Bill Text: NY A05877 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to reverse mortgage loans for persons 62 years of age and older.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to banks [A05877 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A05877-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5877

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     March 23, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Banks

        AN  ACT  to  amend the real property law, the banking law, the insurance
          law, the public authorities law, the tax law, and the social  services
          law,  in  relation  to  reverse  mortgage loans; and to repeal section
          280-a of the real property law relating thereto

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Section 280 of the real property law, as added by chapter
     2  613 of the laws of 1993, paragraph (f) of subdivision 1  as  amended  by
     3  chapter  155 of the laws of 2012, subdivision 5 as amended by chapter 33
     4  of the laws of 1996, and paragraph (d) of subdivision 1, paragraphs (a),
     5  (b), and (i), and the opening paragraph and subparagraph  (v)  of  para-
     6  graph (e) of subdivision 2, paragraph (b) of subdivision 3, and subdivi-
     7  sions 4, 8, and 9 as further amended by section 104 of part A of chapter
     8  62 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
     9    §  280.  Reverse mortgage loans for persons [sixty] sixty-two years of
    10  age or older.  1. For purposes of this section the following terms shall
    11  have the following meanings:
    12    (a) Reverse mortgage loans. A loan which is secured by a  first  mort-
    13  gage on real property improved by a one- to four-family residence, coop-
    14  erative  apartment, life estate, trust, leasehold or condominium that is
    15  the residence of the [mortgagor(s)] borrower or borrowers  the  proceeds
    16  of which are advanced to the [mortgagor(s)] borrower or borrowers during
    17  the  term  of the loan using any one or more method of payments in equal
    18  monthly installments using tenure or term payments, in advances  through
    19  a  line  of  credit or otherwise, in lump sums, or through a combination
    20  thereof using a modified tenure or modified  term  payments.  A  reverse
    21  mortgage  loan may be FHA insured (HECM) pursuant to subdivision four of
    22  this section or a non FHA insured loan (proprietary).

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02974-01-3

        A. 5877                             2

     1    (b) [Term reverse mortgage loan. Any reverse mortgage loan that has  a
     2  fixed term to maturity.
     3    (c)  Tenure reverse mortgage loan. Any reverse mortgage loan that does
     4  not have a fixed term to maturity, but rather] Reverse mortgage  maturi-
     5  ty.  A  reverse  mortgage matures solely upon contingent events, such as
     6  events including but not limited to death [or] of the surviving  borrow-
     7  er,  the  real  property  securing the loan no longer being the [mortga-
     8  gors'] borrowers' principal residence  or  the  subject  property  being
     9  sold.
    10    [(d)] (c) Authorized lender. Any bank, trust company, national banking
    11  association, savings bank, savings and loan association, federal savings
    12  bank,  federal  savings  and  loan association, credit union, or federal
    13  credit union or any licensed mortgage banker approved for the making  of
    14  reverse  mortgage  loans  by the superintendent of financial services or
    15  any entity exempted from licensing  pursuant  to  section  five  hundred
    16  ninety  of  the banking law and approved for the making of reverse mort-
    17  gage loans by the superintendent of financial services.
    18    [(e) Mortgagor.] (d) Borrower. A tenant in severalty  who  is  [sixty]
    19  sixty-two  years  of  age  or  older, or if the real property is held by
    20  tenants by the entirety or by joint tenancy, the youngest  of  which  is
    21  [sixty]  sixty-two years of age or older and signs the loan application.
    22  However, a party with a remainder interest who has not signed the appli-
    23  cation but signs the mortgage, signs the mortgage  as  an  accommodation
    24  and not as a borrower as defined in this section.
    25    [(f)]  (e)  Superintendent  of  financial services. The superintendent
    26  established pursuant  to  section  two  hundred  two  of  the  financial
    27  services law.
    28    (f)  Mortgagor.  Mortgagor is one who signs the mortgage as a borrower
    29  or as a non-borrower when one holds a remainder interest, or signs as  a
    30  trustee.
    31    (g)  Home  equity conversion mortgage (HECM). The FHA reverse mortgage
    32  loan under the department of housing and urban development.
    33    (h) Tenure payment. Equal monthly payments are made by the  lender  to
    34  the  borrower  or  borrowers  as  long as property remains the principal
    35  residence unless the loan becomes due pursuant to paragraph (c) of  this
    36  subdivision.
    37    (i) Term payment. Equal monthly payments are made by the lender to the
    38  borrower or borrowers for a fixed term of months chosen by the borrower,
    39  unless  the  loan becomes due pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subdivi-
    40  sion.
    41    (j) Line of credit. Payments are made by the lender to the borrower at
    42  times and in amounts determined by the borrower or borrowers, as long as
    43  the property remains principal residence, unless the  loan  becomes  due
    44  pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subdivision.
    45    (k)  Modified  tenure.  A  tenure  plan combined with a line of credit
    46  feature.
    47    (l) Modified term. A term plan combined with a line of credit feature.
    48    (m) Full draw. All available funds are  taken  in  a  one-time  single
    49  payment.
    50    (n)  Partial  draw.  A  portion  of the available funds are taken in a
    51  single payment.
    52    (o) Principal residence. The dwelling where the borrower  maintains  a
    53  permanent  place  of  abode  and typically spends a majority of calendar
    54  year. The property shall be considered to be the principal residence  of
    55  any borrower who is temporarily or permanently in a health care institu-

        A. 5877                             3

     1  tion  as long as the property is the principal residence of at least one
     2  other borrower who is not in a health care institution.
     3    (p) Proprietary reverse mortgage. A non FHA insured loan.
     4    (q)  Counselor.  Shall  be  an  individual who has met all testing and
     5  education requirements of the department of housing and  urban  develop-
     6  ment  and is included in the HUD approved roster, as long as said roster
     7  shall be maintained.
     8    (r) Counseling protocol. Each counselor shall  follow  HUD's  detailed
     9  counseling protocol, as updated and amended from time to time. The coun-
    10  seling  protocol  for  all  reverse  mortgage loans, shall include among
    11  other things a discussion of: client needs and  circumstances;  features
    12  of  a  reverse  mortgage  loan;  borrower responsibility under a reverse
    13  mortgage loan; costs to obtain a reverse  mortgage;  financial  and  tax
    14  implications;  alternatives  to  a  reverse  mortgage  loan; elder abuse
    15  issues and warnings about potential  reverse  mortgage  insurance  fraud
    16  schemes.  As long as required by HUD, the certificate can be withheld if
    17  the borrower is unable to answer five out of ten questions about reverse
    18  mortgage basics, after an explanation of the concept has been stated  by
    19  the  counselor. The counseling protocol can be delivered face to face or
    20  over the phone, at the sole option of the borrower.
    21    (s) Counseling certificate. The counselor  shall  issue  a  counseling
    22  certificate  upon  the completion of the session by either hand delivery
    23  or through the postal service. Among other things, the certificate shall
    24  contain the original signature of the counselor; counselor's ID  number,
    25  and the length of time of the session.
    26    2.  A  reverse mortgage loan pursuant to this section shall be subject
    27  to the following:
    28    (a) [the loan to value ratio shall be determined by the superintendent
    29  of financial services; and
    30    (b) subject to] such rules or regulations  as  the  superintendent  of
    31  financial  services  shall adopt, any authorized lender or any successor
    32  or assign of such authorized lender which suspends, ceases or makes late
    33  payments to a [mortgagor] borrower under a reverse mortgage  loan  shall
    34  be  subject  to  forfeiture  (as  liquidated damages to such [mortgagor]
    35  borrower and not as a penalty) of twice the interest which would  other-
    36  wise  have  been  earned  during  the  period  in  which  payments  were
    37  suspended, ceased or made late, provided that said authorized lender  or
    38  any  successor  or assign of such authorized lender shall have the right
    39  to make payments pursuant to said loan agreement within fifteen days  of
    40  each payment date, without penalty; and
    41    [(c)]  (b)  the  outstanding  balance  may be prepaid [in full] by the
    42  [mortgagor] borrower without penalty at any time [during the term and/or
    43  tenure of the loan]; provided, however, if said outstanding  balance  is
    44  paid  in  full,  the  loan  will be deemed satisfied and no longer be in
    45  effect; and
    46    [(d)] (c) an authorized lender is prohibited from using  or  attaching
    47  any  property or asset of the [mortgagor] borrower except the real prop-
    48  erty, including a cooperative apartment, securing the  reverse  mortgage
    49  loan in settlement of a reverse mortgage obligation; and
    50    [(e)]  (d)  the  authorized  lender  must  deliver to [an applicant] a
    51  borrower such disclosures as may be required by  the  superintendent  of
    52  financial  services  which  shall  describe the relevant portions of the
    53  reverse mortgage being offered, and shall include but not be limited  to
    54  the following items:
    55    (i) [except for a tenure reverse mortgage loan, a schedule of payments
    56  to  and  from  the  mortgagor and the total payments in dollars over the

        A. 5877                             4

     1  term of the reverse mortgage loan for both the mortgagor  and  mortgagee
     2  depending on the type of reverse mortgage loan being offered;
     3    (ii)]  a statement prominently displayed advising [applicants] borrow-
     4  ers to consult with appropriate authorities  regarding  tax  and  estate
     5  planning consequences of a reverse mortgage;
     6    [(iii)]  (ii)  where  applicable a description of prepayment and refi-
     7  nancing features;
     8    [(iv)] (iii) the interest rate and, except for a tenure reverse  mort-
     9  gage loan, the total interest payable on the loan;
    10    [(v)]  (iv)  a  statement concerning the compliance of the lender with
    11  the criteria established by the  superintendent  of  financial  services
    12  that  an authorized lender must meet before it may make reverse mortgage
    13  loans pursuant to this section; and
    14    [(vi)] (v) a statement setting forth those events which  would  termi-
    15  nate the reverse mortgage loan; and
    16    [(f)]  (e)  in  the  event  that an authorized lender or holder of the
    17  reverse mortgage loan intends to initiate  foreclosure  proceedings  the
    18  [mortgagor] borrower shall have the right to designate a third party who
    19  shall be notified.  In the event that the mortgagor has not designated a
    20  third  party  to receive such notice of foreclosure, then the authorized
    21  lender or the holder of said reverse  mortgage  loan  shall  notify  the
    22  local  or county office for the aging of its intent to commence foreclo-
    23  sure proceedings.  Such entity shall take appropriate action to  protect
    24  the interests of the [mortgagor] borrower; and
    25    [(g)]  (f)  for  all  reverse mortgage loans an authorized lender must
    26  deliver to the [applicant] borrower, upon application, if  available,  a
    27  statement  prepared  by  the local or county office for the aging on the
    28  [advisability and] availability of independent counseling [and  informa-
    29  tion services]. Further, no reverse mortgage [commitment shall be issued
    30  by  an  authorized lender] processing of this loan shall begin until the
    31  [applicant presents, in writing, a  statement  that  the  terms  of  the
    32  reverse  mortgage loan have been explained by an attorney, a housing and
    33  urban development certified counselor or any other counseling service as
    34  indicated on the statement supplied by the county or  local  office  for
    35  the  aging or a signed affidavit indicating that the applicant, although
    36  made aware of the importance of counseling and  its  local  availability
    37  through  the  provision  of  such  information by the authorized lender,
    38  chooses not to utilize any of the aforementioned available services. The
    39  form of such statement and affidavit shall be developed by the New  York
    40  state office for the aging] borrower provides to an authorized lender or
    41  broker  the  original  counseling  certificate allowed under the Federal
    42  Housing Administration (FHA) or other programs approved  by  the  super-
    43  intendent  of  financial  services in consultation with the state office
    44  for the aging; and
    45    [(h)] (g) any such reverse mortgage shall expressly and  conspicuously
    46  bear a legend identifying it as such; and
    47    [(i)]  (h)  subject to such rules or regulations as the superintendent
    48  of financial services may adopt, a reverse mortgage loan shall  be  made
    49  at either a fixed or variable rate of interest.
    50    (i) The processing of a reverse mortgage shall include the ordering of
    51  an  appraisal, a title search and a credit report or an FHA case number,
    52  when applicable. A reverse mortgage loan cannot be processed, nor  shall
    53  a borrower incur any processing expense until the borrower completes the
    54  required  counseling. The processing of a reverse mortgage loan may only
    55  proceed once the counseling is complete, as evidenced by the signed  and
    56  dated counseling certificate.

        A. 5877                             5

     1    3. A reverse mortgage loan pursuant to this section may:
     2    (a) provide that the [mortgagor's] borrower's closing costs, including
     3  but  not limited to loan or commitment fees, if any, insurance premiums,
     4  house repairs, legal fees, [the cost of annuities,] the costs of  third-
     5  party  counseling,  the  costs of existing mortgages or liens, and other
     6  appropriate costs be included in the principal of the  reverse  mortgage
     7  loan and disbursed out of the loan proceeds at closing;
     8    (b) provide for the maintenance of an escrow account by the authorized
     9  lender  for purposes of payment of real property taxes, insurance on the
    10  property securing the loan, or any other fees and  expenses  as  may  be
    11  permitted by superintendent of financial services regulation;
    12    (c)  provide  that  an  authorized lender may, consistent with federal
    13  laws and regulations, include a due-on-sale clause in its reverse  mort-
    14  gage  loan  agreement and at its option exercise and enforce such clause
    15  in accordance with its terms.
    16    (d) The borrower shall not be required  by  an  authorized  lender  or
    17  broker  to  purchase an insurance or annuity product as a requirement or
    18  condition of eligibility except for title insurance,  hazard  insurance,
    19  flood  or other peril insurance or other such product that are customary
    20  and normal to the transaction.
    21    4. The superintendent of financial services shall adopt those rules or
    22  regulations as it considers appropriate to govern reverse mortgage loans
    23  made pursuant to this section. No reverse mortgage loan  shall  be  made
    24  unless  it  conforms  to the requirements of this section and such rules
    25  and regulations as the superintendent of financial  services  may  adopt
    26  [except  those  reverse  mortgage  loans  made  pursuant  to section two
    27  hundred eighty-a of this article]. A reverse mortgage loan made  by  any
    28  authorized  lender,  national  banking  association, federal savings and
    29  loan association or federal credit union in conformity  with  applicable
    30  federal  laws  and  regulations specifically regulating reverse mortgage
    31  loans shall be deemed to conform to the  requirements  of  this  section
    32  unless  such  reverse  mortgage  loan fails to conform to such rules and
    33  regulations as the superintendent of financial  services  has  expressly
    34  declared  to  be  neither  preempted by, nor otherwise inconsistent with
    35  such federal laws or  regulations.  Those  rules  or  regulations  shall
    36  include, but are not limited to, the form and contents of any disclosure
    37  statement,  with  the  exception of the counseling statement prepared by
    38  the New York state office for the aging pursuant to paragraph [(g)]  (f)
    39  of subdivision two of this section, that authorized lenders must provide
    40  to [mortgagors] borrowers.
    41    5.  Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, the priority of
    42  the lien of a reverse mortgage, including the lien  for  all  principal,
    43  interest, fees, costs, shared appreciation and other charges assessed in
    44  connection  with  the reverse mortgage, shall date from the recording of
    45  the reverse mortgage irrespective of the date of any advance of  reverse
    46  mortgage  loan  proceeds or the date by which an authorized lender shall
    47  be entitled to shared appreciation or accrued but unpaid interest, fees,
    48  costs or other charges.
    49    6. Nothing in this section shall be  construed  to  limit,  impair  or
    50  otherwise  affect  the  priority under applicable law of any other mort-
    51  gage, deed of trust, encumbrance or lien which  was  recorded  or  filed
    52  prior to the effective date of this section.
    53    7.  The  sale  or  transfer  of the real property securing the reverse
    54  mortgage loan [to a person other than an original mortgagor  or  mortga-
    55  gors] shall result in the termination of the loan.

        A. 5877                             6

     1    8.  [In  a  term reverse mortgage loan, the real property securing the
     2  reverse mortgage loan may be reappraised by an independent appraiser  at
     3  the end of the loan term. If the value of the real property has appreci-
     4  ated,  the  term  of the reverse mortgage may be extended or refinanced,
     5  however,  the  total  reverse  mortgage  loan amount may not exceed such
     6  amount or ratio as may be determined by the superintendent of  financial
     7  services. The refinancing of the reverse mortgage loan shall be provided
     8  by  the  original  authorized  lender  or by any other authorized lender
     9  designated by the mortgagee.
    10    9. The principal, including any accrued  but  unpaid  interest,  of  a
    11  reverse  mortgage  loan  agreement entered into pursuant to this section
    12  may be insured by the mortgagor. If such insurance is purchased from  or
    13  otherwise  provided by any agency of the state of New York the mortgagor
    14  shall be granted the right, for a term reverse mortgage loan,  to  refi-
    15  nance  or  extend  the  reverse  mortgage  loan  at the end of the term,
    16  subject to such rules or regulations as the superintendent of  financial
    17  services  may  adopt.  The  authorized  lender  shall have the option to
    18  choose between refinancing  or  extending  the  reverse  mortgage  loan.
    19  Subject  to  obtaining an adequate increase in the insurance and subject
    20  to such  rules  and  regulations  as  the  superintendent  of  financial
    21  services  may  adopt,  the  total reverse mortgage loan amount shall not
    22  exceed such amount or loan to value ratio as may be  determined  by  the
    23  superintendent  of  financial  services.  The refinancing of the reverse
    24  mortgage loan shall be provided by the original authorized lender or  by
    25  any other authorized lender designated by the mortgagee.
    26    10.  Any authorized lender offering reverse mortgage loans pursuant to
    27  this section shall also offer reverse mortgage loans pursuant to section
    28  two hundred eighty-a of this article. Subject to  this  section  in  the
    29  event  that an authorized lender makes reverse mortgage loans under this
    30  section then that lender must make an equal number of  reverse  mortgage
    31  loans  pursuant  to  section  two hundred eighty-a of this article. Such
    32  loans shall be made to individuals who meet the requirements promulgated
    33  in section two hundred eighty-a of this article provided that such indi-
    34  vidual seeking the loan would otherwise qualify and be approved for that
    35  loan. In the event that no  or  insufficient  applications  for  reverse
    36  mortgage  loans pursuant to section two hundred eighty-a of this article
    37  are made to a lender who has  previously  made  reverse  mortgage  loans
    38  pursuant  to  this  section  then there shall be no requirement for that
    39  lender to make a reverse mortgage loan pursuant to section  two  hundred
    40  eighty-a  of  this  article.  It shall also not be a requirement that an
    41  authorized lender make any reverse mortgage loan to any  individual  who
    42  would  not  qualify for such loan and/or would not otherwise be approved
    43  for such loan.
    44    11.] Nothing contained in this section, section six-h of  the  banking
    45  law or any other provision of law shall be construed to prohibit a bank-
    46  ing  organization  or  licensed  mortgage  banker from providing reverse
    47  mortgages to homeowners in this state under the federal housing adminis-
    48  tration's  home  equity  conversion  mortgage  insurance   demonstration
    49  program.
    50    § 2. Section 280-a of the real property law is REPEALED.
    51    § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 281 of the real property law, as amended
    52  by  chapter 613 of the laws of 1993, paragraph (a) as amended by chapter
    53  183 of the laws of 1999, paragraph (b) as further amended by section 104
    54  of part A of chapter 62 of the laws of  2011,  is  amended  to  read  as
    55  follows:

        A. 5877                             7

     1    1.    (a)  For  the purposes of this section, a "credit line mortgage"
     2  shall mean any mortgage or deed of trust, other than a mortgage or  deed
     3  of  trust made pursuant to a building loan contract as defined in subdi-
     4  vision thirteen of section two of the lien law,  which  states  that  it
     5  secures  indebtedness  under a note, credit agreement or other financing
     6  agreement that reflects the fact that the parties reasonably contemplate
     7  entering into a series of advances, payments and  readvances,  and  that
     8  limits  the aggregate amount at any time outstanding to a maximum amount
     9  specified in such mortgage or  deed  of  trust.  For  purposes  of  this
    10  section, "credit line mortgage" shall include a reverse mortgage loan as
    11  defined in [sections] section two hundred eighty [and two hundred eight-
    12  y-a]  of  this  article  except  that such a credit line mortgage of the
    13  reverse mortgage loan type shall not be subject to the twenty year limi-
    14  tation set forth in subdivision two of this section.
    15    (b) Payments made by an authorized lender pursuant to any credit  line
    16  reverse  mortgage made in accordance with section two hundred [eighty-a]
    17  eighty of this article during any one year  shall  be  limited  to  such
    18  amount  or ratio as may be determined by the superintendent of financial
    19  services.  [In the event that a borrower does  not  take  payment  under
    20  such  credit line during the course of any year then that borrower shall
    21  have the ability to increase the yearly payments by that  amount  avail-
    22  able but not borrowed during previous years.]
    23    §  4.  The  opening  paragraph  of  section 6-h of the banking law, as
    24  amended by chapter 613 of the laws of 1993, and as  further  amended  by
    25  section  104  of part A of chapter 62 of the laws of 2011, is amended to
    26  read as follows:
    27    Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, in addition to  any
    28  other  power  exercised  by  it,  every authorized lender, as defined by
    29  section two hundred eighty [or two hundred eighty-a] of the real proper-
    30  ty law, shall have the power to offer reverse mortgage loans  (1)  which
    31  conform  to the provisions of section two hundred eighty [or two hundred
    32  eighty-a] of the real property law and the rules and regulations promul-
    33  gated by the superintendent of financial services; or (2) which  conform
    34  to  the requirements of the federal housing administration's home equity
    35  conversion mortgage insurance [demonstration] program  for  as  long  as
    36  such  program  exists as provided for in section 1715Z-20 of title 12 of
    37  the United States Code.   "Reverse mortgage" shall  mean  the  mortgage,
    38  deed  of  trust  or  other  security instrument relating to a particular
    39  reverse mortgage loan transaction.
    40    § 5. Paragraph (s) of subdivision 1 of section 14 of the banking  law,
    41  as amended by section 90 of part A of chapter 62 of the laws of 2011, is
    42  amended to read as follows:
    43    (s)  To  permit  authorized lenders, as defined by section two hundred
    44  eighty [or two hundred eighty-a] of the  real  property  law,  to  offer
    45  reverse  mortgage loans which shall conform to the provisions of section
    46  two hundred eighty [or two hundred eighty-a] of the real property law.
    47    § 6. The opening paragraph of paragraph 1 of subsection (c) of section
    48  6501 of the insurance law, as amended by chapter  555  of  the  laws  of
    49  2003, is amended to read as follows:
    50    an amortized instrument of indebtedness evidencing a loan secured by a
    51  first lien on real estate which at the time the loan is made is not less
    52  than  eighty  percent but not more than one hundred three percent of the
    53  fair market value of the real estate with any percentage  in  excess  of
    54  one  hundred percent being used to finance the fees and closing costs on
    55  such indebtedness, except, however,  for  reverse  mortgage  loans  made

        A. 5877                             8

     1  pursuant  to  [sections]  section  two  hundred  eighty [and two hundred
     2  eighty-a] of the real property law; provided that:
     3    §  7. Subdivision 16 of section 2426 of the public authorities law, as
     4  added by chapter 613 of the laws of 1993, is amended to read as follows:
     5    16. Reverse mortgage. A reverse mortgage loan pursuant to section  two
     6  hundred  eighty [or two hundred eighty-a] of the real property law shall
     7  mean a loan which is secured  by  a  first  mortgage  on  real  property
     8  improved by a one to four-family residence or condominium or cooperative
     9  apartment  that  is  the  residence  of  the  [mortgagor]  borrower, the
    10  proceeds of which are advanced to the mortgagor during the loan term  in
    11  equal  installments,  in advances through a line of credit or otherwise,
    12  in lump sums, or through a combination thereof. A reverse  mortgage  may
    13  be structured to provide for the addition of accrued but unpaid interest
    14  to  principal,  and  mortgage insurance premium in the amount of one and
    15  one-quarter percent of the outstanding balance remaining or  such  other
    16  amount as may be required by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban
    17  Development. Such reverse mortgage loan may provide for an initial lump-
    18  sum advance wherein the mortgagor may receive an amount necessary to pay
    19  closing  costs, including but not limited to loan or commitment fees, if
    20  any, insurance premiums, the cost of house  repairs,  legal  fees,  [the
    21  cost  of  annuities,]  the  costs  of third party counseling, the amount
    22  necessary to pay off existing mortgages or liens, and other  appropriate
    23  costs.
    24    §  8.  Paragraph  (b) of subdivision 3-b of section 2428 of the public
    25  authorities law, as added by chapter 613 of the laws  of  1993,  and  as
    26  further  amended  by  section 104 of part A of chapter 62 of the laws of
    27  2011, is amended to read as follows:
    28    (b) the reverse mortgage  loan  is  issued  pursuant  to  section  two
    29  hundred eighty [or two hundred eighty-a] of the real property law;
    30    §  9.  Subdivision  2  of  section 252-a of the tax law, as amended by
    31  chapter 613 of the laws of 1993, is amended to read as follows:
    32    2. Reverse mortgages conforming  to  the  provisions  of  section  two
    33  hundred eighty [or two hundred eighty-a] of the real property law secur-
    34  ing obligations of mortgagors or exempted therefrom pursuant to subdivi-
    35  sion  four of section two hundred eighty [or subdivision four of section
    36  two hundred eighty-a] of the real property law shall be exempt from  any
    37  tax  or  fee imposed by this article. In each case where an exemption is
    38  claimed under this subdivision, the lender shall  provide  documentation
    39  in  a  format  approved by the commissioner [of taxation and finance] to
    40  enable recording officers to affirmatively  determine  when  a  mortgage
    41  being  presented  for recording is a reverse mortgage conforming to such
    42  provisions of the real property law and entitled to an  exemption  under
    43  this subdivision. Where such documentation is not furnished, the maximum
    44  principal  debt  or  obligation  which  shall  be the measure of the tax
    45  imposed by and pursuant to the authority of this article in the case  of
    46  a  reverse  mortgage shall be the proceeds of the loan which the author-
    47  ized lender is obligated to lend the borrower at the execution  of  such
    48  mortgage  or at any time thereafter but determined without regard to any
    49  contingency relating to the addition of any unpaid interest to principal
    50  or relating to any percentage of the future appreciation of the property
    51  securing the loan as consideration or additional consideration  for  the
    52  making of the loan. Provided, however, if subsequent to the recording of
    53  such  mortgage, the proceeds which the authorized lender is obligated to
    54  lend the borrower are increased at any time, such new or further indebt-
    55  edness or obligation shall be the measure of the tax at such time unless

        A. 5877                             9

     1  at that time an exemption is applicable under the first sentence of this
     2  subdivision or otherwise.
     3    §  10. Section 131-x of the social services law, as amended by section
     4  73 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, is amended to  read  as
     5  follows:
     6    §  131-x.  Reverse  mortgage  loans.  Notwithstanding any other incon-
     7  sistent  provisions  of  law and to the extent permissible under federal
     8  law, regulation or waiver, the proceeds of a reverse mortgage loan  made
     9  in  conformity  with  the requirements of section two hundred eighty [or
    10  two hundred eighty-a] of the real property  law  or  exempted  therefrom
    11  pursuant  to subdivision four of section two hundred eighty [or subdivi-
    12  sion four of section two hundred eighty-a]  of  the  real  property  law
    13  shall  not be considered as income or resources of the mortgagor for any
    14  purpose under any law relating to food stamps, public assistance, veter-
    15  an assistance, safety net assistance, low-income home energy assistance,
    16  federal supplemental security income benefits  and/or  additional  state
    17  payments,  medical  assistance,  any  prescription  drug  plan  or other
    18  payments, allowances, benefits or services available  pursuant  to  this
    19  chapter;  provided,  however,  that  for applicants or for recipients of
    20  safety net assistance, any such reverse mortgage loan proceeds shall  be
    21  disregarded   as income and/or resources only in the event that, and for
    22  so long as, federal laws and regulations exempt  loan  proceeds  in  the
    23  determination of eligibility for both the aid to families with dependent
    24  children and supplemental security income programs.
    25    § 11. This act shall take effect immediately.
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