Terms Used In Maryland Code, COMMERCIAL LAW 12-127

  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • including: means includes or including by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. See
  • Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. Source: OCC
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. Source: OCC
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

(2) “Fully indexed rate” means the index rate, as defined in the mortgage loan documents, prevailing at the time the mortgage loan is approved by the lender, plus the margin that will apply after the expiration of an introductory interest rate.

(3) (i) “Mortgage loan” has the meaning stated in § 11-501 of the Financial Institutions Article.

(ii) “Mortgage loan” does not include a reverse mortgage loan.

(b) A lender may not make a mortgage loan without giving due regard to the borrower’s ability to repay the mortgage loan in accordance with its terms, including the fully indexed rate of the mortgage loan, if applicable, and property taxes and homeowner’s insurance whether or not an escrow account is established for the collection and payment of these expenses.

(c) (1) Due regard to a borrower’s ability to repay a mortgage loan must include:

(i) Consideration of the borrower’s debt to income ratio, including existing debts and other obligations; and

(ii) Verification of the borrower’s gross monthly income and assets by review of third-party written documentation reasonably believed by the lender to be accurate and complete.

(2) Acceptable third-party written documentation includes:

(i) The borrower’s Internal Revenue Service form W-2;

(ii) A copy of the borrower’s income tax return;

(iii) Payroll receipts;

(iv) The records of a financial institution; or

(v) Other third-party documents that provide reasonably reliable evidence of the borrower’s income or assets.

(3) This subsection does not apply to a mortgage loan:

(i) Approved for government guaranty by the Federal Housing Administration, the Veterans Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, or the Community Development Administration; or

(ii) That refinances an existing mortgage loan if the refinance mortgage loan is:

1. Offered under the federal Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan; and

2. Made available by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation or the Federal National Mortgage Association.