A2-3-05: Fees for Special Services (11/08/2017)

© Fannie Mae Single Family Servicing Guide

Prohibited Fees for Special Services

The servicer is not authorized to charge the borrower fees relating to the following activities:

• handling borrower disputes;

• facilitating routine borrower collections;

• arranging repayment or forbearance plans;

• sending borrowers notices (sometimes called “demand” or “breach” letters) relating to nonpayment of principal, interest, taxes, or insurance in advance of a formal acceleration notice that matures the mortgage loan principal balance and begins the foreclosure process; and

• updating the servicer’s records to “reinstate” a mortgage loan that has been brought current.

Also, the servicing fee generally is not intended to encompass certain additional work that the servicer performs at Fannie Mae’s request, e.g.

• performing certain property inspections on mortgage loans in default,

• handling certain workout options for which Fannie Mae has agreed to compensate the servicer, or

• engaging in property preservation activities.

Allowable Fees for Special Services

The servicing fee generally is not intended to encompass certain additional work (special services) that the servicer performs at the borrower’s request or on the borrower’s behalf. Special services include work related to:

• a change in ownership of the security property,

• replacement of insurance policies,

• a release of the security,

• providing expedited service via fax,

• providing more than one payoff statement in a short period of time (or even a single payoff statement if applicable law expressly permits a borrower fee),

• providing duplicate copies of mortgage loan documents,

• accepting a “phone pay” payment, and

• consummating the assumption or modification of a mortgage loan.

Additional Fee Assessment Guidelines

The following table describes additional fee assessment guidelines based on activities for ARM loan adjustments, assumptions, or modifications.