In conjunction with the loan-servicing contractor, determine what actions can be taken to ensure that recorded assignments are reviewed in a timely manner after receipt.

Develop and implement a billing and sanctioning process to ensure that FHA bills servicers for the costs incurred to obtain recorded assignments from the counties’ recorder’s offices and sanctions the servicers when they do not provide the recorded assignments within 6 months of claim payment.

Improve the tracking of recording assignments by modifying the HERMIT assignment timeline to include date fields for servicers’ (1) receipt of recorded assignments from counties and (2) mailing of recorded assignments to the loan-servicing contractor.

Establish a timeframe and process to notify the Office of Single Family Housing that funds or documents were not received so noncompliant lenders can be referred to the MRB within 14 business days for temporary suspension or termination and notify FHA of any noncompliant lenders accordingly.

Require FTB to reimburse HUD $311,699 for 2 loans for which HUD incurred losses when it sold the properties and 15 loans for which FHA insurance had been terminated and HUD had paid loss mitigation claims to FTB.

Record in FHA Connection the remaining indemnified loans, avoiding $47,433,895 in estimated losses. The estimated loss is based on the loss severity rate of 46 percent of the total unpaid principal balance of $103,117,164.

Develop and implement controls to ensure that indemnification agreements that result from U.S. Department of Justice settlements have been properly recorded in FHA Connection.

Take appropriate administrative action against FTB for violations of the settlement agreement.

Support the reasonableness of or reimburse the project $2,232,004 ($1,719,736 $484,615 $27,653) from nonproject funds for the project funds disbursed without sufficient procurement or contract documentation.

Support or reimburse the project from nonproject funds $7,091, as appropriate, for the project funds disbursed without sufficient supporting documentation.

Reimburse the project from nonproject funds $46,024 for the project funds that were not used for reasonable operating expenses or necessary repairs of the project.

Support or reimburse the project from nonproject funds $39,690, as appropriate, for the project funds disbursed without sufficient documentation supporting that the invoices were not for duplicate work.

Implement adequate procedures and controls to ensure that project funds are used for only reasonable operating expenses or necessary repairs when the project is in a non-surplus-cash position.

Reimburse the project $95,174 from nonproject funds for management fees in excess of the maximum yield.

Support or reimburse the project $70,632 from nonproject funds, as appropriate, for the project funds disbursed to Vesta Corporation for bookkeeping fees without documentation showing that the bookkeeping fees charged were reasonable.

Implement adequate procedures and controls, including but not limited to ensuring that the project receives HUD’s communications to ensure that its management and bookkeeping fees comply with HUD’s requirements.

Implement adequate procedures and controls to ensure that its bookkeeping fees are based on actual costs.

Use the project’s security deposits bank account to deposit and disburse security deposits.

Require that the current or future lender ensure that the project uses a contractor that is proven to be qualified and capable of completing the project.

Implement a change to regulations at 24 CFR Part 203 to require curtailment of preforeclosure interest and other costs that are caused by lender servicing delays, resulting in $413,513,975 in funds to be put to better use. This should include updating or seeking statutory authority to update HUD’s regulations as necessary and coordinating with HUD’s Office of Finance and Budget, well before any changes go through departmental clearance, to ensure that planned curtailment requirements can be consistently enforced through the claims process.

Status

FHA reported that the audit recommendation cannot be closed without the publication of the FHA Maximum Claim Rule. The proposed changes have been on HUD’s regulatory agenda since Spring 2020 but, as of February 2025, the Office of Single Family Housing does not have an estimated publication date.

Analysis

To fully address this recommendation, HUD must provide evidence that it has published and adopted the rule.

Implementation of this rule should result in HUD putting $413 million to better use.