OAR 137-020-0800: Definitions

As used in this rule and OAR 137-020-0805: (1) “Borrower” means an individual who is obligated to repay a loan under a residential mortgage loan agreement, and includes the individual's spouse, domestic partner, and heirs; (2) “Good faith” means honesty in fact and the observance of reasonable standards of fair dealing; (3) “Mortgage loan servicer” means a person engaging in the servicing of residential mortgage loans in this state and includes a person who makes or holds a mortgage loan if the person is the holder of the mortgage servicing rights or has been delegated servicing functions for the mortgage loan; (4) “Residential mortgage loan” means a loan to a natural person made primarily for personal, family or household use, other than a loan for open-end credit, as that term is defined in 12 CFR 1026.2(a)(20), as in effect on December 30, 2011, secured by a mortgage or other consensual security interest on residential real property located in this state; (5) “Servicing of residential mortgage loans” includes, but is not limited to: (a) Collecting or remitting, or having the right or obligation to collect or remit, for a lender, note owner, note holder or other holder of an interest in a note, payments, interest, principal and trust items, including but not limited to hazard insurance and taxes, on a residential mortgage loan in accordance with the terms of the loan, and includes loan payment follow-up, delinquency loan follow-up, loan analysis and any notifications to the borrower that are necessary to enable the borrower to keep the loan current and in good standing; (b) Bringing and maintaining a suit or action to collect amounts owed on a residential mortgage loan, including but not limited to exercising contractual, statutory or common law remedies such as injunction, specific performance, judicial or nonjudicial foreclosure or receivership; and, (c) Taking action for the purpose of protecting the lender's, note owner's, note holder's or other owner of an interest in the note's interest in the property and rights under the security instrument. "Servicing of residential mortgage loans" does not include the activities of any person licensed or authorized to act as an attorney, escrow agent, title company, or title insurer under Oregon law, or any person qualified to serve as a trustee under ORS 86.790. (6) “Person” has the meaning provided in ORS 646.605(4); and, (7) “Residential real property” means real property located in this state improved by a one-to-four family residence or residential unit in a building used or occupied, or intended to be used or occupied, wholly or partly, as the primary residence of the borrower, but shall not refer to unimproved real property upon which such dwellings are to be constructed.