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HomeFinancial CodeDiv. 5Ch. 7Art. 4§ 15102 Credit Union Fraud Damages

§ 15102 Credit Union Fraud Damages

Financial Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 15102 Credit Union Fraud Damages

This law lets certain lenders sue borrowers for fraud on loans secured by real estate, but it does not apply to small home loans (up to $150,000, adjusted each year) that the borrower actually lives in.

Key Takeaways

  • •Lenders can sue for fraud on loans secured by real estate.
  • •The law does NOT apply to owner‑occupied single‑family homes if the loan is $150,000 or less (adjusted each year).
  • •Any award under this section cannot be treated as a deficiency judgment.

Example

A credit union gave a borrower a loan to buy a house. Later the credit union discovered the borrower lied about income to get the loan. The credit union wants to sue for fraud.

Because the loan was secured by real property and the borrower’s fraud made the lender fund the loan, the lender can bring a fraud lawsuit. If the loan is for a single‑family home that the borrower actually lives in and the loan amount is $150,000 or less (adjusted for inflation), this law does not apply.

How to Calculate

Exemplary Damages ≤ 0.5 × Actual Damages

  1. Determine the actual monetary damages the lender suffered because of the fraud.
  2. Multiply that amount by 0.5 (one‑half).
  3. The result is the maximum amount of exemplary damages the court can award.

The lender proves $200,000 in actual damages from the fraudulent loan.

Result: Maximum exemplary damages = 0.5 × $200,000 = $100,000

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 15102 Credit Union Fraud Damages

(a) Notwithstanding Section 726 of the Code of Civil Procedure or any other provision of law to the contrary, a credit union, an affiliate of a credit union, a credit union service organization, or any successor in interest thereto, that originates, acquires, or purchases, in whole or in part, any loan secured directly or collaterally, in whole or in part, by a mortgage or deed of trust on real property, or any interest therein, may bring an action for recovery of damages, including exemplary damages not to exceed 50 percent of the actual damages, against a borrower where the action is based on fraud under Section 1572 of the Civil Code and the fraudulent conduct by the borrower induced the original lender to make that loan. (b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to loans secured by single-family, owner-occupied residential real property, when the property is actually occupied by the borrower as represented to the lender in order to obtain the loan and the loan is for an amount of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) or less, as adjusted annually, commencing on January 1, 1987, to the Consumer Price Index as published by the United States Department of Labor. (c) Any action maintained under this section for damages shall not constitute a money judgment for deficiency or a deficiency judgment within the meaning of Section 580a, 580b, or 580d of the Code of Civil Procedure. (Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 173, Sec. 3.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

judgmentdamagespropertydeedmortgagefraudcivil codecivil procedure

Related Statutes

  • § 50503 Trust Fund Fraud Prohibitions
  • § 684 Unclaimed Dividend Treasury Deposit
  • § 686 Customer Creditor Interest Claims
  • § 22169 Finance Lender Discipline Authority
  • § 50124 Lender Servicer Obligations

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Financial Code. Section 15102.
View Official Source