Regulation X
Real Estate
Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA)
The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) is a consumer
protection statute, first passed in 1974. One of its purposes is to
help consumers become better shoppers for settlement services. Another
purpose is to eliminate kickbacks and referrals fees that increase
unnecessarily the costs of certain settlement services. RESPA requires
that borrowers receive disclosures at various times. Some disclosures
spell out the costs associated with the settlement, outline lender
servicing and escrow account practices and describe business
relationships between settlement service providers