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S.B. 261 Enrolled

             1     

CHANGES TO TRUST DEED FORECLOSURE PROVISIONS

             2     
2011 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble

             5     
House Sponsor: Brad R. Wilson

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies provisions relating to trust deed foreclosures.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    imposes civil liability on a person who violates specified trustee provisions;
             13          .    modifies a provision relating to successor trustees;
             14          .    imposes a duty on a trustee who exercises a power of sale; and
             15          .    requires a beneficiary or the beneficiary's agent to provide notice to a trustor on a
             16      residential property if the beneficiary or agent does not intend to instruct a trustee to
             17      defer a notice of sale despite a temporary reduced payment arrangement and
             18      imposes civil liability for a failure to do so.
             19      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             20          None
             21      Other Special Clauses:
             22          None
             23      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             24      AMENDS:
             25          57-1-22, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2002, Chapter 209
             26          57-1-25, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2010, Chapter 66
             27      ENACTS:
             28          57-1-23.5, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             29          57-1-24.5, Utah Code Annotated 1953


             30     
             31      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             32          Section 1. Section 57-1-22 is amended to read:
             33           57-1-22. Successor trustees -- Appointment by beneficiary -- Effect -- Substitution
             34      of trustee -- Recording -- Form.
             35          (1) (a) The beneficiary may appoint a successor trustee at any time by filing for record
             36      in the office of the county recorder of each county in which the trust property or some part of
             37      the trust property is situated, a substitution of trustee.
             38          (b) The new trustee shall succeed to all the power, duties, authority, and title of the
             39      trustee named in the deed of trust and of any successor trustee.
             40          (c) The beneficiary may, by express provision in the substitution of trustee, ratify and
             41      confirm action taken on the beneficiary's behalf by the new trustee prior to the recording of the
             42      substitution of trustee.
             43          (2) The substitution shall:
             44          (a) identify the trust deed by stating:
             45          (i) the names of the original parties to the trust deed;
             46          (ii) the date of recordation; and
             47          (iii) (A) the book and page where the trust deed is recorded; or
             48          (B) the entry number;
             49          (b) include the legal description of the trust property;
             50          (c) state the name and address of the new trustee; and
             51          (d) be executed and acknowledged by all of the beneficiaries under the trust deed or
             52      their successors in interest.
             53          (3) (a) If not previously recorded[,] at the time of recording a notice of default, the
             54      successor trustee shall file for record, in the office of the county recorder of each county in
             55      which the trust property or some part of it is situated, the substitution of trustee.
             56          (b) A copy of the substitution of trustee shall be sent in the manner provided in
             57      Subsection 57-1-26 (2) to any:


             58          (i) person who requests a copy of any notice of default or notice of sale under
             59      Subsection 57-1-26 (1)(a); and
             60          (ii) person who is a party to the trust deed to whom a copy of a notice of default would
             61      be required to be mailed by Subsection 57-1-26 (3).
             62          (4) A substitution of trustee shall be in substantially the following form:
             63     
Substitution of Trustee

             64     
(insert name and address of new trustee)

             65              is hereby appointed successor trustee under the trust deed executed by ____ as
             66      trustor, in which ____ is named beneficiary and ____ as trustee, and filed for record
             67      __________(month\day\year), and recorded in Book ____, Page ____, Records of ____
             68      County, (or filed for record __________(month\day\year), with recorder's entry No. ____, ____
             69      County), Utah.
             70     
(Insert legal description)

             71                              
             72      Signature_____________________________
             73     
(Certificate of Acknowledgment)

             74          Section 2. Section 57-1-23.5 is enacted to read:
             75          57-1-23.5. Civil liability for unauthorized person who exercises power of sale.
             76          (1) As used in this section:
             77          (a) "Unauthorized person" means a person who does not qualify as a trustee under
             78      Subsection 57-1-21 (1)(a)(i) or (iv).
             79          (b) "Unauthorized sale" means the exercise of a power of sale by an unauthorized
             80      person.
             81          (2) (a) An unauthorized person who conducts an unauthorized sale is liable to the
             82      trustor for the actual damages suffered by the trustor as a result of the unauthorized sale or
             83      $2,000, whichever is greater.
             84          (b) In an action under Subsection (2)(a), the court shall award a prevailing plaintiff the
             85      plaintiff's costs and attorney fees.


             86          Section 3. Section 57-1-24.5 is enacted to read:
             87          57-1-24.5. Notice to trustor of intent not to defer notice of sale.
             88          (1) A beneficiary, or the beneficiary's authorized agent, shall deliver or send a notice to
             89      a trustor as provided in Subsection (2) if:
             90          (a) the trust property is residential;
             91          (b) a notice of default is filed under Section 57-1-24 with respect to the trust property;
             92          (c) during the three-month period described in Subsection 57-1-24 (3), the beneficiary
             93      or agent agrees to accept reduced payments from the trustor on a temporary basis; and
             94          (d) notwithstanding the reduced payment arrangement, the beneficiary or agent does
             95      not intend to instruct the trustee to defer giving notice of sale under Section 57-1-25 later than
             96      the earliest time allowed under Subsection 57-1-24 (3).
             97          (2) A notice under Subsection (1) shall:
             98          (a) be in writing;
             99          (b) (i) be hand delivered to the trustor; or
             100          (ii) be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the trustor at the address of the
             101      trust property;
             102          (c) be delivered or sent on or before the date that is 30 days after the notice of default is
             103      filed or 10 days after the beneficiary or agent agrees to accept reduced payments, whichever is
             104      later; and
             105          (d) inform the trustor that, despite the reduced payment arrangement, the beneficiary or
             106      agent does not intend to instruct the trustee to defer giving notice of sale under Section 57-1-25
             107      later than the earliest time allowed under Subsection 57-1-24 (3).
             108          (3) A beneficiary or agent who sends or delivers notice to a trustor under this section
             109      shall mail a copy of the notice to the trustee.
             110          (4) The failure of a beneficiary or agent to comply with a requirement of this section
             111      does not affect the validity of a trustee's sale of the trust property.
             112          (5) (a) A beneficiary or agent who fails to send or deliver a notice to a trustor as
             113      required in this section is liable to the trustor for the actual damages suffered by the trustor as a


             114      result of the failure or $2,000, whichever is greater.
             115          (b) In an action under Subsection (5)(a), the court shall award a prevailing plaintiff the
             116      plaintiff's costs and attorney fees.
             117          Section 4. Section 57-1-25 is amended to read:
             118           57-1-25. Notice of trustee's sale -- Description of property -- Time and place of
             119      sale.
             120          (1) The trustee shall give written notice of the time and place of sale particularly
             121      describing the property to be sold:
             122          (a) by publication of the notice:
             123          (i) (A) at least three times;
             124          (B) once a week for three consecutive weeks;
             125          (C) the last publication to be at least 10 days but not more than 30 days before the date
             126      the sale is scheduled; and
             127          (D) in a newspaper having a general circulation in each county in which the property to
             128      be sold, or some part of the property to be sold, is situated; and
             129          (ii) in accordance with Section 45-1-101 for 30 days before the date the sale is
             130      scheduled;
             131          (b) by posting the notice:
             132          (i) at least 20 days before the date the sale is scheduled; and
             133          (ii) (A) in some conspicuous place on the property to be sold; and
             134          (B) at the office of the county recorder of each county in which the trust property, or
             135      some part of it, is located; and
             136          (c) if the stated purpose of the obligation for which the trust deed was given as security
             137      is to finance residential rental property:
             138          (i) by posting the notice, including the statement required under Subsection (3)(b):
             139          (A) on the primary door of each dwelling unit on the property to be sold, if the property
             140      to be sold has fewer than nine dwelling units; or
             141          (B) in at least two conspicuous places on the property to be sold, in addition to the


             142      posting required under Subsection (1)(b)(ii)(A), if the property to be sold has nine or more
             143      dwelling units; or
             144          (ii) by mailing the notice, including the statement required under Subsection (3)(b), to
             145      the occupant of each dwelling unit on the property to be sold.
             146          (2) (a) The sale shall be held at the time and place designated in the notice of sale.
             147          (b) The time of sale shall be between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
             148          (c) The place of sale shall be clearly identified in the notice of sale under Subsection
             149      (1) and shall be at a courthouse serving the county in which the property to be sold, or some
             150      part of the property to be sold, is located.
             151          (3) (a) The notice of sale shall be in substantially the following form:
             152     
Notice of Trustee's Sale

             153          The following described property will be sold at public auction to the highest bidder,
             154      payable in lawful money of the United States at the time of sale, at (insert location of sale)
             155      ________________on __________(month\day\year), at __.m. of said day, for the purpose of
             156      foreclosing a trust deed originally executed by ____ (and ____, his wife,) as trustors, in favor
             157      of ____, covering real property located at ____, and more particularly described as:
             158     
(Insert legal description)

             159          The current beneficiary of the trust deed is ______________________ and the record
             160      owners of the property as of the recording of the notice of default are _________________ and
             161      ____________________.
             162      Dated __________(month\day\year).
_______________

             163     
Trustee

             164          (b) If the stated purpose of the obligation for which the trust deed was given as security
             165      is to finance residential rental property, the notice required under Subsection (1)(c) shall
             166      include a statement, in at least 14-point font, substantially as follows:
             167          "Notice to Tenant
             168          As stated in the accompanying Notice of Trustee's Sale, this property is scheduled to be
             169      sold at public auction to the highest bidder unless the default in the obligation secured by this


             170      property is cured. If the property is sold, you may be allowed under federal law to continue to
             171      occupy your rental unit until your rental agreement expires, or until 90 days after the date you
             172      are served with a notice to vacate, whichever is later. If your rental or lease agreement expires
             173      after the 90-day period, you may need to provide a copy of your rental or lease agreement to the
             174      new owner to prove your right to remain on the property longer than 90 days after the sale of
             175      the property.
             176          You must continue to pay your rent and comply with other requirements of your rental
             177      or lease agreement or you will be subject to eviction for violating your rental or lease
             178      agreement.
             179          The new owner or the new owner's representative will probably contact you after the
             180      property is sold with directions about where to pay rent.
             181          The new owner of the property may or may not want to offer to enter into a new rental
             182      or lease agreement with you at the expiration of the period described above."
             183          (4) The failure to provide notice as required under Subsections (1)(c) and (3)(b) or a
             184      defect in that notice may not be the basis for challenging or invaliding a trustee's sale.
             185          (5) A trustee qualified under Subsection 57-1-21 (1)(a)(i) or (iv) who exercises a power
             186      of sale has a duty to the trustor not to defraud, or conspire or scheme to defraud, the trustor.


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