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Do Liquidated Damages Clauses Affect Strategic Mortgage Default Morality? A Test of the Disjunctive Thesis

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  • Michael J. Seiler

Abstract

We test the disjunctive hypothesis as it relates to mortgage contracts and find that a liquidated damages clause shifts one's view of a mortgage from a promise to perform to either a promise to perform or pay compensatory damages. However, when a strategic mortgage default is responsible for the breach, the perceived immorality of this action overwhelms the liquidated damages clause effect in support of the disjunctive thesis. We also find that people's conscious "experimentally stated preference" moral stance on installment loan (mortgages, auto loans, credit card debt and even cell phone contracts) default significantly differs from their subconscious "experimentally revealed preference" moral stance indicating a difference between what people say they believe and what they actually believe.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael J. Seiler, 2017. "Do Liquidated Damages Clauses Affect Strategic Mortgage Default Morality? A Test of the Disjunctive Thesis," Framed Field Experiments 00627, The Field Experiments Website.
    • Handle: RePEc:feb:framed:00627
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Seiler, Michael J., 2015. "The role of informational uncertainty in the decision to strategically default," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 49-59.
    2. Donghoon Lee & Christopher Mayer & Joseph Tracy, 2012. "A New Look at Second Liens," NBER Chapters, in: Housing and the Financial Crisis, pages 205-234, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Michael Seiler, 2014. "The Effect of Perceived Lender Characteristics and Market Conditions on Strategic Mortgage Defaults," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 256-270, February.
    4. David Harrison & Michael Seiler, 2015. "The Paradox of Judicial Foreclosure: Collateral Value Uncertainty and Mortgage Rates," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 50(3), pages 377-411, April.
    5. Andra C. Ghent & Marianna Kudlyak, 2011. "Recourse and Residential Mortgage Default: Evidence from US States 1," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 24(9), pages 3139-3186.
    6. John Y. Campbell & Stefano Giglio & Parag Pathak, 2011. "Forced Sales and House Prices," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(5), pages 2108-2131, August.
    7. Luigi Guiso & Paola Sapienza & Luigi Zingales, 2013. "The Determinants of Attitudes toward Strategic Default on Mortgages," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 68(4), pages 1473-1515, August.
    8. Michael J. Seiler, 2015. "Do as I Say, Not as I do: The Role of Advice versus Actions in the Decision to Strategically Default," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 37(2), pages 191-216.
    9. Michael J. Seiler & Vicky L. Seiler & Mark A. Lane & David M. Harrison, 2012. "Fear, Shame and Guilt: Economic and Behavioral Motivations for Strategic Default," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 40, pages 199-233, December.
    10. Marshall Gangel & Michael Seiler & Andrew Collins, 2013. "Exploring the Foreclosure Contagion Effect Using Agent-Based Modeling," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 339-354, February.
    11. William H. Rogers & William Winter, 2009. "The Impact of Foreclosures on Neighboring Housing Sales," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 31(4), pages 455-480.
    12. Harding, John P. & Rosenblatt, Eric & Yao, Vincent W., 2009. "The contagion effect of foreclosed properties," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(3), pages 164-178, November.
    13. repec:fip:fedpwp:13-3 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Agarwal, Sumit & Amromin, Gene & Ben-David, Itzhak & Chomsisengphet, Souphala & Zhang, Yan, 2014. "Second Liens and the Holdup Problem in Mortgage Renegotiation," Working Paper Series 2014-02, Ohio State University, Charles A. Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics.
    15. Zhenguo Lin & Eric Rosenblatt & Vincent Yao, 2009. "Spillover Effects of Foreclosures on Neighborhood Property Values," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 387-407, May.
    16. Philip Bond & Ronel Elul & Sharon Garyn-Tal & David K. Musto, 2012. "Does junior inherit? Refinancing and the blocking power of second mortgages," Working Papers 13-03, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    17. Terrence Clauretie & Nasser Daneshvary, 2011. "The Optimal Choice for Lenders Facing Defaults: Short Sale, Foreclose, or REO," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 504-521, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. David M. Harrison & Kimberly F. Luchtenberg & Michael J. Seiler, 2023. "Improving Mortgage Default Collection Efforts by Employing the Decoy Effect," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 66(4), pages 840-860, May.
    2. Jackson T. Anderson & David M. Harrison & Kimberly F. Luchtenberg & Michael J. Seiler, 2023. "Legal Versus Psychological Contracts: When Does a Mortgage Default Settlement Contract Become a Contract?," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 67(2), pages 191-217, August.
    3. Hirota, Shinichi & Suzuki-Löffelholz, Kumi & Udagawa, Daisuke, 2020. "Does owners’ purchase price affect rent offered? Experimental evidence," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(C).
    4. Odey Alshboul & Mohammad A. Alzubaidi & Rabia Emhamed Al Mamlook & Ghassan Almasabha & Ali Saeed Almuflih & Ali Shehadeh, 2022. "Forecasting Liquidated Damages via Machine Learning-Based Modified Regression Models for Highway Construction Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-25, May.
    5. Odey Alshboul & Ali Shehadeh & Rabia Emhamed Al Mamlook & Ghassan Almasabha & Ali Saeed Almuflih & Saleh Y. Alghamdi, 2022. "Prediction Liquidated Damages via Ensemble Machine Learning Model: Towards Sustainable Highway Construction Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-23, July.
    6. Kimberly F. Luchtenberg & Michael J. Seiler & Hua Sun, 2019. "Listing Agent Signals: Does a Picture Paint a Thousand Words?," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 59(4), pages 617-648, November.
    7. Jackson T. Anderson & David M. Harrison & Michael J. Seiler, 2022. "Reducing Strategic Forbearance under the CARES Act: an Experimental Approach Utilizing Recourse Attestation," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 65(2), pages 230-260, August.

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