§ 2218 — Segregated accounts

(a) All permitted charges paid by loan applicants or borrowers to a lender or a mortgage broker subject to this chapter shall be deposited in one or more accounts maintained at a bank approved by the Commissioner, and with respect to such funds the lender or mortgage broker shall act as a fiduciary. Such account or accounts shall be segregated from all other accounts of the lender or broker. No permitted charges shall be used in the conduct of a lender’s or a broker’s personal affairs, nor in a lender’s or a broker’s business affairs not specifically related to the applicant or borrower.
(b) Such lender or mortgage broker may withdraw funds from the segregated account for payment directly to third parties for authorized fees.
(c) Such lender or mortgage broker may withdraw funds from the segregated account for commissions to which it is entitled for services actually performed. Services are deemed to have been performed when a loan has closed, the loan applicant has withdrawn the loan application in writing, or such mortgage broker or lender has provided to the loan applicant or borrower written notice that the loan has been denied.
(d) Such lender or mortgage broker may return funds from the segregated account to the borrower if not prohibited by the application or contract.
(e) Such lender or mortgage broker shall maintain complete and accurate account records, including, at a minimum, the source of all deposits, the nature of all disbursements, the date and amount of each transaction, and the name of the loan applicant or borrower. All documents pertaining to account activity shall be produced upon request of the Commissioner. (Added 1995, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 19, eff. Jan. 1, 1997.)