Real Estate News

Real Estate Services Company Settles Privacy and Security Charge

A title company that promised consumers it maintained "physical, electronic and procedural safeguards" to protect their confidential financial information, but tossed consumer home loan applications in an open dumpster, agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that its inadequate storage and disposal procedures for sensitive consumer information violated federal laws. The settlement with Nations Title Agency, Inc., Nations Holding Company, and Christopher M. Likens bars deceptive claims about privacy and security policies, and requires that they implement a comprehensive information security program and obtain audits by an independent third-party security professional every other year for 20 years.

NHC, based in Kansas City, Kansas, is a privately held holding company that provides real estate services in 44 states. Its subsidiary, NTA, provides a variety of services in connection with financing home purchases and refinancing existing home mortgages. Likens is the president and sole owner of NHC and its subsidiaries.

"Careless handling of consumers’ sensitive financial information is an open invitation to identity thieves,” said Deborah Platt Majoras, Chairman of the FTC. “Enforcing the laws designed to protect consumers’ sensitive financial data is a priority at the FTC. This is the thirteenth case challenging faulty data security practices, and we will bring more cases if companies continue to fail consumers."

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	Did You Know?
	A Rehabilitation mortgage is a mortgage that covers the costs of repairing or improving Rehabilitation mortgage is a mortgage that covers the costs of rehabilitating (repairing or Improving) a property; some rehabilitation mortgages - like the FHA's 203(k) - allow a borrower to roll the costs of rehabilitation and home purchase into one mortgage loan.