ABA Announces Revision in SCRA Compliance Requirements

American Bankers AssociationThe American Bankers Association has announced changes to its SCRA compliance requirements. The ABA, which makes available to its members very detailed analyses on Servicemembers Civil Relief Act compliance and HUD’s Servicemembers Civil Relief Act notice disclosure, has announced recent revisions to reflect changes in the federal statutes related to the SCRA.

This revisions demonstrate the importance of two specific dates when ordering or reviewing verification of active military duty status from the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Centralized Verification Service:

  • The Active Duty Status Date:  As of what particular date do you want to know the person’s military status? That is the “Active Duty Status Date.” Most of the time, this date is the date you are conducting your inquiry, but, occasionally, you may want to know the person’s status as of a date in the past (but not before September 30, 1985).  We will report to you the status as of the Active Duty Status Date AND 367 days prior to that date. If you want to verify a person’s status over a span of times, you would need to submit a verification for one date of each year you want to cover.
  • Active Duty Termination Date:  This is the date the person’s active duty terminated. Often creditors simply check to see if the military service has ended. That would be a mistake. The creditor should also review to see if any protections extend beyond the termination date, and for how long. For example, the currently law prohibits foreclosures for a period of one year after the termination date.

Attorney Roy Kaufmann serves as the Director of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Centralized Verification Service, located in Washington, D.C. As a recognized authority on the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, Mr. Kaufmann has published hundreds of articles and hosted many webinars. His teachings help law firms and businesses to remain compliant with the SCRA rules and regulations so as to avoid costly fines.