RCW 61.24.031
Notice of default under RCW 61.24.030(8) -- Beneficiary's duties -- Borrower's options. (Expires December 31, 2012.)

(1)(a) A trustee, beneficiary, or authorized agent may not issue a notice of default under RCW 61.24.030(8) until thirty days after initial contact with the borrower is made as required under (b) of this subsection or thirty days after satisfying the due diligence requirements as described in subsection (5) of this section.

     (b) A beneficiary or authorized agent shall contact the borrower by letter and by telephone in order to assess the borrower's financial ability to pay the debt secured by the deed of trust and explore options for the borrower to avoid foreclosure. The letter required under this subsection must be mailed in accordance with subsection (5)(a) of this section and must include the information described in subsection (5)(a) and (e)(i) through (iv) of this section.

     (c) During the initial contact, the beneficiary or authorized agent shall advise the borrower that he or she has the right to request a subsequent meeting and, if requested, the beneficiary or authorized agent shall schedule the meeting to occur within fourteen days of the request. The assessment of the borrower's financial ability to repay the debt and a discussion of options may occur during the initial contact or at a subsequent meeting scheduled for that purpose. At the initial contact, the borrower must be provided the toll-free telephone number made available by the department to find a department-certified housing counseling agency and the toll-free numbers for the department of financial institutions and the statewide civil legal aid hotline for possible assistance and referrals.

     (d) Any meeting under this section may occur telephonically.

     (2) A notice of default issued under RCW 61.24.030(8) must include a declaration, as provided in subsection (9) of this section, from the beneficiary or authorized agent that it has contacted the borrower as provided in subsection (1)(b) of this section, it has tried with due diligence to contact the borrower under subsection (5) of this section, or the borrower has surrendered the property to the trustee, beneficiary, or authorized agent. Unless the trustee has violated his or her duty under RCW 61.24.010(4), the trustee is entitled to rely on the declaration as evidence that the requirements of this section have been satisfied, and the trustee is not liable for the beneficiary's or its authorized agent's failure to comply with the requirements of this section.

     (3) A beneficiary's or authorized agent's loss mitigation personnel may participate by telephone during any contact required under this section.

     (4) Within fourteen days after the initial contact under subsection (1) of this section, if a borrower has designated a department-certified housing counseling agency, attorney, or other advisor to discuss with the beneficiary or authorized agent, on the borrower's behalf, options for the borrower to avoid foreclosure, the borrower shall inform the beneficiary or authorized agent and provide the contact information. The beneficiary or authorized agent shall contact the designated representative for the borrower for the discussion within fourteen days after the representative is designated by the borrower. Any deed of trust modification or workout plan offered at the meeting with the borrower's designated representative by the beneficiary or authorized agent is subject to approval by the borrower.

     (5) A notice of default may be issued under RCW 61.24.030(8) if a beneficiary or authorized agent has not contacted a borrower as required under subsection (1)(b) of this section and the failure to contact the borrower occurred despite the due diligence of the beneficiary or authorized agent. Due diligence requires the following:

     (a) A beneficiary or authorized agent shall first attempt to contact a borrower by sending a first-class letter to the address in the beneficiary's records for sending account statements to the borrower and to the address of the property encumbered by the deed of trust. The letter must include the toll-free telephone number made available by the department to find a department-certified housing counseling agency, and the following information:

     "You may contact the Department of Financial Institutions, the Washington State Bar Association, or the statewide civil legal aid hotline for possible assistance or referrals."

     (b)(i) After the letter has been sent, the beneficiary or authorized agent shall attempt to contact the borrower by telephone at least three times at different hours and on different days. Telephone calls must be made to the primary and secondary telephone numbers on file with the beneficiary or authorized agent.

     (ii) A beneficiary or authorized agent may attempt to contact a borrower using an automated system to dial borrowers if the telephone call, when answered, is connected to a live representative of the beneficiary or authorized agent.

     (iii) A beneficiary or authorized agent satisfies the telephone contact requirements of this subsection (5)(b) if the beneficiary or authorized agent determines, after attempting contact under this subsection (5)(b), that the borrower's primary telephone number and secondary telephone number or numbers on file, if any, have been disconnected or are not good contact numbers for the borrower.

     (c) If the borrower does not respond within fourteen days after the telephone call requirements of (b) of this subsection have been satisfied, the beneficiary or authorized agent shall send a certified letter, with return receipt requested, to the borrower at the address in the beneficiary's records for sending account statements to the borrower and to the address of the property encumbered by the deed of trust. The letter must include the information described in (e)(i) through (iv) of this subsection.

     (d) The beneficiary or authorized agent shall provide a means for the borrower to contact the beneficiary or authorized agent in a timely manner, including a toll-free telephone number or charge-free equivalent that will provide access to a live representative during business hours.

     (e) The beneficiary or authorized agent shall post a link on the home page of the beneficiary's or authorized agent's internet web site, if any, to the following information:

     (i) Options that may be available to borrowers who are unable to afford their mortgage payments and who wish to avoid foreclosure, and instructions to borrowers advising them on steps to take to explore those options;

     (ii) A list of financial documents borrowers should collect and be prepared to present to the beneficiary or authorized agent when discussing options for avoiding foreclosure;

     (iii) A toll-free telephone number or charge-free equivalent for borrowers who wish to discuss options for avoiding foreclosure with their beneficiary or authorized agent; and

     (iv) The toll-free telephone number or charge-free equivalent made available by the department to find a department-certified housing counseling agency.

     (6) Subsections (1) and (5) of this section do not apply if any of the following occurs:

     (a) The borrower has surrendered the property as evidenced by either a letter confirming the surrender or delivery of the keys to the property to the trustee, beneficiary, or authorized agent; or

     (b) The borrower has filed for bankruptcy, and the bankruptcy stay remains in place, or the borrower has filed for bankruptcy and the bankruptcy court has granted relief from the bankruptcy stay allowing enforcement of the deed of trust.

     (7)(a) This section applies only to deeds of trust made from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2007, inclusive, that are recorded against owner-occupied residential real property. This section does not apply to deeds of trust: (i) Securing a commercial loan; (ii) securing obligations of a grantor who is not the borrower or a guarantor; or (iii) securing a purchaser's obligations under a seller-financed sale.

     (b) This section does not apply to association beneficiaries subject to chapter 64.32, 64.34, or 64.38 RCW.

     (8) As used in this section:

     (a) "Department" means the United States department of housing and urban development.

     (b) "Seller-financed sale" means a residential real property transaction where the seller finances all or part of the purchase price, and that financed amount is secured by a deed of trust against the subject residential real property.

     (9) The form of declaration to be provided by the beneficiary or authorized agent as required under subsection (2) of this section must be in substantially the following form:



     "FORECLOSURE LOSS MITIGATION FORM


Please select applicable option(s) below.


     The undersigned beneficiary or authorized agent for the beneficiary hereby represents and declares under the penalty of perjury that [check the applicable box and fill in any blanks so that the trustee can insert, on the beneficiary's behalf, the applicable declaration in the notice of default required under chapter 61.24 RCW]:

     (1) [ ] The beneficiary or beneficiary's authorized agent has contacted the borrower under, and has complied with, RCW 61.24.031 (contact provision to "assess the borrower's financial ability to pay the debt secured by the deed of trust and explore options for the borrower to avoid foreclosure").

     (2) [ ] The beneficiary or beneficiary's authorized agent has exercised due diligence to contact the borrower as required in RCW 61.24.031(5) and, after waiting fourteen days after the requirements in RCW 61.24.031 were satisfied, the beneficiary or the beneficiary's authorized agent sent to the borrower(s), by certified mail, return receipt requested, the letter required under RCW 61.24.031.

     (3) [ ] The borrower has surrendered the secured property as evidenced by either a letter confirming the surrender or by delivery of the keys to the secured property to the beneficiary, the beneficiary's authorized agent or to the trustee.

     (4) [ ] Under RCW 61.24.031, the beneficiary or the beneficiary's authorized agent has verified information that, on or before the date of this declaration, the borrower(s) has filed for bankruptcy, and the bankruptcy stay remains in place, or the borrower has filed for bankruptcy and the bankruptcy court has granted relief from the bankruptcy stay allowing the enforcement of the deed of trust."

[2009 c 292 § 2.]

NOTES:

     Expiration date -- 2009 c 292 § 2: "Section 2 of this act expires December 31, 2012." [2009 c 292 § 13.]