What is Right of Rescission?

The Right of Rescission is a contract term. It grants the holder the right to rescind or undo a contract. The Right of Rescission is a right guaranteed by the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) under the federal law of the United States. It is a very important provision for protecting the borrowers against the high-pressure sales tactics of real estate dealers.

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How Does the Right of Rescission Work?

According to this provision under TILA, a borrower has the right to cancel a financial transaction related to a home equity loan or home equity line of credit or a refinance transaction done with a lender who is not the current mortgagee. The borrowers are allowed to change their mind and cancel the transaction within 3 business days of signing the contract. They can cancel the financial contract until the midnight of the third business day and are entitled to get back the entire fund upon the cancelation. They are not answerable to any questions asked regarding the cancellation. Saturdays are considered to be business days while Sundays and all other legal holidays are not. A lender must leave all the claim to the property and repay the fees within 20 days of cancellation of the contract. The Right of Rescission is not applicable to the purchases of new homes, it only applies to the refinancing of a mortgage, home equity loan, and home equity lines of credit. The Right of Rescission does not apply to original home loans, refinancing mortgages with the current lender, refinancing with state agency mortgages or mortgages on a second home or investment property. The Truth in Lending Act was passed in 1968 to protect the consumers from predatory lenders and their unfair credit practices. The Act enables the borrowers to make an informed decision while obtaining a credit. It mandates the disclosure of all relevant information about the loan including the terms and cost. The Act also ensures that a consumer gets a minimum time to reconsider his or her decision and change their mind if desired. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act has expanded the rights provided by TILA for further protection and has made the pre-loan counseling mandatory. The Truth in Lending Act makes it mandatory that a borrower is notified of their right to rescind and the procedure to follow for exercising this right. The borrower needs to make sure, if they change their minds, to communicate that to the lender within the time period of three business days. The communication should be in writing and the time of sending the document needs to be recorded. If a lender refuses to accept the cancellation, keeping proper documentation helps the borrower to prove that he or she has communicated their intention within the time period prescribed under the law.