LIEB BLOG

Legal Analysts

Showing posts with label FinCEN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FinCEN. Show all posts

Friday, February 16, 2024

New Rule for Real Estate Closings Coming Nationwide

On February 16, 2024, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) proposed a new rule to mandate certain individuals involved in real estate closings and settlements to report and maintain records on non-financed transfers of residential real property to specific legal entities and trusts nationwide. This proposed rule is called the Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Residential Real Estate Transfers


Reporting persons ("RP") include, but are not limited, to real estate agents, title insurance companies, settlement agents, and attorneys. There is a “cascading” approach, based on the function performed by the person in the real estate closing and settlement that determines which RP has the burden to report. Regardless, real estate professionals would also have the option to designate a reporting person from among those in the cascade by agreement.


RPs are required to report:

  1. The names and addresses of reporting persons, transferee entities, transferee trusts, signing individuals, transferors, and any beneficial owners.
  2. The citizenship details for all beneficial owners of transferee entities or transferee trusts.
  3. The unique identifiers, such as IRS Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs), for individuals and entities involved in the transactions.
  4. A description of the capacity in which the signing individual is authorized to act, such as legal representative or employee.
  5. The details about the total consideration paid for the property, method of payment, accounts used, and the names of payors if different from the transferee entity or trust.
  6. The address of the property and a legal description, such as section, lot, and block.


RPs must e-file the report with FinCEN within 30 calendar days after the transferee entity or transferee trust receives the ownership interest in the residential real property. RPs must maintain a copy of the report, any certifications regarding beneficial ownership, and any designation agreements for five years from the date of the report filing.


Note that transfers of real property to individuals, as opposed to an entity (LLC, Corp, LLP) are not covered by this proposed rule. 


If this rule is adopted the effective date will be one year from the date the final rule is issued. This time period is to allow real estate professionals to have sufficient time to review and prepare for the implementation of the reporting requirements. 


Written comments about this proposed rule are being accepted and must be submitted on or before April 16, 2024 by utilizing this link.



Wednesday, March 08, 2017

FinCEN Renews Order Requiring Full Disclosure of Persons Behind All Cash Purchases of High-End Real-Estate

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the US Department of the Treasury renewed a Geographic Targeting Order (GTO), on February 23, 2017, requiring “U.S. title insurance companies to identify the natural persons behind shell companies used to pay ‘all cash’ for high-end real estate in six major metropolitan areas.” The counties covered in this renewal are: all New York City Burroughs, Miami-Dade County, Broward County (FL), Palm Beach County (FL), Los Angeles County, San Francisco County, San Mateo County (CA), Santa Clara County (CA), San Diego County, and Bexar County (TX).

Each county will have a different monetary threshold for transactions covered by this GTO to become applicable. In New York, covered transactions shall be all cash payments for real property at or above a total purchase price of $1,500,000 in Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. In Manhattan, covered transactions are set at or above a purchase price of $3,000,000.

A title insurance company involved in a covered transaction will be required to file a FinCEN Form 8300 detailing, inter alia, the identities of any persons representing the purchaser and any “Beneficial Owners” (an individual who owns 25% or more in equity of the purchaser) “within 30 days of the closing.” For New York, this GTO will continue to prevent anonymous high-end purchasers in the five boroughs.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Federal Government Investigates All-Cash Luxury Real Estate Deals

The federal government announced this week that it will soon monitor and investigate all-cash purchases of luxury residential real estate in excess of $3 million in Manhattan and in excess of $1 million in Miami-Dade County for money laundering and other illicit activity.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the U.S. Department of Treasury, will lead the investigation. The investigation is targeting all-cash luxury real estate purchases because many such purchases are currently being conducted through “shell” companies used to shield the identities of natural persons and hide assets in a transaction. FinCEN’s Geographic Targeting Order (GTO), which is effective from March 1, 2016 through August 27, 2016, will require title insurance companies to identify and report natural persons behind these shell companies so that law enforcement investigators can use that information to weaken the ability of individuals to disguise their identities in money laundering schemes.

Since 2006, FinCEN has worked to establish an accountable mortgage industry by conducting studies regarding suspected mortgage fraud and money laundering and by issuing orders of investigation for certain financial institutions and transactions across the country.

FinCEN Director Jennifer Shasky Calvery declared that “cash purchases present a more complex gap that we seek to address.” The current investigation of luxury residential real estate will assist FinCEN in further establishing a more transparent system to avoid another financial crisis in the future.

Though currently temporary, the GTO may be extended into next year and expanded to include additional cities and counties.