A2-1-05, Note Holder Status for Legal Proceedings Conducted in the Servicer’s Name (06/21/2017)

Fannie Mae is at all times the owner of the mortgage note, whether the mortgage loan is in Fannie Mae’s portfolio or part of the MBS pool. In addition, Fannie Mae at all times has possession of and is the holder of the mortgage note, whether Fannie Mae has direct possession of the note or a custodian has custody of the note, except in the limited circumstances expressly described in this topic.

In order to ensure that a servicer is able to perform the services and duties incident to the servicing of the mortgage loan, Fannie Mae temporarily gives the servicer possession of the mortgage note whenever the servicer, acting in its own name, represents the interests of Fannie Mae in foreclosure actions, bankruptcy cases, probate proceedings, or other legal proceedings.

This temporary transfer of possession occurs automatically and immediately upon the commencement of the servicer’s representation, in its name, of Fannie Mae’s interests in the foreclosure, bankruptcy, probate, or other legal proceeding.

When Fannie Mae transfers possession, if the note is held by a document custodian on Fannie Mae’s behalf, the custodian has possession of the note on behalf of the servicer so that the servicer has constructive possession of the note and the servicer shall be the holder of the note and is authorized and entitled to enforce the note in the name of the servicer for Fannie Mae’s benefit.

If the servicer determines based on state law that it needs to be the holder of an eNote prior to representing the interests of Fannie Mae in a foreclosure, bankruptcy, or other legal proceeding, the servicer must follow the procedures in Foreclosure, Bankruptcy and Other Legal Proceedings in F-1-26, Servicing eMortgagesF-1-26, Servicing eMortgages to request a transfer in control and location from Fannie Mae.

In most cases, the servicer will have a copy of the mortgage note. If the servicer determines that it needs physical possession of the original mortgage note to represent the interests of Fannie Mae in a foreclosure, bankruptcy, probate, or other legal proceeding, the servicer may obtain physical possession of the original mortgage note by submitting a request directly to the document custodian.

If Fannie Mae possesses the original note through a third-party document custodian that has custody of the note, the servicer must submit a Request for Release/Return of Documents (Form 2009) to Fannie Mae’s custodian to obtain the note and any other custodial documents that are needed.

In either case, the servicer must specify whether the original note is required or whether the request is for a copy.

For eMortgages, if the eNote is not acceptable in its electronic form for a foreclosure, bankruptcy, or other legal proceeding, the servicer is authorized to use a printed Authoritative Copy of the eNote for the legal proceeding or action.

At the conclusion of the servicer’s representation of Fannie Mae’s interests in the foreclosure, bankruptcy, probate, or other legal proceeding, or upon the servicer ceasing to service the loan for any reason, possession automatically reverts to Fannie Mae, and Fannie Mae resumes being the holder for itself, just as it was before the foreclosure, bankruptcy, probate, or other legal proceeding. If the servicer has obtained physical possession of the original note, it must be returned to Fannie Mae or the document custodian, as applicable.