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Supreme Court to Focus Legal Spotlight on Spousal Guaranty Issues
Spousal guaranties are about to receive additional scrutiny now that the United States Supreme Court has decided to grant certiorari to a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit regarding whether a spousal guarantor is an “applicant” entitled to bring an action under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and related implementing regulation (Regulation B). The focus on spousal guaranties by the Supreme Court will create more awareness among borrowers and their counsel about this potential guarantor defense, and provide a reminder to lenders to make sure that their internal underwriting policies and guarantor forms are in compliance. Additionally, it is a good opportunity for lenders to update their forms to protect against the most common guarantor defenses. This article explores the Regulation B split over who can be defined as an applicant and provide guidance on compliance with ECOA and Regulation B on spousal guaranty issues.
The Genesis of the ECOA and Regulation B
The ECOA was initially adopted in the mid 1970s in an attempt to curb perceived widespread discrimination against women and to make credit equally available to all creditworthy customers, regardless of their gender or marital status. Specifically, under Regulation B, a creditor may generally not require the signature of a credit applicant's spouse or any other person (other than a joint applicant) on any credit instrument if the applicant otherwise qualifies under the creditor's standards of creditworthiness for the amount and terms of the credit requested. The ECOA specifically permits a lender to require a guaranty if the applicant is not independently creditworthy, but prevents the lender from requiring that the guarantor be the applicant's spouse. See 12 C.F.R. Section 202.7(d)(5).
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws
This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin
With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.
The Article 8 Opt In
The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.
Removing Restrictive Covenants In New York
In Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?