In its recently published Summer 2019 Newsletter, the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (“DFI”) reported that it had interpreted the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (“SCRA”) broadly to apply the SCRA’s 6% interest rate cap to a loan agreement entered into only by a servicemember’s spouse. Generally, the SCRA provides for a 6% interest
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)
Senate Passes Bill That Would Amend SCRA to Expand Spousal Lease Termination Rights
On June 27 the Senate passed the Gold Star Spouses and Spouses of Injured Servicemembers Leasing Relief Expansion Act as part of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (see Sec. 6007). If it becomes law, the bill would amend the SCRA to allow spouses of servicemembers killed or injured during service to terminate…
South Carolina enacts Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
On April 26, the South Carolina Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (the “Act”) was signed into law and went into immediate effect. The Act seeks to “expand and supplement” the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (“SCRA”), and provides that an SCRA violation constitutes a violation under the Act. The Act expands servicemember protections in a few…
Democratic Senators Urge Mulvaney to Reconsider MLA Supervision Policy Change
In response to reports that Acting CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney intends to dispense with routine supervisory examinations of creditors for violations of the Military Lending Act (MLA), Senate Democrats sent a joint letter addressed to Mulvaney in his capacity as Director of the Office of Management and Budget—urging him to reconsider.
The letter, signed by…
Auto-finance companies agree to pay nearly $800,000 to settle Justice Department allegations regarding SCRA auto repossession violations
The United States Department of Justice announced last week that Westlake Services LLC and its subsidiary, Wilshire Consumer Capital LLC, have agreed to pay $760,788 to resolve allegations the companies violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (“SCRA”) by repossessing 70 vehicles owned by SCRA-protected servicemembers without obtaining the required court orders.
The CFPB referred the…
OCC steps up SCRA focus in exams
As we have been reporting, the CFPB has made the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) a major focus and instructs its examiners to look at SCRA compliance during examinations. The OCC has also stepped up its focus on SCRA compliance during examinations of national banks and federal savings associations, according to recent remarks by an…
Senator Hagan Introduces the Servicemember Higher Education Protection Act
New legislation, titled the Servicemember Higher Education Protection Act (the “Bill”), was introduced recently by Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC). The Bill includes several provisions that expand protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) with respect to student loans.
- The Bill would amend the SCRA to expand the available interest rate limitation for student loans,
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