by Calculated Risk on 11/07/2011 10:14:00 PM

From Nick Timiraos at the WSJ: Nevada Foreclosure Filings Dry Up After ‘Robo-Signing’ Law

Foreclosure filings in Nevada plunged in October during the first month of a new state law stiffening foreclosure-processing requirements.
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Nevada’s state Assembly passed a measure that took effect on Oct. 1 ... the Nevada law makes it a felony—and threatens to hold individuals criminally liable—for making false representations concerning real estate title. Individuals are also subject to civil penalties of $5,000 for each violation.
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The Nevada law makes an important technical change to those rules by forbidding trustees from handling foreclosures if the trustee is a subsidiary of foreclosing bank.

BofA uses ReconTrust, a wholly owned subsidiary, to handle foreclosures. With this new law, BofA will have to use another trustee.

According to DataQuick, foreclosure resales were about 56% of the Las Vegas market in September - and this probably means Nevada existing home sales will decline sharply in October. Foreclosures will probably pick up again once the lenders feel they are complying with the new law.