N.Y. Banking Law 598 – Additional penalties for violation of this article; civil, criminal; liquidated damages
§ 598. Additional penalties for violation of this article; civil, criminal; liquidated damages. 1. In addition to such penalties as may otherwise be applicable by law, the superintendent may, after notice and hearing as provided elsewhere in this article, require any entity, licensee, servicer, registrant or exempt organization found violating the provisions of this article or the rules or regulations promulgated hereunder to pay to the people of this state an additional penalty for each violation of the article or any regulation or policy promulgated hereunder a sum not to exceed an amount as determined pursuant to section forty-four of this chapter for each such violation.
Attorney's Note
Under the New York Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class A misdemeanor | up to 364 days | up to $1,000 |
Terms Used In N.Y. Banking Law 598
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
- Mortgage loan: shall mean a loan to a natural person made primarily for personal, family or household use, secured by either a mortgage or deed of trust on residential real property, any certificate of stock or other evidence of ownership in, and proprietary lease from, a corporation or partnership formed for the purpose of cooperative ownership of residential real property or, if determined by the superintendent by regulation, shall include such a loan secured by a security interest on a manufactured home;
(b) "Residential real property" shall mean real property located in this state improved by a one-to-four family dwelling used or occupied, or intended to be used or occupied, wholly or partly, as the home or residence of one or more persons, but shall not refer to unimproved real property upon which such dwellings are to be constructed;
(c) "Making a mortgage loan" shall mean for compensation or gain, either directly or indirectly, advancing funds, offering to advance funds, or making a commitment to advance funds to an applicant for a mortgage loan or a mortgagor as a mortgage loan;
(d) "Soliciting, processing, placing or negotiating a mortgage loan" shall mean for compensation or gain, either directly or indirectly, accepting or offering to accept an application for a mortgage loan, assisting or offering to assist in the processing of an application for a mortgage loan, soliciting or offering to solicit a mortgage loan on behalf of a third party or negotiating or offering to negotiate the terms or conditions of a mortgage loan with a lender on behalf of a third party;
(e) "Exempt organization" shall mean any insurance company, banking organization, foreign banking corporation licensed by the superintendent or the comptroller of the currency to transact business in this state, national bank, federal savings bank, federal savings and loan association, federal credit union, or any bank, trust company, savings bank, savings and loan association, or credit union organized under the laws of any other state, or any instrumentality created by the United States or any state with the power to make mortgage loans. See N.Y. Banking Law 590 - Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. Source: OCC
- Mortgagor: The person who pledges property to a creditor as collateral for a loan and who receives the money.
- Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
2. Whoever violates any provision of the licensing requirements of subparagraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision two of section five hundred ninety of this article by making a mortgage loan without being licensed or specifically exempted from licensing, or soliciting, processing, placing or negotiating a mortgage loan without being registered or specifically exempted from registration, shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor, punishable as provided in articles seventy and eighty of the penal law.
3. Liquidated damages. In addition to any other remedy which an applicant for a mortgage loan or mortgagor may have against a licensee, registrant or exempt organization for breach of contract or agreement to make a mortgage loan, the court after considering the circumstances may award the plaintiff, upon granting a judgment in his favor in an individual action on such claim, liquidated damages an amount equal to twice the amount of any fees or other charges paid by the applicant or mortgagor in connection with such contract or agreement exclusive of any amounts paid or payable after the mortgage or other security instrument is executed.
4. Statutory or common-law remedies. Nothing in this article shall limit any statutory or common-law right of any person to bring any action in any court for any act, or the right of the state to punish any person for any violation of any law.
5. Civil penalties assessable against unlicensed or unregistered persons or entities. If any non-exempt unlicensed or unregistered person or entity engages in activities encompassed by this article, he shall be liable to any person or entity affected by such activities for a sum of money of not less than the amount of money paid to an affected person or entity in connection with such activities, nor more than four times such sum; provided however that where a non-exempt unlicensed or unregistered person has continued to engage in such unauthorized activities after receiving a cease and desist notice from the superintendent, the maximum amount of liability shall be up to the amount of actual damages. Such sum may be sued for and recovered by any person or entity for his use and benefit in any court of competent jurisdiction.