(a) Notice requirement. When the Secretary makes, increases, extends, or renews a loan secured by a building or a mobile home located or to be located in a special flood hazard area, the Secretary shall mail or deliver a written notice to the borrower and to the servicer in all cases whether or not flood insurance is available under the Act for the collateral securing the loan.

(b) Contents of notice. The written notice must include the following information:

(1) A warning, in a form approved by the Director of FEMA, that the building or the mobile home is or will be located in a special flood hazard area;

(2) A description of the flood insurance purchase requirements set forth in section 102(b) of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4012a(b));

(3) A statement, where applicable, that flood insurance coverage is available under the NFIP and may also be available from private insurers; and

(4) A statement whether Federal disaster relief assistance may be available in the event of damage to the building or mobile home caused by flooding in a Federally declared disaster.

(c) Timing of notice. The Secretary shall provide the notice required by paragraph (a) of this section to the borrower within a reasonable time before the completion of the transaction, and to the servicer as promptly as practicable after the Secretary provides notice to the borrower and in any event no later than the time the Secretary provides other similar notices to the servicer concerning hazard insurance and taxes. Notice to the servicer may be made electronically or may take the form of a copy of the notice to the borrower.

(d) Record of receipt. The Secretary shall retain a record of the receipt of the notices by the borrower and the servicer for the period of time the Secretary owns the loan.

(e) Alternate method of notice. Instead of providing the notice to the borrower required by paragraph (a) of this section, the Secretary may obtain satisfactory written assurance from a seller or lessor that, within a reasonable time before the completion of the sale or lease transaction, the seller or lessor has provided such notice to the purchaser or lessee. The Secretary shall retain a record of the written assurance from the seller or lessor for the period of time the Secretary owns the loan.

(f) Use of prescribed form of notice. The Secretary will be considered to be in compliance with the requirement for notice to the borrower of this section by providing written notice to the borrower containing the language presented in appendix A to this part within a reasonable time before the completion of the transaction. The notice presented in appendix A to this part satisfies the borrower notice requirements of the Act.

(Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4104a)

[62 FR 5533, Feb. 6, 1997]