AN ACT to overturn the shepard case and amend the limitation regarding actions to recover for usury; to overturn the skinner case and amend the long‑arm statute to allow north carolina courts to exercise personal jurisdiction over certain nonresident defendants; to require that a notice of foreclosure contain certain information; and to pROVIDE FOR MORTGAGE DEBT COLLECTION AND SERVICING.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 1‑53(2) reads as rewritten:
"(2)	An action to recover the penalty for usury, including an action regarding the financing of usurious points, usurious fees, or other usurious charges; the two-year period shall accrue with each payment made and accepted on the loan."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 1‑75.4(6) reads as rewritten:
"(6)	Local Property. – In any action which arises out of:
a.	A promise, made anywhere to the plaintiff or to some third party for the plaintiff's benefit, by the defendant to create in either party an interest in, or protect, acquire, dispose of, use, rent, own, control or possess by either party real property situated in this State; or
b.	A claim to recover for any benefit derived by the defendant through the use, ownership, control or possession by the defendant of tangible property situated within this State either at the time of the first use, ownership, control or possession or at the time the action is commenced; or
c.	A claim that the defendant return, restore, or account to the plaintiff for any asset or thing of value which was within this State at the time the defendant acquired possession or control over it.
d.	A claim related to a loan made in this State or deemed to have been made in this State under G.S. 24‑2.1, regardless of the situs of the lender, assignee, or other holder of the loan note and regardless of whether the loan payment or fee is received through a loan servicer, provided that: (i) the loan was made to a borrower who is a resident of this State, (ii) the loan is incurred by the borrower primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, and (iii) the loan is secured by a mortgage or deed of trust on real property situated in this State upon which there is located or there is to be located a structure or structures designed principally for occupancy of from one to four families."
SECTION 3.  G.S. 24‑2.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 24‑2.1.  Transactions governed by Chapter.
(a)	For purposes of this Chapter, any extension of credit shall be deemed to have been made in this State, and therefore subject to the provisions of this Chapter if the lender offers or agrees in this State to lend to a borrower who is a resident of this State, or if such borrower accepts or makes the offer in this State to borrow, regardless of the situs of the contract as specified therein.
(b)	Any solicitation or communication to lend, oral or written, originating outside of this State, but forwarded to and received in this State by a borrower who is a resident of this State, shall be deemed to be an offer or agreement to lend in this State.
(c)	Any solicitation or communication to borrow, oral or written, originating within this State, from a borrower who is a resident of this State, but forwarded to, and received by a lender outside of this State, shall be deemed to be an acceptance or offer to borrow in this State.
(d)	Any oral or written offer, acceptance, solicitation or communication to lend or borrow, made in this State to, or received in this State from, a borrower who is not a resident of this State shall be subject to the provisions of this Chapter, applicable federal law, law of the situs of the contract, or law of the residence of any such borrower as the parties may elect.
(e)	Any person who acquires a right by contract or by assignment to receive payments under a loan made in this State to an individual or individuals who is a resident of this State at the time of the loan and who benefits from the laws of this State by having the loan secured by real property located in this State is deemed to have consented to the courts of this State having jurisdiction over such person for any claim under this Chapter and for any claim related to the loan instrument.
(f)	The provisions of this section shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision is declared to be invalid, the validity of the remainder of this section shall not be affected thereby.
(g)	It is the paramount public policy of North Carolina to protect North Carolina resident borrowers through the application of North Carolina interest laws. Any provision of this section which acts to interfere in the attainment of that public policy shall be of no effect."
SECTION 4.  G.S. 45‑21.16 reads as rewritten:
"§ 45‑21.16.  Notice and hearing.
…
(c)	Notice shall be in writing and shall state in a manner reasonably calculated to make the party entitled to notice aware of the following:
…
(5a)	The holder has confirmed in writing to the person giving the notice, or if the holder is giving the notice, the holder shall confirm in the notice, that, within 30 days of the date of the notice, the debtor was sent by first‑class mail at the debtor's last known address a detailed written statement of the amount of principal, interest, and any other fees, expenses, and disbursements that the holder in good faith is claiming to be due as of the date of the written statement, together with a daily interest charge based on the contract rate as of the date of the written statement. Nothing herein is intended to authorize any fees, charges, or methods of charging interest which is not otherwise permitted under contract between the parties and other applicable law.
(5b)	To the knowledge of the holder, or the servicer acting on the holder's behalf, whether in the two years preceding the date of the statement any requests for information have been made by the borrower to the servicer pursuant to G.S. 45‑88 and, if so, whether such requests have been complied with. If the time limits set forth in G.S. 45‑88 for complying with any such requests for information have not yet expired as of the date of the notice, the notice shall so state. If the holder is not giving the notice, the holder shall confirm in writing to the person giving the notice the information required by this subsection to be stated in the notice.
(6)	Repealed by Session Laws 1977, c. 359, s. 7.
(7)	The right of the debtor (or other party served) to appear before the clerk of court at a time and on a date specified, at which appearance he shall be afforded the opportunity to show cause as to why the foreclosure should not be allowed to be held. The notice shall contain all of the following:
a.	A statement that if the debtor does not intend to contest the creditor's allegations of default, the debtor does not have to appear at the hearing and that the debtor's failure to attend the hearing will not affect the debtor's right to pay the indebtedness and thereby prevent the proposed sale, or to attend the actual sale, should the debtor elect to do so.
b.	A statement that the trustee, or substitute trustee, is a neutral party and, while holding that position in the foreclosure proceeding, may not advocate for the secured creditor or for the debtor in the foreclosure proceeding.
c.	A statement that the debtor has the right to apply to a judge of the superior court pursuant to G.S. 45‑21.34 to enjoin the sale, upon any legal or equitable ground that the court may deem sufficient prior to the time that the rights of the parties to the sale or resale become fixed, provided that the debtor complies with the requirements of G.S. 45‑21.34.
d.	A statement that the debtor has the right to appear at the hearing and contest the evidence that the clerk is to consider under G.S. 45‑21.16(d), and that to authorize the foreclosure the clerk must find the existence of: (i) valid debt of which the party seeking to foreclose is the holder, (ii) default, (iii) right to foreclose under the instrument, and (iv) notice to those entitled to notice. 
e.	A statement that if the debtor fails to appear at the hearing, the trustee will ask the clerk for an order to sell the real property being foreclosed.
f.	A statement that the debtor has the right to seek the advice of an attorney and that free legal services may be available to the debtor by contacting Legal Aid of North Carolina or other legal services organizations. 
(8)	That if the foreclosure sale is consummated, the purchaser will be entitled to possession of the real estate as of the date of delivery of his deed, and that the debtor, if still in possession, can then be evicted.
(8a)	The name, address, and telephone number of the trustee or mortgagee.
(9)	That the debtor should keep the trustee or mortgagee notified in writing of his address so that he can be mailed copies of the notice of foreclosure setting forth the terms under which the sale will be held, and notice of any postponements or resales.
(10)	If the notice of hearing is intended to serve also as a notice of sale, such additional information as is set forth in G.S. 45‑21.16A.
(11)	That the hearing may be held on a date later than that stated in the notice and that the party will be notified of any change in the hearing date.
(c1)	The person giving the notice of hearing, if other than the holder, may rely on the written confirmation received from the holder under subdivisions (c)(5a) and (c)(5b) of this section and is not liable for inaccuracies in the written confirmation.
…."
SECTION 5.  Chapter 45 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article to read:
"Article 10.
"Mortgage Debt Collection and Servicing.
"§ 45‑85.  Definitions.
As used in this Article, the following definitions apply:
(1)	Home loan. – A loan secured by real property located in this State used, or intended to be used, by an individual borrower or individual borrowers in this State as a dwelling, regardless of whether the loan is used to purchase the property or refinance the prior purchase of the property or whether the proceeds of the loan are used for personal, family, or business purposes. 
(2)	Servicer. – A 'servicer' as defined in the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, 12 U.S.C. § 2605(i). A licensed attorney, who in the practice of law or performing as a trustee, accepts payments related to a loan closing, default, foreclosure, or settlement of a dispute or legal claim related to a loan, shall not be considered a servicer for the purposes of this Article. 
"§ 45‑86. Assessment of fees; processing of payments; publication of statements.
(a)	A servicer must comply as to every home loan, regardless of whether the loan is considered in default or the borrower is in bankruptcy or the borrower has been in bankruptcy, with the following requirements:
(1)	Any fee that is incurred by a servicer shall be both:
a.	Assessed within 45 days of the date on which the fee was incurred. Provided, however, that attorney or trustee fees and costs incurred as a result of a foreclosure action shall be assessed within 45 days of the date they are charged by either the attorney or trustee to the servicer.
b.	Explained clearly and conspicuously in a statement mailed to the borrower at the borrower's last known address at least 30 days after assessing the fee, provided the servicer shall not be required to take any action in violation of the provisions of the federal bankruptcy code.
(2)	All amounts received by a servicer on a home loan at the address where the borrower has been instructed to make payments shall be accepted and credited, or treated as credited, within one business day of the date received, provided that the borrower has made the full contractual payment and has provided sufficient information to credit the account. If a servicer uses the scheduled method of accounting, any regularly scheduled payment made prior to the scheduled due date shall be credited no later than the due date. Provided, however, that if any payment is received and not credited, or treated as credited, the borrower shall be notified within 10 business days by mail at the borrower's last known address of the disposition of the payment, the reason the payment was not credited, or treated as credited to the account, and any actions necessary by the borrower to make the loan current.	
(3)	Failure to charge the fee or provide the information within the allowable time and in the manner required under subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section constitutes a waiver of such fee.
(4)	All fees charged by a servicer must be otherwise permitted under applicable law and the contracts between the parties. Nothing herein is intended to permit the application of payments or method of charging interest which is less protective of the borrower than the contracts between the parties and other applicable law.
"§ 45‑87.  Obligation of servicer to handle escrow funds.
Any servicer that exercises the authority to collect escrow amounts on a home loan held or to be held for the borrower for insurance, taxes, and other charges with respect to the property shall collect and make all payments from the escrow account, so as to ensure that no late penalties are assessed or other negative consequences result. The provisions of this section shall apply regardless of whether the loan is delinquent or in default unless the servicer has a reasonable basis to believe that recovery of these funds will not be possible or the loan is more than 90 days in default.
"§ 45‑88. Borrower requests for information.
The servicer shall make reasonable attempts to comply with a borrower's request for information about the home loan account and to respond to any dispute initiated by the borrower about the loan account, as provided in this section. The servicer shall maintain, until the home loan is paid in full, otherwise satisfied, or sold, written or electronic records of each written request for information regarding a dispute or error involving the borrower's account. Specifically, the servicer is required to do all of the following:
(1)	Provide a written statement to the borrower within 10 business days of receipt of a written request from the borrower that includes or otherwise enables the servicer to identify the name and account of the borrower and includes a statement that the account is or may be in error or otherwise provides sufficient detail to the servicer regarding information sought by the borrower. The borrower is entitled to one such statement in any six‑month period free of charge, and additional statements shall be provided if the borrower pays the servicer a reasonable charge for preparing and furnishing the statement not to exceed twenty-five dollars ($25.00) The statement shall include the following information if requested: 
a.	Whether the account is current or, if the account is not current, an explanation of the default and the date the account went into default.
b.	The current balance due on the loan, including the principal due, the amount of funds (if any) held in a suspense account, the amount of the escrow balance (if any) known to the servicer, and whether there are any escrow deficiencies or shortages known to the servicer.
c.	The identity, address, and other relevant information about the current holder, owner, or assignee of the loan.
d.	The telephone number and mailing address of a servicer representative with the information and authority to answer questions and resolve disputes.
(2)	Provide the following information and/or documents within 25 business days of receipt of a written request from the borrower that includes or otherwise enables the servicer to identify the name and account of the borrower and includes a statement that the account is or may be in error or otherwise provides sufficient detail to the servicer regarding information sought by the borrower:
a.	A copy of the original note, or if unavailable, an affidavit of lost note.
b.	A statement that identifies and itemizes all fees and charges assessed under the loan transaction and provides  a full payment history identifying in a clear and conspicuous manner all of the debits, credits, application of and disbursement of all payments received from or for the benefit of the borrower, and other activity on the home loan including escrow account activity and suspense account activity, if any. The period of the account history shall cover at a minimum the two‑year period prior to the date of the receipt of the request for information. If the servicer has not serviced the home loan for the entire two‑year time period the servicer shall provide the information going back to the date on which the servicer began servicing the home loan. For purposes of this subsection, the date of the request for the information shall be presumed to be no later than 30 days from the date of the receipt of the request. If the servicer claims that any delinquent or outstanding sums are owed on the home loan prior to the two‑year period or the period during which the servicer has serviced the loan, the servicer shall provide an account history beginning with the month that the servicer claims any outstanding sums are owed on the loan up to the date of the request for the information. The borrower is entitled to one such statement in any six‑month period free of charge. Additional statements shall be provided if the borrower pays the servicer a reasonable charge for preparing and furnishing the statement not to exceed fifty dollars ($50.00). 
(3)	Promptly correct errors relating to the allocation of payments, the statement of account, or the payoff balance identified in any notice from the borrower provided in accordance with subdivision (2) of this section, or discovered through the due diligence of the servicer or other means.
"§ 45‑89. Remedies.
In addition to any equitable remedies and any other remedies at law, any borrower injured by any violation of this Article may bring an action for recovery of actual damages, including reasonable attorneys' fees. The Commissioner of Banks, the Attorney General, or any party to a home loan may enforce the provisions of this section. With the exception of an action by the Commissioner of Banks or the Attorney General, at least 30 days before a borrower or a borrower's representative institutes a civil action for damages against a servicer for a violation of this Article, the borrower or a borrower's representative shall notify the servicer in writing of any claimed errors or disputes regarding the borrower's home loan that forms the basis of the civil action. The notice must be sent to the address as designated on any of the servicer's bills, statements, invoices, or other written communication, and must enable the servicer to identify the name and loan account of the borrower.  For purposes of this section, notice shall not include a complaint or summons. Nothing in this section shall limit the rights of a borrower to enjoin a civil action, or make a counterclaim, cross-claim, or plead a defense in a civil action. A servicer will not be in violation of this Article if the servicer shows by a preponderance of evidence that:
(1)	The violation was not intentional or the result of bad faith; and
(2)	Within 30 days after discovering or being notified of an error, and prior to the institution of any legal action by the borrower against the servicer under this section, the servicer corrected the error and compensated the borrower for any fees or charges incurred by the borrower as a result of the violation. 
"§ 45‑90.  Severability.
The provisions of this Article shall be severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence, or provision is declared to be invalid or is preempted by federal law or regulation, the validity of the remainder of this section shall not be affected thereby. If any provision of this Article is declared to be inapplicable to any specific category, type, or kind of points and fees, the provisions of this Article shall nonetheless continue to apply with respect to all other points and fees."
SECTION 6.  Sections 4 and 5 of this act become effective April 1, 2008. All other sections of this act are effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 1st day of August, 2007.

	_____________________________________
		 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

	_____________________________________
		 Joe Hackney
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	_____________________________________
		 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved __________.m. this ______________ day of ___________________, 2007