(a) Remedies. If a regulated entity or the Office of Finance fails to submit an acceptable corrective plan under § 1236.4(b), or fails in any material respect to implement or otherwise comply with an approved corrective plan, FHFA shall order the regulated entity or the Office of Finance to correct that deficiency, and may:
(1) Prohibit the regulated entity from increasing its average total assets, as defined in 12 U.S.C. 4516(b)(4), for any calendar quarter over its average total assets for the preceding calendar quarter, or may otherwise restrict the rate at which the average total assets of the regulated entity may increase from one calendar quarter to another;
(2) Prohibit the regulated entity from paying dividends;
(3) Prohibit the regulated entity from redeeming or repurchasing capital stock;
(4) Require the regulated entity to maintain or increase its level of retained earnings;
(5) Require an Enterprise to increase its ratio of core capital to assets, or require a Bank to increase its ratio of total capital, as defined in 12 U.S.C. 1426(a)(5), to assets; or
(6) Require the regulated entity or the Office of Finance to take any other action that the Director determines will better carry out the purposes of the statute by bringing the regulated entity or the Office of Finance into conformance with the Standards.
(b) Extraordinary growth. If a regulated entity that has failed to submit an acceptable corrective plan or has failed in any material respect to implement or otherwise comply with an approved corrective plan, also has experienced extraordinary growth, FHFA shall impose at least one of the sanctions listed in paragraph (a) of this section, consistently with the requirements of 12 U.S.C. 4513b(b)(3).
(c) Orders—
(1) Notice. Except as provided in paragraph (c)(4) of this section, FHFA will notify a regulated entity or the Office of Finance in writing of FHFA's intent to issue an order requiring the regulated entity or the Office of Finance to correct its failure to submit a corrective plan or its failure in any material respect to implement or otherwise comply with an approved corrective plan. Any such notice will include:
(i) A statement that the regulated entity or the Office of Finance has failed to submit a corrective plan under § 1236.4, or has not implemented or otherwise has not complied in any material respect with an approved plan;
(ii) A description of any sanctions that FHFA intends to impose and, in the case of the mandatory sanctions required by 12 U.S.C. 4513b(b)(3), a statement that FHFA believes that the regulated entity has experienced extraordinary growth; and
(iii) The proposed date when any sanctions would become effective or the proposed date for completion of any required actions.
(2) Response to notice. A regulated entity or the Office of Finance may file a written response to a notice of intent to issue an order, which must be delivered to FHFA within fourteen (14) calendar days of the date of the notice, unless FHFA determines that a different time period is appropriate in light of the safety and soundness of the regulated entity or the Office of Finance or other relevant circumstances. The response should include:
(i) An explanation of why the regulated entity or the Office of Finance believes that the action proposed by FHFA is not an appropriate exercise of discretion;
(ii) Any recommended modification of the proposed order; and
(iii) Any other relevant information, mitigating circumstances, documentation or other evidence in support of the position of the regulated entity or the Office of Finance regarding the proposed order.
(3) Failure to file response. The failure of a regulated entity or the Office of Finance to file a written response within the specified time period will constitute a waiver of the opportunity to respond and will constitute consent to issuance of the order.
(4) Immediate issuance of final order. FHFA may issue an order requiring a regulated entity or the Office of Finance immediately to take actions to correct a Standards deficiency or to take or refrain from taking other actions pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section. Within fourteen (14) calendar days of the issuance of an order under this paragraph, or other time period specified by FHFA, a regulated entity or the Office of Finance may submit a written appeal of the order to FHFA. FHFA will respond in writing to a timely filed appeal within sixty (60) days after receiving the appeal. During this period, the order will remain in effect unless FHFA stays the effectiveness of the order.
(d) Request for modification or rescission of order. A regulated entity or the Office of Finance subject to an order under this part may submit a written request to FHFA for an amendment to the order to reflect a change in circumstance. Unless otherwise ordered by FHFA, the order shall continue in place while such a request is pending before FHFA.
(e) Agency review and determination. FHFA will respond in writing within thirty (30) days after receiving a response or amendment request, unless FHFA notifies the regulated entity or the Office of Finance in writing that it will respond within a different time period. After considering the response or amendment request from a regulated entity or the Office of Finance, FHFA may:
(1) Issue the order as proposed or in modified form;
(2) Determine not to issue the order and instead issue a different order; or
(3) Seek additional information or clarification of the response from the regulated entity, or any other relevant source.
[77 FR 33959, June 8, 2012, as amended at 89 FR 3540, Jan. 19, 2024]