may, by regulation, increase any of the dollar amount limitations in subparagraph (A) (as such limitations may have been adjusted in accordance with section 1712a of this title) by not to exceed 170 percent in any geographical area where the Secretary finds that cost levels so require and by not to exceed 170 percent, or 215 percent in high cost areas, where the Secretary determines it necessary on a project-by-project basis, but in no case may any such increase exceed 90 percent where the Secretary determines that a mortgage purchased or to be purchased by the Government National Mortgage Association in implementing its special assistance functions under section 1720 1

1 See References in Text note below.

of this title (as such section existed immediately before November 30, 1983) is involved; and (ii) in the case of a mortgagor of the character described in paragraph (3) of subsection (a) the mortgage shall involve a principal obligation in an amount not to exceed 90 per centum of the amount which the Secretary estimates will be the replacement cost of the property or project when the proposed physical improvements are completed; and (iii) upon the sale of a property or project by a mortgagor of the character described in paragraph (3) of subsection (a) to a nonprofit cooperative ownership housing corporation or trust within two years after the completion of such property or project the mortgage given to finance such sale shall involve a principal obligation in an amount not to exceed the maximum amount computed in accordance with this subparagraph (B)(i)..2

2 So in original.

To be eligible for insurance under this section a mortgage on any property or project of a corporation or trust of the character described in paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of this section shall involve a principal obligation in an amount not to exceed a sum computed on the basis of a separate mortgage for each single-family dwelling (irrespective of whether such dwelling has a party wall or is otherwise physically connected with another dwelling or dwellings) comprising the property or project, equal to the total of each of the maximum principal obligations of such mortgages which would meet the requirements of section 1709(b)(2) of this title if the mortgagor were the owner and occupant who had made any required payment on account of the property prescribed in such paragraph.

(d) Amortization; release from mortgage lien; individual insurance; commercial and community facilities

Any mortgage insured under this section shall provide for complete amortization by periodic payments within such term as the Secretary may prescribe but not to exceed 40 years from the beginning of amortization of the mortgage, and shall bear interest at such rate as may be agreed upon by the mortgagor and the mortgagee. The Secretary may consent to the release of a part or parts of the mortgaged property from the lien of the mortgage upon such terms and conditions as he may prescribe and the mortgage may provide for such release, and a mortgage on any project of a corporation or trust of the character described in paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of this section may provide that, at any time after the completion of the construction of the project, such mortgage may be replaced, in whole or in part, by individual mortgages covering each individual dwelling in the project in amounts not to exceed the unpaid balance of the blanket mortgage allocable to the individual property. Each such individual mortgage may be insured under this section. Property covered by a mortgage, insured under this section, on a property or project of a corporation or trust of the character described in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of this section may include five or more family units and may include such commercial and community facilities as the Secretary deems adequate to serve the occupants. Property held by a corporation or trust of the character described in paragraph numbered (2) of subsection (a) of this section which is covered by a mortgage insured under this section may include such community facilities, and property held by a mortgagor of the character described in paragraph numbered (3) of subsection (a) of this section which is covered by a mortgage insured under this section may include such commercial and community facilities, as the Secretary deems adequate to serve the occupants.

(e) Applicability of sections 1710 and 1713 of this title

The provisions of subsections (d), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), (l), and (n) of section 1713 of this title shall be applicable to mortgages insured under this section except individual mortgages insured pursuant to subsection (d) of this section covering the individual dwellings in the project, and as to such individual mortgages the provisions of subsections (a), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h),1 (j), and (k) 1 of section 1710 of this title shall be applicable: Provided, That as applied to mortgages or loans the insurance for which is the obligation of the Management Fund (1) all references to the General Insurance Fund shall be construed to refer to the Management Fund, and (2) all references to section 1713 of this title shall be construed to refer to subsections (a)(1), (a)(3) (if the project involved is acquired by a cooperative corporation), (i), and (j) of this section.

(f) Technical advice and assistance

The Secretary is authorized, with respect to mortgages insured or to be insured under this section, to furnish technical advice and assistance in the organization of corporations or trusts of the character described in subsection (a) of this section and in the planning, development, construction, and operation of their housing projects.

(g) Housing projects designed for single person occupancy

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent the insurance of a mortgage under this section covering a housing project designed for occupancy by single persons, and dwelling units in such a project shall constitute family units within the meaning of this section.

(h) Failure to sell to a nonprofit organization

In the event that a mortgagor of the character described in paragraph (3) of subsection (a) obtains an insured mortgage loan pursuant to this section and fails to sell the property or project covered by such mortgage to a nonprofit housing corporation or nonprofit housing trust of the character described in paragraph (1) of subsection (a), the Secretary is authorized to refuse, for such period of time as he shall deem appropriate under the circumstances, to insure under this section any additional investor-sponsor type mortgage loans made to such mortgagor or to any other investor-sponsor mortgagor where, in the determination of the Secretary, any of its stockholders were identified with such mortgagor.

(i) Mortgages executed by consumer cooperatives covering existing structures

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent the insurance of a mortgage executed by a mortgagor of the character described in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of this section covering property upon which dwelling units and related facilities have been constructed prior to the filing of the application for mortgage insurance hereunder: Provided, That the Secretary determines that the consumer interest is protected and that the mortgagor will be a consumer cooperative. In the case of properties other than new construction, the limitations in this section upon the amount of the mortgage shall be based upon the appraised value of the property for continued use as a cooperative rather than upon the Secretary’s estimate of the replacement cost. As to any project on which construction was commenced after September 23, 1959, the mortgage on such project shall be eligible for insurance under this section only in those cases where the construction was subject to inspection by the Secretary and where there was compliance with the provisions of section 1715c of this title. As to any project on which construction was commenced prior to September 23, 1959, such inspection, and compliance with the provisions of section 1715c of this title, shall not be a prerequisite.

(j) Insurance of supplementary cooperative loans

(1) With respect to any property covered by a mortgage insured under this section (or any cooperative housing project covered by a mortgage insured under section 1713 of this title as in effect prior to April 20, 1950), the Secretary is authorized, upon such terms and conditions as he may prescribe, to make commitments to insure and to insure supplementary cooperative loans (including advances during construction or improvement) made by financial institutions approved by the Secretary. The Secretary is further authorized to make commitments to insure and to insure supplementary cooperative loans (including advances during construction or improvement) with respect to any property purchased from the Federal Government by a nonprofit corporation or trust of the character described in paragraph (1) of subsection (a), if the property is covered by an uninsured mortgage representing a part of the purchase price. As used in this subsection “supplementary cooperative loan” means a loan, advance of credit, or purchase of an obligation representing a loan or advance of credit made for the purpose of financing any of the following:

(A) Improvements or repairs of the property covered by such mortgage;

(B) Community facilities necessary to serve the occupants of the property; or

(C) Cooperative purchases and resales of memberships in order to provide necessary refinancing for resales of memberships which involve increases in equity; but in such resales by the cooperative the downpayments by the new members shall not be less than those made on the original sales of such memberships.

(2) To be eligible for insurance under this subsection, a supplementary cooperative loan shall—

(A) be limited to an amount which, when added to the outstanding mortgage indebtedness on the property, creates a total outstanding indebtedness which does not exceed the original principal obligation of the mortgage; except that, in the case of improvements or additional community facilities, the outstanding indebtedness may be increased by an amount equal to 97 per centum of the amount which the Secretary estimates will be the value of such improvements or facilities, and the new outstanding indebtedness may exceed the original principal obligation of the mortgage if such new outstanding indebtedness does not exceed the limitations imposed by subsection (b);

(B) have a maturity satisfactory to the Secretary but not to exceed the remaining term of the mortgage; except that, in the case of repairs or improvements to a property covered by an uninsured mortgage dated more than twenty years prior to the date of the commitment to insure, of such magnitude that the Secretary deems them to be a major rehabilitation or modernization of such property, the loan may have a maturity date up to ten years in excess of the remaining term of the uninsured mortgage;

(D) contain such other terms, conditions, and restrictions as the Secretary may prescribe; and

(E) represent the obligation of a borrower of the character described in paragraph (1) of subsection (a).

(k) Cooperative Management Housing Insurance Fund

There is hereby created a Cooperative Management Housing Insurance Fund (hereinafter referred to as the “Management Fund”). The Management Fund shall be used by the Secretary as a revolving fund for carrying out the provisions of this section with respect to mortgages or loans insured, on or after August 10, 1965, under subsections (a)(1), (a)(3) (if the project is acquired by a cooperative corporation), (i), and (j). The Management Fund shall also be used as a revolving fund for mortgages, loans, and commitments transferred to it pursuant to subsection (m). The Secretary is directed to transfer to the Management Fund from the General Insurance Fund an amount equal to the total of the premium payments theretofore made with respect to the insurance of mortgages and loans transferred to the Management Fund pursuant to subsection (m) minus the total of any administrative expenses theretofore incurred in connection with such mortgages and loans, plus such other amounts as the Secretary determines to be necessary and appropriate. General expenses of operation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development relating to mortgages or loans which are the obligation of the Management Fund may be charged to the Management Fund.

(l) General Surplus Account; Participating Reserve Account

The Secretary shall establish in the Management Fund, as of August 10, 1965, a General Surplus Account and a Participating Reserve Account. The aggregate net income thereafter received or any net loss thereafter sustained by the Management Fund, in any semiannual period, shall be credited or charged to the General Surplus Account or the Participating Reserve Account or both in such manner and amounts as the Secretary may determine to be in accord with sound actuarial and accounting practice. Upon termination of the insurance obligation of the Management Fund by payment of any mortgage or loan insured under this section, and at such time or times prior to such termination as the Secretary may determine, the Secretary is authorized to distribute to the mortgagor or borrower a share of the Participating Reserve Account in such manner and amount as the Secretary shall determine to be equitable and in accordance with sound actuarial and accounting practice: Provided, That in no event shall the amount of the distributable share exceed the aggregate scheduled annual premiums of the mortgagor or borrower to the year of payment of the share less the total amount of any share or shares previously distributed by the Secretary to the mortgagor or borrower: And provided further, That in no event may a distributable share be distributed until any funds transferred from the General Insurance Fund to the Management Fund pursuant to subsection (o) have been repaid in full to the General Insurance Fund. No mortgagor, mortgagee, borrower, or lender shall have any vested right in a credit balance in any such account or be subject to any liability arising out of the mutuality of the Management Fund. The determination of the Secretary as to the amount to be paid by him to any mortgagor or borrower shall be final and conclusive.

(m) Transfer of insurance to Management Fund

The Secretary is authorized to transfer to the Management Fund commitments for insurance issued under subsections (a)(1), (i), and (j) prior to August 10, 1965, and to transfer to the Management Fund the insurance of any mortgage or loan insured prior to August 10, 1965, under subsection (a)(1), (a)(3) (if the project is acquired by a cooperative corporation), (i), or (j): Provided, That the insurance of any mortgage or loan shall not be transferred under the provisions of this subsection if on August 10, 1965, the mortgage or loan is in default and the mortgagee or lender has notified the Secretary in writing of its intention to file an insurance claim. Any insurance or commitment not so transferred shall continue to be an obligation of the General Insurance Fund.

(n) Payment of premium charges in debentures

Notwithstanding the limitations contained in other provisions of this chapter, premium charges for mortgages or loans the insurance of which is the obligation of either the Management Fund or the General Insurance Fund may be payable in debentures issued in connection with mortgages or loans transferred to the Management Fund or in connection with mortgages or loans insured pursuant to commitments transferred to the Management Fund, as provided in subsection (m) of this section. Premium charges on the insurance of mortgages or loans transferred to the Management Fund or insured pursuant to commitments transferred to the Management Fund may be payable in debentures which are the obligation of either the Management Fund or the General Insurance Fund.

(o) Transfer of funds between Management Fund and General Insurance Fund; investment of monies

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter the Secretary is authorized to transfer funds between the Cooperative Management Housing Insurance Fund and the General Insurance Fund in such amounts and at such times as he may determine, taking into consideration the requirements of each such Fund, to assist in carrying out effectively the insurance programs for which such Funds were respectively established. Moneys in the Cooperative Management Housing Insurance Fund not needed for current operations of the fund shall be deposited with the Treasurer of the United States to the credit of the Cooperative Management Housing Insurance Fund or invested in bonds or other obligations of, or in bonds or other obligations guaranteed as to principal and interest by, the United States or any agency of the United States: Provided, That such moneys shall to the maximum extent feasible be invested in such bonds or other obligations the proceeds of which will be used to directly support the residential mortgage market. The Secretary may, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, purchase in the open market debentures which are the obligations of the Cooperative Management Housing Insurance Fund. Such purchases shall be made at a price which will provide an investment yield of not less than the yield obtainable from other investments authorized by this subsection. Debentures so purchased shall be canceled and not reissued.

(p) Increase in maximum mortgage amounts for solar energy systems and energy conservation measures

Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the project mortgage amounts which may be insured under this section may be increased by up to 20 per centum if such increase is necessary to account for the increased cost of the project due to the installation therein of a solar energy system (as defined in subparagraph (3) of the last paragraph of section 1703(a) of this title) or residential energy conservation measures (as defined in section 8211(11)(A) through (G) and (I) of title 42) 1 in cases where the Secretary determines that such measures are in addition to those required under the minimum property standards and will be cost-effective over the life of the measure.

(June 27, 1934, ch. 847, title II, § 213, as added Apr. 20, 1950, ch. 94, title I, § 114, 64 Stat. 54; amended Oct. 26, 1951, ch. 577, § 4, 65 Stat. 648; June 30, 1953, ch. 170, § 6, 67 Stat. 123;