Compliance Alliance Question of the Week

Question:
We send disclosures electronically and can be notified when the borrower has not accessed them by the Loan Estimate (LE) due date. Are we required to mail the disclosures on that day if the borrower hasn’t accessed the electronic docs? They are telling us they are having a problem once we are past the LE due date so we are mailing them then but it is past the due date. If our system logs that we sent it by the due date and the borrower had e-consented, are we okay?
 
Answer:
The customer is considered to have received the LE three business days after the bank sends it, even if the customer has not opened it. There is not a regulatory requirement to then send the disclosures in paper form as well. However, doing so may be required under the bank's internal policy, or an investor's guidelines (if applicable). 

2. Electronic delivery. The three-business-day period provided in § 1026.19(e)(1)(iv) applies to methods of electronic delivery, such as email. For example, if a creditor sends the disclosures required under § 1026.19(e) via email on Monday, pursuant to § 1026.19(e)(1)(iv) the consumer is considered to have received the disclosures on Thursday, three business days later.
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/policy-compliance/rulemaking/regulations/1026/19/#19-e-1-iv-Interp-2