(a) General. (1) Lenders must exhaust traditional servicing options outlined in this part or have determined that use of traditional servicing options would not resolve the delinquency, prior to special servicing options. Lenders must exhaust special servicing options prior to liquidation in accordance with §§ 3555.305 or 3555.306.

(2) Use of special loan servicing does not change the terms of the loan note guarantee.

(3) Special servicing options shall be used in the order established in this section to bring the borrower's mortgage payment to income ratio as close as possible to, but not less than, 31 percent.

(4) If the borrower currently has a mortgage payment to income ratio of 31 percent or less, special servicing options can be utilized to cure the delinquency without modifying the note; otherwise, special servicing options shall be used in the order established in this section to bring the borrower's mortgage payment to income ratio as close as possible to, but not less than, 31 percent.

(b) Conditions for special servicing options. In addition to the requirements in § 3555.303(a), the following conditions apply to all special loan servicing:

(1) The borrower's total debt to income ratio following the special loan servicing must not exceed 55 percent. Prior to servicing a borrower's account with special loan servicing, the lender must verify the borrower's income and total debt.

(2) The borrower must successfully complete a trial payment plan of sufficient duration, as determined by the Agency, to demonstrate that the borrower will be able to make regularly scheduled payments as modified by the special loan servicing.

(3) Expenses related to special loan servicing including, but not limited to, title search and recording fees shall not be charged to the borrower. However, if a foreclosure was initiated and canceled prior to special loan servicing, legal fees and costs for work performed in relation to the foreclosure costs before the cancellation date may be charged to the borrower.

(4) Capitalization of late charges and lender fees is not permitted in the special loan servicing option.

(c) Extended-term loan modification. The Lender may modify the loan by reducing the interest rate to a level at or below the maximum allowable interest rate and extending the repayment term up to a maximum of 40 years from the date of loan modification. The loan guarantee will apply to loan terms extending beyond the 30 year loan term from the date of origination when a loan modification meets the criteria set forth in this section.

(1) Loan modifications may capitalize all or a portion of the arrearage and/or reamortization of the balance due including foreclosure fees and costs, tax and insurance advances, and past due Agency annual fees imposed by the lender. Late charges and lender fees may not be capitalized.

(2) Loan modifications must be a fixed interest rate and cannot exceed the current market interest rate at the time of modification. When reducing the interest rate, the maximum rate is subject to paragraph (c)(3) of this section.

(3) The term shall be extended only as long as is necessary to achieve the targeted mortgage payment to income ratio after the interest rate has been fixed at a level at or below the maximum allowable rate.

(4) If the targeted mortgage payment to income ratio cannot be achieved using an extended-term loan modification alone, the lender may consider a mortgage recovery advance under this section in addition to the extended-term loan modification.

(d) Mortgage recovery advance. (1) The maximum amount of a mortgage recovery advance is 30 percent of the unpaid principal balance as of the date of initial default. The Agency may change the maximum amount of mortgage recovery advance by publication in the Federal Register.

(2) If the borrower's total monthly mortgage payment is less than 31 percent of gross monthly income prior to an extended term loan modification, the mortgage recovery advance can be used to cure the borrower's delinquency without changing the terms of the promissory note.

(3) The principal deferment amount for a specific case shall be limited to the amount that will bring the borrower's total monthly mortgage payment to 31 percent of gross monthly income.

(4) The lender may file a claim pursuant to Subpart H of this part for reimbursement of reasonable title search and/or recording fees in connection with the promissory note and mortgage or deed-of-trust, not to exceed a maximum amount specified by the Agency.

(5) Prior to making a mortgage recovery advance, the lender must perform an escrow analysis to ensure that the payment made on behalf of the borrower accurately reflects the escrow amount required for taxes and insurance.

(6) The following terms apply to the repayment of mortgage recovery advances:

(i) The mortgage recovery advance note and subordinate mortgage or deed-of-trust shall be interest-free.

(ii) Borrowers are not required to make any monthly or periodic payments on the mortgage recovery advance note; however, borrowers may voluntarily submit partial payments without incurring any prepayment penalty.

(iii) The due date for the mortgage recovery advance note shall be the due date of the guaranteed note held by the lender, as modified by the special loan servicing. Prior to the due date on the mortgage recovery advance note, payment in full under the note is due at the earlier of the following:

(A) When the first lien mortgage and the guaranteed note are paid off; or

(B) When the borrower transfers title to the property by voluntary or involuntary means.

(iv) Repayment of all or part of the mortgage recovery advance must be remitted directly to the Agency by the borrower.

(v) The Agency will collect this Federal debt from the borrower by any available means if the mortgage recovery advance is not repaid based on the terms outlined in the promissory note and mortgage or deed-of-trust.

(7) The lender may request reimbursement from the Agency for a mortgage recovery advance. A fully supported and documented claim for reimbursement must be submitted to the Agency within 60 days of the advance being executed by the borrower. The borrower must execute a promissory note payable to the Agency and a mortgage or deed-of-trust in recordable form perfecting a lien naming the Agency as the secured party for the amount of the mortgage recovery advance. The lender shall properly record the mortgage or deed-of-trust in the appropriate local real estate records and provide the original promissory note to the Agency.

(8) A loss claim filed by a lender will be adjusted by any amount of mortgage recovery advance reimbursed to the lender by the Agency.