Title 12Banks and BankingRelease 119-73

§1715z–19 Equity skimming penalty

Title 12 › Chapter CHAPTER 13— - NATIONAL HOUSING › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - MORTGAGE INSURANCE › § 1715z–19

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Makes it a crime for an owner, agent, manager, or anyone who controls a rental property that secures certain federal mortgage loans to willfully spend rents, assets, or income for anything other than reasonable and necessary expenses while the loan is in default, the property has no surplus cash, or the borrower breaks required rules. A person convicted can be fined up to $500,000, jailed up to 5 years, or both. Covers mortgage notes that are: insured, acquired, or held by the Secretary under this chapter; made under section 1701q (including properties still under program rules that existed before November 28, 1990); or insured or held under section 1715z–22 but not reinsured under that section.

Full Legal Text

Title 12, §1715z–19

Banks and Banking — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever, as an owner, agent, or manager, or who is otherwise in custody, control, or possession of a multifamily project or a 1- to 4-family residence that is security for a mortgage note that is described in subsection (b), willfully uses or authorizes the use of any part of the rents, assets, proceeds, income, or other funds derived from property covered by that mortgage note for any purpose other than to meet reasonable and necessary expenses that include expenses approved by the Secretary if such approval is required, in a period during which the mortgage note is in default or the project is in a nonsurplus cash position, as defined by the regulatory agreement covering the property, or the mortgagor has failed to comply with the provisions of such other form of regulatory control imposed by the Secretary, shall be fined not more than $500,000, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(b)For purposes of subsection (a), a mortgage note is described in this subsection if it—
(1)is insured, acquired, or held by the Secretary pursuant to this chapter;
(2)is made pursuant to section 1701q of this title (including property still subject to section 1701q program requirements that existed before November 28, 1990); or
(3)is insured or held pursuant to section 1715z–22 of this title, but is not reinsured under section 1715z–22 of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1997—Pub. L. 105–65 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section read as follows: “Whoever, as an owner, agent, or manager, or who is otherwise in custody, control, or possession of property that is security for a mortgage note that is insured, acquired, or held by the Secretary pursuant to section 1709, 1713, 1715e, 1715k, 1715l(d)(3), 1715l(d)(4), 1715n(f), 1715v, 1715w, 1715y, 1715z–1, 1715z–3(c), 1715z–6, 1715z–7, 1715z–9, 1743, or 1748h–2 of this title, or subchapter IX–B of this chapter, or is made pursuant to section 1701q of this title, willfully uses or authorizes the use of any part of the rents, assets, proceeds, income or other funds derived from property covered by such mortgage note during a period when the mortgage note is in default or the project is in a nonsurplus cash position as defined by the regulatory agreement covering such property, for any purpose other than to meet actual or necessary expenses that include expenses approved by the Secretary if such approval is required under the terms of the regulatory agreement, shall be fined not more than $250,000 or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

12 U.S.C. § 1715z–19

Title 12Banks and Banking

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73