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NOTE 25 COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
NOTE 25 COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

We are subject to various pending legal proceedings, including those subject to loss sharing and indemnification provisions of our various acquisitions. In our opinion, the resolution of those proceedings will not have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Regulatory Contingencies

We are subject to a number of pending federal and state regulatory investigations, examinations, inquiries, requests for information and/or other actions. In July 2010, OLS received two subpoenas from the Federal Housing Finance Agency as conservator for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in connection with ten private label mortgage securitization transactions where Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have invested. The transactions include mortgage loans serviced but not originated by OLS or its affiliates. On November 24, 2010, OLS received a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) from the FTC requesting documents and information regarding various servicing activities. On June 6, 2012, the FTC notified OLS that it had referred this CID to the CFPB. On November 7, 2011, OLS received a CID from the Attorney General’s Office of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts requesting documents and information regarding certain foreclosures executed in Massachusetts. On January 18, 2012, OLS received a subpoena from the New York Department of Financial Services (NY DFS) requesting documents regarding OLS’ policies, procedures and practices regarding lender-placed or “force-placed” insurance which is required to be provided for borrowers who allow their hazard insurance policies to lapse. Separately, on December 5, 2012, we entered into a Consent Order with the NY DFS in which we agreed to the appointment of an independent Monitor to oversee our compliance with the Agreement on Servicing Practices. NY DFS selected the firms that will act as the Monitor, and their formal engagement commenced effective July 1, 2013. The engagement will last until July 1, 2015, and we intend to continue to cooperate with the NY DFS and the Monitor.

 

As previously reported, on August 13, 2012, OLS received a request from the MMC to provide information and data relating to our loan servicing portfolio, including loan count and volume data, loan modifications, fees assessed, delinquencies, short sales, loan-to-value data and rating agency reports. The MMC, along with the CFPB, certain state Attorneys General and other agencies who were involved in the National Mortgage Settlement executed on February 9, 2012 by the five large banks (collectively, the Regulators), also requested that we indicate our position on behalf of OLS and Litton on the servicing standards and consumer relief provisions contained in that Settlement. In response, we indicated our willingness to adopt the servicing standards set out in the National Mortgage Settlement with certain caveats and to undertake various consumer assistance commitments in the form of loan modifications and other foreclosure avoidance alternatives. On February 26, 2013, the Regulators requested that, in addition to committing to the servicing standards and loan modifications, we also consider a proposal to contribute to a consumer relief fund that would provide cash payments to certain borrowers foreclosed upon by OLS and various entities we have acquired. In subsequent discussions, it was clarified that the Regulators sought our agreement on servicing standards, loan modifications and the proposed consumer relief fund to settle and release various potential legal claims against Ocwen, Litton and Homeward arising out of MMC examinations and potential follow on federal and/or state enforcement actions (the Proposed Regulators’ Settlement). In light of the substantial progress the parties have made toward an agreement in principle regarding the Proposed Regulators’ Settlement, we believe such a settlement is probable. Consummation of a final settlement would be subject to completion of definitive settlement documents acceptable to all parties, the participation of all relevant regulatory agencies, and execution of certain contractual undertakings by the sellers of Litton and Homeward. In the event a final settlement is not concluded, we will defend any ensuing legal proceedings vigorously. As disclosed in Note 16 – Other Liabilities, we have established a liability of $66.4 million for the Proposed Regulators’ Settlement.

As part of the ResCap Acquisition, OLS is required to service the ResCap loans in accordance with the requirements of the National Mortgage Settlement, although OLS is not responsible for any payment, penalty or financial obligation, including but not limited to providing Ally’s share of financial relief to borrowers under that settlement. The Office of Mortgage Settlement Oversight (OMSO) which is responsible for monitoring compliance with obligations under the National Mortgage Settlement, issued a report on February 14, 2013 confirming that Ally/ResCap have completed its minimum consumer relief obligations.

One or more of the foregoing regulatory actions or similar actions in the future against Ocwen, OLS, Litton or Homeward could cause us to incur fines, penalties, settlement costs, damages, legal fees or other charges in material amounts, or undertake remedial actions pursuant to administrative orders or court-issued injunctions, any of which could adversely affect our financial results or incur additional significant costs related to our loan servicing operations.

In addition to these matters, Ocwen receives periodic inquires, both formal and informal in nature, from various state and federal agencies as part of those agencies’ oversight of the mortgage servicing sector. Such ongoing inquiries, including those into servicer foreclosure processes, could result in additional actions by state or federal governmental bodies, regulators or the courts that could result in an extension of foreclosure timelines, which may be applicable generally to the servicing industry or to us in particular. In addition, a number of our match funded advance facilities contain provisions that limit the eligibility of advances to be financed based on the length of time that advances are outstanding, and two of our match funded advance facilities have provisions that limit new borrowings if average foreclosure timelines extend beyond a certain time period, either of which, if such provisions applied, could adversely affect liquidity by reducing our average effective advance rate. Increases in the amount of advances and the length of time to recover advances, fines or increases in operating expenses, and decreases in the advance rate and availability of financing for advances could result in increased borrowings, reduced cash and higher interest expense which could negatively impact our liquidity and profitability.

Loan Put-Back and Related Contingencies

In several recent court actions, mortgage loan sellers against whom repurchase claims have been asserted based on alleged breaches of representations and warranties are defending themselves on various grounds including the expiration of statutes of limitation, lack of notice and opportunity to cure and vitiation of the obligation to repurchase as a result of foreclosure or charge off of the loan. Ocwen is not a party to any of the actions, but we are the servicer for certain securitizations involved in such actions. In connection with these actions, Ocwen has entered into tolling agreements with respect to its role as servicer for a very small number of securitizations and may enter into additional tolling agreements in the future. Should Ocwen be made a party to these or similar actions, we may need to defend allegations that we failed to service loans in accordance with applicable agreements and that such failures prejudiced the rights of repurchase claimants against loan sellers. We believe that any such allegations would be without merit and, if necessary, would vigorously defend against them. If, however, we were required to compensate claimants for losses related to seller breaches of representations and warranties in respect of loans we service, then our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

We have exposure to representation, warranty and indemnification obligations because of our lending, sales and securitization activities, our acquisitions to the extent we assume one or more of these obligations and in connection with our servicing practices. We recognize the fair value of representation and warranty obligations in connection with originations upon sale or securitization of the loan or upon completion of an acquisition, to the extent we assume these obligations.  Obligations recognized in connection with our loan sales and securitization activities are recognized in Gain on loans held for sale, net on our Consolidated Statements of Operations.  The fair value of liabilities assumed as part of an MSR or servicing business acquisition are recognized on the closing date.  Thereafter, the estimation of the liability considers probable future obligations based on industry data of loans of similar type segregated by year of origination and estimated loss severity based on current loss rates for similar loans, our historical rescission rates and the current pipeline of unresolved demands. Our historical loss severity considers the historical loss experience that we incur upon sale or liquidation of a repurchased loan as well as current market conditions. At September 30, 2013, we had provided or assumed representation and warranty obligations in connection with $89.4 billion of UPB covering both forward and reverse mortgage loans. At September 30, 2013, we had outstanding representation and warranty repurchase demands of $113.0 million UPB (534  loans).  We review each demand and monitor through resolution, primarily through rescission, loan repurchase or make-whole payment.

The following table presents the changes in our liability for indemnification obligations for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, including representation and warranty obligations and compensatory fees for foreclosures that may ultimately exceed investor timelines:

Balance at December 31, 2012   $ 38,140  
Provision for representation and warranty obligations     18,116  
New production reserves     1,055  
Obligations assumed in connection with MSR and servicing business acquisitions     189,742  
Charge-offs (1)     (40,979 )
Balance at September 30, 2013   $ 206,074  
(1) Includes principal and interest losses realized in connection with repurchased loans, make-whole, indemnification and fee payments and settlements net of recoveries, if any.

 

We believe it is reasonably possible that losses beyond amounts currently recorded for potential representation and warranty obligations and related claims described above could occur, and such losses could have an adverse impact on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. However, based on currently available information, we are unable to estimate a range of reasonably possible losses above amounts that have been recorded at September 30, 2013.