(a) Direct loans for which commitments are made on or after March 1, 1988, are not assumable without the prior approval of the Department of Veterans Affairs or its authorized agent. The following shall apply:

(1) The Department of Veterans Affairs shall include in the mortgage or deed of trust and the promissory note or bond on any loan for which a commitment was made on or after March 1, 1988, the following warning in a conspicuous position in capital letters on the first page of the document in type at least 21⁄2 times larger than the regular type on such page: “THIS LOAN IS NOT ASSUMABLE WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OR ITS AUTHORIZED AGENT”. Due to the difficulty in obtaining some commercial type sizes which are exactly 21⁄2 times larger in height than other sizes, minor deviations in size will be permitted based on commercially available type sizes nearest to 21⁄2 times the size of the print on the document.

(2) The instrument securing a direct loan for which a commitment is made on or after March 1, 1988, shall include:

(i) A provision that the Department of Veterans Affairs or other holder may declare the loan immediately due and payable upon transfer of the property securing such loan to any transferee unless the acceptability of the assumption of the loan is established pursuant to section 3714. This option may not be exercised if the transfer is the result of:

(A) The creation of a lien or other encumbrance subordinate to the lender's security instrument which does not relate to a transfer of rights of occupancy in the property;

(B) The creation of a purchase money security interest for household appliances;

(C) A transfer by devise, descent, or operation of law on the death of a joint tenant or tenant by the entirety;

(D) The granting of a leasehold interest of three years or less not containing an option to purchase;

(E) A transfer to a relative resulting from the death of a borrower;

(F) A transfer where the spouse or children of the borrower become a joint owner of the property with the borrower;

(G) A transfer resulting from a decree of a dissolution of marriage, legal separation agreement, or from an incidental property settlement agreement by which the spouse of the borrower becomes the sole owner of the property. In such a case the borrower shall have the option of applying directly to the Department of Veterans Affairs regional office of jurisdiction for a release of liability under 1813(a); or

(H) A transfer into an inter vivos trust in which the borrower is and remains a beneficiary and which does not relate to a transfer of rights of occupancy in the property.

(ii) A provision that a funding fee equal to one-half of one percent of the loan balance as of the date of transfer shall be payable to the Department of Veterans Affairs or its authorized agent. Furthermore, this provision shall provide that if this fee is not paid it shall constitute an additional debt to that already secured by the instrument; and,

(iii) A provision authorizing an assumption processing charge, not to exceed the lesser of $300 and the actual cost of a credit report or any maximum prescribed by applicable State law.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3714)

(b) Whenever any veteran disposes of residential property securing a direct loan obtained under 38 U.S.C. chapter 37, the Department of Veterans Affairs, upon application made by such borrower, shall issue to the borrower a release relieving the borrower of all further liability to the Department of Veterans Affairs on account of such loan (including liability for any loss resulting from any default of the transferee or any subsequent purchaser of such property) if the Department of Veterans Affairs has determined, after such investigation as it deems appropriate, that there has been compliance with the conditions prescribed in 38 U.S.C. 3713(a) or 1814, as appropriate. The assumption of full liability for repayment of the loan by the transferee of the property must be evidenced by an agreement in writing in such form as the Department of Veterans Affairs may require. Any release of liability granted to a veteran by the Department of Veterans Affairs shall inure to the spouse of such veteran.

(c) If, on or after July 1, 1972, any veteran disposes of the property securing a direct loan obtained under 38 U.S.C. chapter 37, without receiving a release from liability with respect to such loan under 38 U.S.C. 3713(a) and a default subsequently occurs which results in liability of the veteran to the Secretary on account of the loan, the Secretary may relieve the veteran of such liability if the Secretary determines that:

(1) A transferee either immediate or remote is legally liable to the Secretary for the debt of the original veteran-borrower established after the termination of the loan, and

(2) The original loan was current at the time such transferee acquired the property, and

(3) The transferee who is liable to the Secretary is found to have been a satisfactory credit risk at the time the transferee acquired the property.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 2900-0516)

[15 FR 6289, Sept. 29, 1950, as amended at 33 FR 5362, Apr. 4, 1968; 37 FR 24034, Nov. 11, 1972; 46 FR 43675, Aug. 31, 1981; 55 FR 37477, Sept. 12, 1990]