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Commitments and Contingencies | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and contingencies | 15. Commitments and Contingencies Litigation and Regulatory The Company and its subsidiaries are routinely and currently involved in a significant number of legal proceedings, including, but not limited to, judicial, arbitration, regulatory and governmental proceedings related to matters that arise in connection with the conduct of the Company’s business. The legal proceedings are at varying stages of adjudication, arbitration or investigation and are generally based on alleged violations of consumer protection, securities, employment, contract, tort, common law fraud and other numerous laws, including, without limitation, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, National Housing Act, Homeowners Protection Act, Service Member’s Civil Relief Act, Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Truth in Lending Act, Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989, unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices in violation of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, Title 11 of the United States Code (aka the “Bankruptcy Code”), False Claims Act and Making Home Affordable loan modification programs. In addition, along with others in its industry, the Company is subject to repurchase and indemnification claims and may continue to receive claims in the future, regarding alleged breaches of representations and warranties relating to the sale of mortgage loans, the placement of mortgage loans into securitization trusts or the servicing of mortgage loans securitizations. The Company is also subject to legal actions or proceedings related to loss sharing and indemnification provisions of its various acquisitions. Certain of the pending or threatened legal proceedings include claims for substantial compensatory, punitive and/or statutory damages or claims for an indeterminate amount of damages. The Company’s business is also subject to extensive examinations, investigations and reviews by various federal, state and local governmental, regulatory and enforcement agencies. The Company has historically had a number of open investigations with these agencies and that trend continues. The Company is currently the subject of various governmental or regulatory investigations, subpoenas, examinations and inquiries related to its residential loan servicing and origination practices, bankruptcy and collections practices, its financial reporting and other aspects of its businesses. These matters include investigations by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”), the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Executive Office of the United States Trustees, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the multi-state committee of mortgage banking regulators and various State Attorneys General. These specific matters and other pending or potential future investigations, subpoenas, examinations or inquiries may lead to administrative, civil or criminal proceedings or settlements, and possibly result in remedies including fines, penalties, restitution, or alterations in the Company’s business practices, and additional expenses and collateral costs. The Company is cooperating fully in these matters. Responding to these matters requires the Company to devote substantial resources, resulting in higher costs and lower net cash flows. Adverse results in any of these matters could further increase the Company’s operating expenses and reduce its revenues, require it to change business practices and limit its ability to grow and otherwise materially and adversely affect its business, reputation, financial condition or results of operation. In particular, the Company continues to progress towards resolution of certain legacy regulatory matters with (i) the CFPB, (ii) the multi-state committee of mortgage banking regulators and various State Attorneys General and (iii) the Executive Office of the United States Trustee, all of which involve examination findings in prior years for alleged violations of certain laws related to the Company’s business practices. The Company believes that it has reached a settlement in principle to resolve these matters with each of these parties. Accordingly, the Company believes that it has fully accrued for these matters as of September 30, 2020. The Company seeks to resolve all legal proceedings and other matters in the manner management believes is in the best interest of the Company and contests liability, allegations of wrongdoing and, where applicable, the amount of damages or scope of any penalties or other relief sought as appropriate in each pending matter. The Company has entered into agreements with a number of entities and regulatory agencies that toll applicable limitations periods with respect to their claims. On at least a quarterly basis, the Company assesses its liabilities and contingencies in connection with outstanding legal and regulatory and governmental proceedings utilizing the latest information available. Where available information indicates that it is probable, a liability has been incurred, and the Company can reasonably estimate the amount of the loss, an accrued liability is established. The actual costs of resolving these proceedings may be substantially higher or lower than the amounts accrued. As a legal matter develops, the Company, in conjunction with any outside counsel handling the matter, evaluates on an ongoing basis whether such matter presents a loss contingency that is both probable and estimable. If, at the time of evaluation, the loss contingency is not both probable and reasonably estimable, the matter will continue to be monitored for further developments that would make such loss contingency both probable and reasonably estimable. Once the matter is deemed to be both probable and reasonably estimable, the Company will establish an accrued liability and record a corresponding amount to legal-related expense. The Company will continue to monitor the matter for further developments that could affect the amount of the accrued liability that has been previously established. Legal-related expense for the Company, which includes legal settlements and the fees paid to external legal service providers, of $9 and $36 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively and $24 and $56 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively, was included in general and administrative expenses on the consolidated statements of operations. For a number of matters for which a loss is probable or reasonably possible in future periods, whether in excess of a related accrued liability or where there is no accrued liability, the Company may be able to estimate a range of possible loss. In determining whether it is possible to provide an estimate of loss or range of possible loss, the Company reviews and evaluates its material legal matters on an ongoing basis, in conjunction with any outside counsel handling the matter. For those matters for which an estimate is possible, management currently believes the aggregate range of reasonably possible loss is $3 to $20 in excess of the accrued liability (if any) related to those matters as of September 30, 2020. This estimated range of possible loss is based upon currently available information and is subject to significant judgment, numerous assumptions and known and unknown uncertainties. The matters underlying the estimated range will change from time to time, and actual results may vary substantially from the current estimate. Those matters for which an estimate is not possible are not included within the estimated range. Therefore, this estimated range of possible loss represents what management believes to be an estimate of possible loss only for certain matters meeting these criteria. It does not represent the Company’s maximum loss exposure and the Company cannot provide assurance that its litigations reserves will not need to be adjusted in the future. Thus, the Company’s exposure and ultimate losses may be higher, possibly significantly so, than the amounts accrued or this aggregate amount. In the Company’s experience, legal proceedings are inherently unpredictable. One or more of the following factors frequently contribute to this inherent unpredictability: the proceeding is in its early stages; the damages sought are unspecified, unsupported or uncertain; it is unclear whether a case brought as a class action will be allowed to proceed on that basis or, if permitted to proceed as a class action, how the class will be defined; the other party is seeking relief other than or in addition to compensatory damages (including, in the case of regulatory and governmental investigations and inquiries, the possibility of fines and penalties); the matter presents meaningful legal uncertainties, including novel issues of law; the Company has not engaged in meaningful settlement discussions; discovery has not started or is not complete; there are significant facts in dispute; predicting possible outcomes depends on making assumptions about future decisions of courts or governmental or regulatory bodies or the behavior of other parties; and there are a large number of parties named as defendants (including where it is uncertain how damages or liability, if any, will be shared among multiple defendants). Generally, the less progress that has been made in the proceedings or the broader the range of potential results, the harder it is for the Company to estimate losses or ranges of losses that is reasonably possible the Company could incur. Based on current knowledge, and after consultation with counsel, management believes that the current legal accrued liability within payables and accrued liabilities, is appropriate, and the amount of any incremental liability arising from these matters is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial condition of the Company, although the outcome of such proceedings could be material to the Company’s operating results and cash flows for a particular period depending, on among other things, the level of the Company’s revenues or income for such period. However, in the event of significant developments on existing cases, it is possible that the ultimate resolution, if unfavorable, may be material to the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Other Loss Contingencies As part of the Company’s ongoing operations, it acquires servicing rights of forward and reverse mortgage loan portfolios that are subject to indemnification based on the representations and warranties of the seller. From time to time, the Company will seek recovery under these representations and warranties for incurred costs. The Company believes all balances sought from sellers recorded in advances and other receivables and reverse mortgage interests represent valid claims. However, the Company acknowledges that the claims process can be prolonged due to the required time to perfect claims at the loan level. Because of the required time to perfect or remediate these claims, management relies on the sufficiency of documentation supporting the claim, current negotiations with the counterparty and other evidence to evaluate whether a reserve is required for non-recoverable balances. In the absence of successful negotiations with the seller, all amounts claimed may not be recovered. Balances may be written-off and charged against earnings when management identifies amounts where recoverability from the seller is not likely. As of September 30, 2020, the Company believes all recorded balances for which recovery is sought from the seller are valid claims, and no evidence suggests additional reserves are warranted. Loan and Other Commitments The Company enters into IRLCs with prospective borrowers whereby the Company commits to lend a certain loan amount under specific terms and interest rates to the borrower. The Company also enters into LPCs with prospective sellers. These loan commitments are treated as derivatives and are carried at fair value. See Note 8, Derivative Financial Instruments, for more information. The Company had certain reverse MSRs, reverse MSLs and reverse mortgage loans related to approximately $20,006 and $22,725 of UPB in reverse mortgage loans as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. As a servicer for these reverse mortgage loans, among other things, the Company is obligated to fund borrowers’ draws to the loan customers as required in accordance with the loan agreement. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company’s maximum unfunded advance obligation to fund borrower draws related to these reverse MSRs and loans was approximately $2,304 and $2,617, respectively. Upon funding any portion of these draws, the Company expects to securitize and sell the advances in transactions that will be accounted for as secured borrowings.

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