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<section article="grp" article_name="Real Property" number="7-401" title_number="7" title_name="Mortgages, Deeds of Trust, and Vendor's Liens" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Maryland Mortgage Fraud Protection Act">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="a–1">
    <text>“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Financial Regulation in the Maryland Department of Labor.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>“Document” includes applications, appraisal reports, HUD–1 settlement statements, W–2 forms, verifications of income or employment, bank statements, tax returns, payroll stubs, and any required disclosure.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>“Homeowner” means:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>A record owner of residential real property; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An individual occupying the residential real property under a use and possession order issued under Title 8, Subtitle 2 of the Family Law Article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>“Mortgage fraud” means any action by a person made with the intent to defraud that involves:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Knowingly making any deliberate misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission during the mortgage lending process with the intent that the misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission be relied on by a mortgage lender, borrower, or any other party to the mortgage lending process;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Knowingly creating or producing a document for use during the mortgage lending process that contains a deliberate misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission with the intent that the document containing the misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission be relied on by a mortgage lender, borrower, or any other party to the mortgage lending process;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Knowingly using or facilitating the use of any deliberate misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission during the mortgage lending process with the intent that the misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission be relied on by a mortgage lender, borrower, or any other party to the mortgage lending process;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Receiving any proceeds or any other funds in connection with a mortgage closing that the person knows resulted from a violation of item (1), (2), or (3) of this subsection;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>Conspiring to violate any of the provisions of item (1), (2), (3), or (4) of this subsection; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>Filing or causing to be filed in the land records in the county where a residential real property is located, any document relating to a mortgage loan that the person knows to contain a deliberate misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>“Mortgage lending process” means the process by which a person seeks or obtains a mortgage loan.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Mortgage lending process” includes:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The solicitation, application, origination, negotiation, servicing, underwriting, signing, closing, and funding of a mortgage loan; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The notarizing of any document in connection with a mortgage loan.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>“Mortgage loan” has the meaning stated in § 11–501 of the Financial Institutions Article.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>“Pattern of mortgage fraud” means two or more incidents of mortgage fraud that:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Involve two or more residential real properties; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Have similar intents, results, accomplices, victims, or methods of commission or otherwise are interrelated by distinguishing characteristics.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>“Residential real property” means real property improved by four or fewer single family dwelling units.</text>
  </level>
</section>
