Wells Fargo Does It Again – This Time Investors Take a Hit
By Daniel Edstrom
DTC Systems, Inc.
Since Wells Fargo Bank has been around since the Gold Rush days and are such a large lender and securitizer, you would think that they would have state of the art systems handling the servicing of loans. Especially in light of the huge rush to securitize anything and everything in the last 10 years. But apparently the meltdown has moved them beyond what their systems are capable of. This is probably especialy true given that banks are for the most part not lending much anymore (very limited number of new loans), but the number of loans in default, foreclosure, bankruptcy and REO status has skyrocketed. Pushing through so many foreclosures and processing so many advances and distributions is weighing down on their systems and infrastructure. In their latest March statements to certificateholders (investors who purchased certificates from securitized trusts), Wells Fargo (usually as a Master Servicer or Servicer) is giving investors this disclosure on the first page of the reports:
NOTE: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. is processing an extraordinary expense charge related to the analysis, creation, and implementation of new and enhanced systems and processes necessitated by significant and unanticipated changes in industry and market conditions.
The creativity with which national banks and other intermediaries in the securities chain use to extract every penny from the investors and the homeowners knows no bounds. In this specific instance these charges might come as a surprise to investors since disclosures such as this were made in the Prospectus Supplements (this one is from the Structured Asset Mortgage Investments II Trust 2007-AR5 trust):
Wells Fargo Bank is a national banking association and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company. A diversified financial services company with approximately $540 billion in assets and 158,000+ employees as of June 30, 2007, Wells Fargo & Company is a U.S. bank holding company providing banking, insurance, trust, mortgage and consumer finance services throughout the United States and internationally. Wells Fargo Bank provides retail and commercial banking services and corporate trust, custody, securities lending, securities transfer, cash management, investment management and other financial and fiduciary services. The Depositor, the Sponsor and the servicers may maintain banking and other commercial relationships with Wells Fargo Bank and its affiliates. Wells Fargo Bank maintains principal corporate trust offices located at 9062 Old Annapolis Road, Columbia, Maryland 21045-1951 (among other locations), and its office for certificate transfer services is located at Sixth Street and Marquette Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55479.
Wells Fargo Bank’s assessment of compliance with applicable servicing criteria relating to its provision of master servicing, trustee, securities administration and paying agent services for the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, furnished pursuant to Item 1122 of Regulation AB, discloses that it was not in compliance with the 1122(d)(3)(i) servicing criteria during that reporting period. The assessment of compliance indicates that certain monthly investor or remittance reports included errors in the calculation and/or the reporting of delinquencies for the related pool assets, which errors may or may not have been material, and that all such errors were the result of data processing errors and/or the mistaken interpretation of data provided by other parties participating in the servicing function. The assessment further states that all necessary adjustments to Wells Fargo Bank’s data processing systems and/or interpretive clarifications have been made to correct those errors and to remedy related procedures.
Wells Fargo Bank serves or may have served within the past two years as loan file custodian for various mortgage loans owned by the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor and anticipates that one or more of those mortgage loans may be included in the Trust. The terms of any custodial agreement under which those services are provided by Wells Fargo are customary for the mortgage-backed securitization industry and provide for the delivery, receipt, review and safekeeping of mortgage loan files.
Wells Fargo Bank acts as Master Servicer pursuant to the Agreement. The Master Servicer is responsible for the aggregation of monthly servicer reports and remittances and for the oversight of the performance of the servicers under the terms of their respective servicing agreements. In particular, the Master Servicer independently calculates monthly loan balances based on servicer data, compares its results to servicer loan-level reports and reconciles any discrepancies with the servicers. The Master Servicer also reviews the servicing of defaulted loans for compliance with the terms of the Agreement. In addition, upon the occurrence of certain servicer events of default under the terms of any servicing agreement, the Master Servicer may be required to enforce certain remedies on behalf of the issuing entity against such defaulting servicer. Wells Fargo Bank has been engaged in the business of master servicing since June 30, 1995. As of June 30, 2007, Wells Fargo Bank was acting as Master Servicer for approximately 1,646 series of residential mortgage-backed securities with an aggregate outstanding principal balance of approximately $846,202,000,000.
Wells Fargo Bank serves or has served within the past two years as warehouse master servicer for various mortgage loans owned by the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor and anticipates that one or more of those mortgage loans may be included in the Trust. The terms of the warehouse master servicing agreement under which those services are provided by Wells Fargo Bank are customary for the mortgage-backed securitization industry.
thank you