Florida Statutes
Part V - Florida Housing Finance Corporation (Ss. 420.501-420.55)
420.508 - Special powers; multifamily and single-family projects.

(1)(a) Purchase or take assignments of, and enter into commitments to purchase or to take assignments of, mortgage loans and promissory notes accompanying such mortgage loans (including participations therein) from lending institutions acting as a principal or as an agent of the corporation; provided, at or before the time of any such purchase or assignment, each lending institution shall represent and warrant to, and covenant with, the corporation with respect to each mortgage loan to be so purchased or assigned or in which the corporation is to purchase a participation that:
1. The unpaid principal balance of the mortgage loan and the interest rate thereon have been accurately stated to the corporation;
2. The amount of the unpaid principal balance is justly due and owing;
3. The lending institution has no notice of the existence of any counterclaim, offset, or defense asserted by the mortgagor or her or his successor in interest;
4. The mortgage loan is evidenced by a duly executed promissory note and a duly executed mortgage which has been properly recorded with the appropriate public official;
5. The mortgage constitutes a valid first lien on the real property described to the corporation, subject only to such title exceptions as are specifically described to the corporation and as are acceptable to the corporation;
6. The mortgagor is not in default in the payment of any installment of principal or interest, escrow funds, real property taxes, or otherwise in the performance of her or his obligations under the mortgage documents;
7. The improvements to the mortgaged real property are covered by a valid and subsisting policy of insurance issued by a company authorized to issue such policies in the state and providing fire and extended coverage in such amounts as the corporation may prescribe by rule;
8. The mortgage loan meets the prevailing investment quality standards for such mortgage loans in the state; and
9. Either:
a. The mortgage loan was originated after such date as the corporation shall have specified, for the purpose of selling or assigning such mortgage loan or a participation therein to the corporation, and was made to an eligible person to finance the construction, purchase, or refinancing of residential housing for occupancy by one to four families, all of whom are eligible persons and one of whom is the mortgagor; or
b. An amount at least equal to the aggregate proceeds received by the lending institution upon the sale or assignment will be invested by the lending institution in new mortgage loans originated after such date as the corporation shall specify and will be made to eligible persons to finance the construction, purchase, or refinancing of residential housing for occupancy by one to four families, all of whom are eligible persons and one of whom is the mortgagor.

(b) Provide, as a condition of any such purchase, that:
1. Each lending institution shall submit evidence satisfactory to the corporation of the making of the new mortgage loans to eligible persons and, in connection therewith, shall permit the corporation, through its members, employees, and agents, to inspect the books and records of the lending institution; and
2. Each lending institution shall be liable to the corporation for any damage suffered by the corporation by reason of the untruth of any representation or the breach of any warranty or covenant and, in the event that any representation shall prove to be untrue when made or in the event of any breach of warranty or covenant, the lending institution shall, at the option of the corporation, repurchase the mortgage loan for the original purchase price adjusted for amounts subsequently paid thereon, as the corporation may determine.

(c) Make and enter into contracts and agreements with lending institutions for the servicing and processing of mortgage loans purchased by the corporation pursuant to this section.
(d) Sell, at public or private sale, with or without public biddings, any mortgage or other obligation held by the corporation.

(2)(a) Make loans to lending institutions and purchase from lending institutions obligations issued by such lending institutions and secured by mortgages on residential housing or projects, upon such terms and conditions as the corporation may determine, which at a minimum shall include a requirement that an amount at least equal to the proceeds thereof be invested in new mortgage loans originated after such date as the corporation shall specify and be made to eligible persons to finance the construction, purchase, or refinancing of residential housing for occupancy by one to four families, all of whom are eligible persons and one of whom is the mortgagor, or be made to sponsors to finance the construction, purchase, or refinancing of projects for tenancy by eligible persons; however, under no circumstances shall any loan or mortgage be made for a term which is longer than the term of the bond, debenture, or note, the proceeds from which have funded the mortgage or loan.
(b) Require that loans to, or obligations purchased from, lending institutions shall be additionally secured as to payment of both principal and interest by a pledge of and lien upon collateral security in such amounts and consisting of such obligations, securities, and mortgage loans as the corporation shall by resolution determine to be necessary to assure the payment of such loans or securities purchased and the interest thereon as the same become due.
(c) Collect, enforce the collection of, and foreclose on any collateral security securing a loan made to, or an obligation purchased from, a lending institution and acquire or take possession of such collateral and sell the same at public or private sale, with or without public bidding, and otherwise deal with such collateral as may be necessary to protect the interest of the corporation therein, all subject to any agreement with the bondholders.
(d) Provide, as a condition of any such loan or purchase, that:
1. Each lending institution submit evidence satisfactory to the corporation of the making of the new mortgage loans to eligible persons or to sponsors to finance projects for tenancy by eligible persons and, in connection therewith, permit the corporation, through its members, employees, and agents, to inspect the books and records of such lending institution; and
2. Each lending institution be liable to the corporation for any damages suffered by the corporation by reason of the untruth of any representation or the breach of any warranty or covenant made in connection with any such loan or purchase.

(e) Adopt, modify, or repeal any additional conditions governing the making of loans to, or purchasing of obligations from, lending institutions and the application of the proceeds thereof.

(3)(a) Make and participate in the making of, and contract to make or participate in the making of, mortgage loans for permanent or construction financing to sponsors for the purposes of financing development costs of projects, provided each mortgage loan for a project made by the corporation shall:
1. Be evidenced by a properly executed note or other evidence of indebtedness and be secured by a properly recorded mortgage;
2. Provide for amortization to pay the mortgage loan in full not later than the expiration of the useful life of the property financed with the proceeds of the mortgage loan as determined by the corporation, and in any event not later than 45 years from the date of the mortgage loan;
3. Not exceed such percentage of the development costs as the corporation may determine pursuant to rule and, in any event, not more than 95 percent of the development costs;
4. If the mortgage loan is to provide financing for the construction of a project, have each advance thereof secured, insured, or guaranteed in such manner as the corporation determines will reasonably protect its interests and those of the bondholders;
5. Have the initial review, approval, and origination process accomplished by a lending institution in accordance with such procedure as the corporation may prescribe, which lending institution shall be paid such fees and charges for its services as the corporation may determine; and
6. Be serviced by such lending institution or other private entity engaged in the business of servicing mortgage loans in the state as the corporation shall approve in accordance with such procedures as the corporation may prescribe, which servicer shall be paid such fees and charges for its services as the corporation may determine.

(b) Make the following determinations, which must be made before the corporation may make a mortgage loan for a project:
1. That a significant number of low-income, moderate-income, or middle-income persons in the local government in which the project is to be located, or in an area reasonably accessible thereto, are subject to hardship in finding adequate, safe, and sanitary housing;
2. That private enterprise, unaided, is not meeting, and cannot reasonably be expected to meet, the need for such housing; and
3. That the need for such housing will be alleviated by providing the project.

(c) Adopt and from time to time modify or repeal rules for governing the making of and participation in loans to sponsors for projects to implement the powers authorized, and to achieve the purposes set forth, in this part.

(4) Sell, transfer, or otherwise encumber any loan made pursuant to this part.
(5) Establish with a qualified depository meeting the requirements of chapter 280, a separate fund to be known as the “Florida Housing Finance Corporation Fund,” to be administered by the corporation in accordance with the purposes of this chapter. All fees collected by the corporation directly from the Federal Government for administration of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 8 housing program, all annual administrative fees collected by trustees for bond programs and remitted to the corporation, all expense fees related to costs of bond issuance collected by trustees and remitted to the corporation, and all tax credit program fees must be deposited into the fund. The fund shall be utilized for the purposes of the corporation, including payment of administrative expenses. Expenditures from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation Fund shall not be required to be included in the corporation’s budget request or be subject to appropriation by the Legislature.
(6) Establish, by rule, a procedure for evaluating, scoring, and competitively ranking all applications for private activity bond allocation in connection with multifamily projects financed under this part.
(7) Establish terms of mortgage loans funded pursuant to this part, including applicable security documents and limitations on sources and uses of funds.
History.—s. 1, ch. 80-161; s. 2, ch. 81-51; s. 2, ch. 83-238; s. 27, ch. 86-192; s. 79, ch. 97-103; s. 12, ch. 97-167; s. 76, ch. 2000-153; s. 3, ch. 2002-160.