Utah Code 7-17-8. Damages for lender’s violation of act — Limitations on recovery
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(1) Except as otherwise provided in this act, a lender who violates this act is liable to the borrower, his successors or assigns, for the actual damages suffered by the borrower, his assigns or successors, or $100, whichever is greater. If an action is commenced, the prevailing party may be awarded reasonable attorney’s fees as determined by the court.
Terms Used In Utah Code 7-17-8
- Borrower: means any person who becomes obligated on a real estate loan at the time of origination of such loan and includes mortgagors, trustors under trust deeds and vendees under conditional land sales contracts. See Utah Code 7-17-2
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Lender: means any person who regularly makes, extends or holds real estate loans and includes, but is not limited to, mortgagees, beneficiaries under trust deeds and vendors under conditional land sales contracts and who regularly require or maintain reserve accounts. See Utah Code 7-17-2
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Reserve account: means any account, whether denominated escrow, impound, trust, pledge, reserve or otherwise, which is established in connection with a loan secured by an interest in real estate located in this state, whether or not a real estate loan as defined in this chapter, and whether incorporated into the loan agreement or a separate document, whereby the borrower agrees to make periodic prepayment to the lender or its designee of taxes, insurance premiums or other charges pertaining to the property securing the loan and the lender or its designee agrees to pay the taxes, insurance premiums or other charges out of the account on or before their due date. See Utah Code 7-17-2
(2) A lender has no liability under this section if the court finds that written demand for payment of the claim of the borrower, his successors or assigns, was made on the lender not less than 30 days before commencement of the action and that the lender tendered to the borrower, his successors or assigns, prior to the commencement of the action, an amount not less than the damages awarded.
(3) A lender may not be held liable under this section for a violation of this act if the lender shows that the violation was not intentional and resulted from a bona fide error notwithstanding the maintenance of procedures to avoid such errors.
(4) A reserve account established or maintained in violation of this act is voidable, at the option of the borrower, his successors or assigns, at any time, but does not otherwise affect the validity of the loan, the security interest in the real property or any other obligation of the borrower.
(5) No action under this section may be brought more than one year after the date of the violation.