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Safe Harbors from Liability under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act for Certain Actions Taken in Compliance with Mortgage Servicing Rules under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (Regulation X) and the Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z)

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) is issuing this interpretive rule under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) to clarify the interaction of the FDCPA and specified mortgage servicing rules in Regulations X and Z.  This interpretive rule constitutes an advisory opinion for purposes of the FDCPA and provides safe harbors from liability for servicers acting in compliance with specified mortgage servicing rules in three situations:  (1) servicers do not violate FDCPA section 805(b) when communicating about the mortgage loan with confirmed successors in interest in compliance with specified mortgage servicing rules in Regulation X or Z; (2) servicers do not violate FDCPA section 805(c) with respect to the mortgage loan when providing the written early intervention notice required by Regulation X § 1024.39(d)(3) to a borrower who has invoked the cease communication right under FDCPA section 805(c); and (3) servicers do not violate FDCPA section 805(c) when responding to borrower-initiated communications concerning loss mitigation after the borrower has invoked the cease communication right under FDCPA section 805(c).

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