Foreclosure Article


WHAT IF I RENT A HOUSE THAT'S IN FORECLOSURE - The Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act

 The Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act

This law expired on December 31, 2014

 

IMPORTANT PLEASE READ: The Federal Law, Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act, expired and is no longer valid as of December 31, 2014. While there were some attempts in the House to revive this law in 2015 none have been successful. Arizona State Law, A.R.S § 33-1331, gives tenants of foreclosed properties some limited protections; information about these protections can be found in this article. This article remains on AZLawHelp.org purely for historical value for those interested in how the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act operated from 2009 through 2014.

There are legal protections for tenants renting a house that is in or goes into foreclosure. The Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (PTFA) was passed by Congress signed into law by the President Obama in 2009; subsequently the law was extended in 2010. The PTFA expired on December 31, 2014. The PTFA, depending on the facts in a particular situation, requires that renters in foreclosed homes be allowed to stay or given sufficient notice under the law.

  

Who qualifies for protection under the PTFA?

The tenant protection provisions apply in the case of any foreclosure on a “federally related mortgage loan” or on any dwelling or residential real property. The tenant must also be “bona fide.” A lease or tenancy is “bona fide” only if:

  1. The mortgagor or a child, spouse, or parent of the mortgagor under the contract is not the tenant;

  2. The lease or tenancy was the product of an arm’s-length transaction; and

  3. The lease or tenancy requires the receipt of rent that is not substantially less than fair market rent or the rent is reduced or subsidized due to a federal, state, or local subsidy.

In other words the lease must be made with another person and not with oneself and the rent payments must be a fair amount for the property that is not supplemented by the government.

  

When do renters in foreclosed homes get to stay and when do they have to leave?

Renters Get to Stay IF:

Renters get to stay for the duration of the lease, if all of the following requirements are met:

  1. There is a valid lease (not the end of the lease term),

  2. The lease was signed before receiving notice of foreclosure (whether judicial foreclosure or trustee sale), and

  3. The new owner does not intend to occupy the property as a primary residence.

Renters Cannot Stay But Must Be Given Notice IF:

In most other situations, the renters will have to leave, once the foreclosure is complete, and upon receiving 90 days notice from the new owner. The common situations where a renter will have to vacate after the foreclosure upon receiving notice are:

  • Renters must vacate if there is a valid lease and they had notice of foreclosure before signing the lease; or

  • Renters must vacate if there is a valid lease, and even if there was no notice of foreclosure but the new owner intends to occupy the property as a primary residence; or

  • Renters must vacate if there is no valid lease, including where a lease expires and the renter is paying month-to-month. 

Why does the law end December 31, 2014?

The law has what is called a sunset provision, meaning it has an expiration date. The original date was extended in the “Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act”, so that the law will be repealed on December 31. 2014. When laws are written, the legislative body writing the law may set a date of when that law will end, referred to as a “sunset” clause or provision (Note: Not all laws have sunset provisions, it is not required). The PTFA is a federal law, Congress would have to authorize and extension or make the law permanent and the President would have to sign it into law.

 

 

Source:  See 12 U.S.C. 5220 or search the US Code online with the US House of Representatives website. For additional information see the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau website.


Comments:

QUESTIONS

  • I ended up in a rescue scam for foreclosure. I paid money to a mortgage company to help me and they did nothing. I have now lost my home and want to know what I can do to get my money back frome the rescue scam.
  • Is there protection for tenants in foreclosure actions now that the federal act's sunset provision has taken effect?
  • I owned a house in 2005- when everything boomed it was way overpriced and there was a 1st and a 2nd. I went through a divorce and lost the home as it was upside down. It went into foresclosure and I never heard another word. This now 2019 and I received a letter in the mail saying the 2nd mortgage wants to settle with me for $5000 on a $92,000 note from that house- that was 13 years ago! Can they even do that? My house was upside down and then foreclosed on and sold.
  • I have recently reviewed our finances and determined that we can no longer afford our home. We are not late and have not missed any payments. I have come in contact with a law office based in CA that offers loan modification, short sale, and deed in lieu services. If we opt to pay someone to negotiate for a loan modification with our lender am I less likely to fall victim to scam with a law office?
  • We lost our home a year and a half ago through foreclosure. They had strung us a long promissing to help, we didn't know there was other help out there. Is there a way to get the home back (it's not sold), is there any type of assistance for people who are already "homeless" We got a notice for settlement payment - is this our only option for assistance?
  • Need mediator immediately= have been fruitlessly looking with no success . HOA looking to foreclose on me..........illegal fines never served to me= I am sure you know the scenario as it is very common now a days. Senior on disability and they go after us as they know we have no one to help us due to finances. If you know of ANYONE please let me know......602-705-3326 So far they have stolen 2 peoples homes that were disabled= one had sold her income property to pay them off then they continued to harass her & she had a stroke. Another women ended up on o2 due to black mold from roof leak th
  • We had an 80/20 mortgage on our home. In Feb it was foreclosed on. The first lender shows as a foreclosure but the 2nd lender(chase) shows as a charge off. I was told that there is something in the state of AZ that requires both lenders to report it as a foreclosure. Is there a provision code that I can contact Chase with to have the reporting changed to Foreclosure? Thank you..
  • Since 2010 I've lived at a home in mesa az. Recently my friend gave her home back to bank/ reverse mortgage and lien on it from IRS.She moved out to Missouri in july or first of aug 2013.I still am in the home whike she knew this she broke thru a window and hsrassed me.I called police they said she has a right to come in and change the locks.what legal rights do I have I pay utility bill at the resident.the mortgage company said it is in foreclosure so I need to know my rights
  • I was informed of trustee sale to take place 06/2008 on my home in Florence, AZ. My Husband and I decided it was best to vacate the home with our family before the sale. We filed Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in 2011 and included the home and HOA. We received a letter from an attorney, suing us for HOA dues, post bankruptcy. Wouldn't it already be considered foreclosed from the notified date of sale, even if it was postponed?
  • We are currently renting a home that is being foreclosed on. A realtor is telling me to allow him to put a safe lock on the door and show the home. What are my rights? He claims to work for the trustee.

STORIES

LegalLEARN

FIND LEGAL HELP

  • Please select your county of residence below.

    County:
     

OTHER LEGAL RESOURCES

  • State Bar of Arizona
    www.azbar.org
  • Maricopa County Bar
    www.maricopabar.org
    Referral number 602-257-4434
  • Pima County Bar
    www.pimacountybar.org
    Referral number 520-623-4625
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline
    800-799-7233
  • Bankruptcy Court Self Help Center
    866-553-0893
  • Certified Legal Document Preparer Program
    Link

ORGANIZATIONS

Documents

Horne Issues National Mortgage Settlement Consumer Alert to Arizonans ReadSpeaker

.pdf  AzMortgageResource.gov ReadSpeaker

RELATED ARTICLES

Avoiding Foreclosure of Your Home

Predatory Lending Schemes and Scams

Information for Homeowners Facing Loss of a Home

County Tax Assessors

Where to Find an Attorney for Specific Legal Advice

Loan Modification Frequently Asked Questions

The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act and Debt Cancellation

Horne Issues National Mortgage Settlement Consumer Alert to Arizonans

FORECLOSURE DEFICIENCIES IN ARIZONA: Will I still owe money after a foreclosure?

Where can I find legal help with a foreclosure?

Will bankruptcy save my home from foreclosure?

Did you know the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has a wide range of statewide assistance programs funded through the national mortgage settlement that could benefit you or people you know?

Mortgage Reaffirmation Requirements Bogus

Renting a Foreclosure

Recovering Excess Proceeds After Foreclosure of Your Home

The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act

Veterans Facing Foreclosure

LINKS

Arizona Housing Information

HUD in Arizona

Federal Consumer Action Handbook Online

Arizona 2-1-1

Pima County Courts Self Service Center

See More...

https://www.lawforseniors.org/
https://www.lawforveterans.org
https://lawforkids.org/
https://www.azcourthelp.org/