There are some occasions when it is necessary for a POA or Power of Attorney to be used when the borrower for the reverse mortgage is no longer physically or mentally competent and unable to manage their personal affairs and they need someone else who can legally represent them when it’s needed.
Generally speaking, if the borrower has a Trust in place, a Durable Power of Attorney is included in the Trust documents for each Trustee and can be used to manage the financial affairs of the named individual on the document.
For the sake of simplicity, I will not discuss all of the details in regards to Underwriting a reverse loan when a POA is being used for the loan application. But I am going to quote directly from a Reverse Loan lender guidelines about what a family needs to know if they intend to use one for their family member if they are unable to represent themselves in the loan process.
- If the borrower is mentally incompetent with a condition such as dementia or Alzheimer’s, he or she must meet the HUD face-to-face requirement at application, the HUD counseling or at the signing of the loan documents.
- A doctor’s letter certifying that the borrower is no longer capable of handling his or her own financial affairs and it must include the date the borrower became incapable of handling financial affairs.
- The date on the doctor’s letter must be AFTER the date the borrower originally signed a Notarized POA.
The above would also apply in those situations where the borrower(s) is competent but physically incapable of signing documents and representing themselves. This could be due to extreme arthritis, blindness or other disabling physical conditions.
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I hope that this information makes it a bit easier to understand what the HUD guidelines are to use a POA and also to reassure families that it does not affect their opportunity to be approved for a reverse mortgage. It’s important to know what are the steps that need to be satisfied to be and quickly complete the loan process.