Compliance, Complaints or Questions: Who Do You Call?

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Compliance, Complaints or Questions: Who Do You Call?

Although the Department of Real Estate has jurisdiction over certain licensees engaged in mortgage loan brokering, we routinely receive calls concerning many areas in which we have no enforcement authority. These include the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Truth in Lending Act (TILA & Regulation Z), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) to name a few. We also receive calls with questions regarding mortgage brokers or lenders' holding a California Finance Lender's License (CFL) or a Residential Mortgage Lender's License (RML) which are issued and regulated by the California Department of Corporations. For problems or complaints related to loan servicing, please see our Loan Servicing information under FAQ's on our home page.

Following is a list of resources to which you may contact for information regarding the above laws, regulations, and other issues over which the Department of Real Estate has no jurisdiction.

FEDERAL AGENCIES

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

The FTC has enforcement authority in the case of mortgage companies for the following laws:

Equal Credit Opportunity Act (interpretive questions may be addressed to the Federal Reserved Board (FRB))
Fair Credit Reporting Act
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
Truth in Lending Act (interpretive questions may be addressed to the Federal Reserved Board) (Note that this act includes Regulation Z and "Section 32"loan disclosure requirements)

Website: http://www.ftc.gov
Telephone: (877) 382-HELP (4357)

FTC Headquarters/Financial Services Division
600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20580
(202) 326-2222

FTC Regional Offices
901 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

FTC Regional Offices
10877 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Federal Reserve Board(FRB)

Persons with questions about the meaning of any Regulation Z provision under the Truth in Lending Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, or the Equal Credit Opportunity Act may request formal board or unofficial staff interpretation. The questions should be addressed to:

Director of the Division of Consumer and Community Affairs
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
20th Street and Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20551
(202) 452-3000

Website: http://www.federalreserve.gov

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

HUD has administrative authority for, among others, the following acts:

Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA)
Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA)

Department of Housing and Urban Development
RESPA Division
451 7th Street SW, Suite 9146
Washington, DC 20410
(202) 708-1455

Website: http://www.hud.gov

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)

The OCC administers in whole or in part, and has enforcement authority over national banks for the following Acts:

Community Reinvestment Act
Equal Credit Opportunity Act
Fair Credit Reporting Act
Fair Housing Act
Home Mortgage Disclosure Act
Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
Truth in Lending Act

For information regarding the consumer laws, contact the OCC at:

Consumer Assistance Group
1301 McKinney Street, Suite 3450
Houston, TX 77010
(800) 613-6743
FAX (713) 336-4301

Website: http://www.occ.treas.gov

Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS)

OTS administers in whole or in part and has enforcement authority over federally-chartered and state-chartered savings institutions for the following Acts:

Community Reinvestment Act
Equal Credit Opportunity Act
Fair Credit Reporting Act
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
Fair Housing Act
Home Mortgage Disclosure
Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
Truth in Lending Act

For information regarding the consumer laws, contact:

Office of Thrift Supervision
P.O. Box 7165
San Francisco, CA 94120
(650) 746-7098
(650) 746-7097 (Spanish)

Website: http://www.ots.treas.gov

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

Central intake point for consumer complaints or inquiries about banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System.

Federal Deposit Insurance Insurance Corporation
Consumer Response Center
2345 Grand Boulevard, Suite 100
Kansas City, MO 64108-2638
(800) 378-9581
FAX (703-812-1020
Email: consumer@fdic.gov

Website: http://www.fdic.gov

Federal Communications Commission

Among other things, may investigate complaints about unsolicited telephone marketing calls and faxes .

Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Complaints
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554
1-888-225-5322 (888-CallFCC)
FAX 1-866-418-0232
EMail: fccinfo@fcc.gov

Website: http://www.fcc.gov

National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)

Regulates federal credit unions.

NCUA Region V-Tempe
1230 W. Washington Street, Suite 301
Tempe, AZ 85281
(602) 302-6000
FAX (602) 302-6024
EMail: region5@ncua.gov

Website: http://www.ncua.gov

STATE AGENCIES

Department of Corporations (DOC)

DOC, among other things, has enforcement authority over the following laws:

California Residential Mortgage Lending Act - This act regulates the activities of Residential Mortgage Lenders or RML licensees.
California Finance Lenders Law - This law regulates the activities of California Finance Lenders or CFLs.
Escrow Law - This law regulates the activities of independent escrow companies.

The status of an RML or CFL license may be verified through the DOC Web site.

Department of Corporations
Consumer Service Office
1515 K Street, Suite 200
Sacramento, CA 95817
(866) ASK-CORP (866-275-2677)

Website: http://www.corp.ca.gov

Contractors State License Board (CSLB)

The CSLB licenses and regulates contractors in more than 40 license classifications that constitute the construction industry. The CSLB also registers home improvement salespersons, and offers arbitration for resolution of disputes that meet certain criteria. The CSLB Web site provides much consumer information and can be used to verify the license status of a contractor.

Contractors License Board
9821 Business Park Drive
Sacramento, CA 95826
Information Technicians: (916) 255-3900
24-Hour Licensing and Consumer Information: (800) 321-2752

Website: http://www.cslb.ca.gov

Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB)

SPCB licenses and regulates pest control operators. The SPCB Web site provides much consumer information and can be used to verify the license status of a pest control operator.

Structural Pest Control Board
1418 Howe Avenue, Suite 18
Sacramento, CA 95825
(916) 561-8704

Website: http://www.dca.ca.gov/pestboard

California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA)

CalHFA's mission is to finance below-market rate loans to create safe, decent, and affordable rental housing and to assist first-time homebuyers in achieving the dream of home-ownership. CalHFA assists low and moderate-income homebuyers in the realization of their goal of home-ownership in California. CalHFA offers below market interest rate loans and down payment assistance to first-time buyers who meet the income and sales price limits for the County in which they wish to purchase.

Sacramento Headquarters
1415 L Street, Suite 500
Sacramento, CA 95814,
(877) 922-5432
(877) 9CALHFA

Los Angeles Office
100 Corporate Pointe, Suite 250
Culver City, CA 90230,
(310) 342-1250

Website: http://www.calhfa.ca.gov

Office of Real Estate Appraisers (OREA)

OREA licenses real estate appraisers and ensures adherence to the national Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), California Law and regulations. They also investigate complaints against appraisers. The OREA Web site provides much consumer information and can be used to verify the license status of an appraiser.

Office of Real Estate Appraisers
1102 Q Street, Suite 4100
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 552-9000

Website: http://www.orea.ca.gov

Department of Insurance (CDI)

The Department of Insurance, among other things, licenses and regulates California title insurance companies that issue policies of title insurance and may conduct escrow activities.

Department of Insurance
Consumer Communications Bureau
300 South Spring Street, South Tower
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(800) 927-4357

Website: http://www.insurance.ca.gov

ADDITIONAL STATE AGENCIES

Department of Financial Institutions (DFI)

DFI licenses and regulates state-chartered banks, credit unions, and savings and loans; foreign banks; business & industrial development corporations; issuers of travelers checks and money orders.

300 S. Spring Street, Suite 15513
Los Angeles, CA 90013-1204
(213) 897-2085

1810 13th Street K Street, Suite 2124
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 322-5966

111 Pine Street, Suite 1100
San Francisco, CA 94111-5613
(415( 263-8500)

7575 Metropolitan Drive, Suite 108
San Diego, CA 92108

Website: http://www.dfi.ca.gov

Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA)

Among other things, the Department of Consumer Affairs may offer advice and/or assistance to landlords and/or tenants wishing to obtain information regarding their rights and obligations.

Department of Consumer Affairs
Landlord/Tenant Hotline - (800) 952-5210

Website: http://www.dca.ca.gov

Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH)

Among other things, DFEH may investigate and/or resolve complaints of unlawful discrimination in housing or lending practices.

Department of Fair Employment and Housing
Los Angeles Housing District Office
611 West 6th Street, Suite 1510
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(800) 233-3212

Department of Fair Employment and Housing
Oakland Housing District Office
1515 Clay Street, Suite 711
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 622-2945

Website: http://www.dfeh.ca.gov