The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued a release yesterday stating that while that agency acts as conservator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, no “property of the Agency shall be subject to levy, attachment, garnishment, foreclosure, or sale without the consent of the Agency.” The release went on to say that Title 12 United States Code Section 4617(j)(3) “precludes involuntary extinguishment of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac liens while they are operating in conservatorships and preempts any state law that purports to allow holders of homeownership association (HOA) liens to extinguish a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac lien, security interest, or other property interest.”
Just in case a homeowners association or others are still considering giving it a try to have their lien take priority over a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac lien, not that back in December 2014 the FHFA said they have an obligation to protect Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s rights and “will aggressively do so by bringing or supporting actions to contest HOA foreclosures that purport to extinguish Enterprise property interests in a manner that contravenes federal law.”
