Section 49. Whenever used in this section, and sections 50 and 51, the following words shall, unless the context requires otherwise, have the following meanings:

Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws ch. 167 sec. 49

  • Equal Credit Opportunity Act: Prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or because an applicant receives income from a public assistance program. Source: OCC
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.

”Appropriate corrective action”, action taken by the board of directors or trustees of a bank pursuant to findings contained in a compliance review document in accordance with 12 C.F.R. § 202.15.

”Compliance review document”, a report prepared for and at the direction of the compliance review supervisor or created by said supervisor, and certified by said supervisor, detailing the results of any self testing program together with recommendations, if any, for appropriate corrective action.

”Compliance review supervisor”, an employee, officer or director of a bank appointed by the board of directors or trustees of such bank to supervise the self testing programs hereinafter defined.

”Fair lending laws”, any federal or state law, rule or regulation which expressly regulates the equal availability of credit including, but not limited to, applicable provisions of chapter 151B and the Federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

”Self testing”, any program or study relating to the practice of using fictitious applicants for credit, so-called, ”matched pairs”, and Regression Analysis, that a bank voluntarily conducts or authorizes a third party to conduct to test for distinctions in treatment or discrimination based on any prohibited basis as defined under the applicable sections of chapter 151B or the Federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act, including but not limited to, race, ethnic background or gender at the pre-application and application stage of the residential mortgage lending process.