§ 19-14.1-8. Escrow accounts. (a) All fees paid by clients or residential mortgage loan applicants to a lender or loan broker prior to the closing of the loan in connection with which those fees are paid, shall be deposited in one or more escrow accounts maintained at a federally-insured-deposit-taking institution. The account(s) shall contain only those funds collected from clients or residential mortgage loan applicants. Fees shall include, but are not limited to: application fees, appraisal fees, title attorney fees, title insurance fees, credit report fees, rate lock fees, or other similar fees.

(b) A lender or loan broker may offset related funds in the escrow account(s) against commissions to which it is entitled in accordance with the contract for services actually performed or for reimbursement for the fees described in the immediately preceding paragraph paid directly by the lender or loan broker to third parties. All offsets shall be accounted for through written documentation evidencing the amount of offset.

(c) The lender or loan broker shall maintain complete and accurate records of all escrow accounts and shall produce, upon request, all documents pertaining to escrow account activity including, but not limited to: bank statements, check stubs, canceled, voided, or unused checks, deposit tickets, and reconciliations or other comparable account records.

(d) No licensee governed by this chapter shall commingle money collected for fees from clients or residential mortgage loan applicants with its own funds or use any part of a client's or residential mortgage loan applicant's money in the conduct of the lender's or loan broker's business until those fees or moneys have been offset as provided for in this section.

History of Section. (P.L. 1995, ch. 82, § 53.)