What disclosures are required to be provided by a mortgage relief services company to a prospective client based on the Mortgage Assistance Relief Services (MARS) rule?
Any provider offering mortgage relief or foreclosure rescue assistance on your behalf from a bank must disclose the following:
- The amount of any fees associated with the relief service.
- That the relief service provider is not associated with the government, and that its services have not been approved by the government or the homeowner's lender.
- That it is possible that despite the efforts of the relief service, the lender or servicer may not agree to change the homeowner's loan.
- That the homeowner may stop doing business with the relief service provider at any time, that the homeowner may accept or reject any offer that the relief service provider obtains from the lender or servicer, and, if the consumer rejects the offer, that the homeowner does not have to pay the relief service provider’s fee.
- If the relief service provider tells a homeowner to stop making mortgage payments, it must also inform the homeowner that their home could be lost and their credit rating damaged as a result.
Refer to 12 CFR 1015 “Mortgage Assistance Relief Services (Regulation O)”.
Last Reviewed: April 2021
Please note: The terms "bank" and "banks" used in these answers generally refer to national banks, federal savings associations, and federal branches or agencies of foreign banking organizations that are regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Find out if the OCC regulates your bank. Information provided on HelpWithMyBank.gov should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion of the OCC.