Chapter 725A —
Title and Payday Loans
2011 EDITION
TITLE AND PAYDAY LOANS
CREDIT UNIONS; LENDING INSTITUTIONS;
PAWNBROKERS
GENERAL PROVISIONS
725A.010 Definitions
725A.012 Application
LICENSING
725A.020 Licensing
requirement
725A.022 License
application; contents; fee; rules
725A.024 License
application approval; license issuance; applicant qualifications; license
denial; term of license; rules
725A.026 Grounds
for disapproving license application
725A.028 License
fee; other fees; rules
725A.030 Annual
report; contents; penalty; rules
725A.032 Business
name and location
725A.034 License
revocation and suspension
725A.036 License
reinstatement; fee
725A.038 License
surrender
725A.040 Effect
of license revocation, suspension or surrender
REGULATION
725A.050 Director’s
power to examine or investigate; costs
725A.052 Record
keeping requirements
725A.054 Duty
to report defalcation; audit
725A.056 Loan
disclosure requirements; receipt; procedure after full loan repayment
725A.058 Dissemination
of false, misleading or deceptive statement
725A.060 Prohibited
conduct generally
725A.062 Prohibited
conduct for title loan lender
725A.064 Prohibited
conduct for payday loan lender
ENFORCEMENT
725A.080 Complaint
and administrative remedy
725A.082 Cease
and desist order
725A.084 Suspension
or removal of officer or director of licensee
725A.086 Limitation
of personal liability
MISCELLANEOUS
725A.090 Loan
tracking system; rules; fees
725A.092 Rules
PENALTIES
725A.990 Penalties
GENERAL PROVISIONS
725A.010 Definitions.
As used in ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990:
(1)(a)
“Broker or facilitator” means a person that conducts a business in which, for a
fee or consideration, the person:
(A)
Processes, receives or accepts for delivery to a lender an application for a
loan, individually or in conjunction or cooperation with another person;
(B)
Accepts and delivers to a lender all or most of the proceeds of a payment made
in connection with a loan; or
(C)
Assists in making a loan in a material capacity other than as a lender.
(b)
“Broker or facilitator” does not include a mortgage broker, as defined in ORS
86A.100, a mortgage loan originator, as defined in ORS 86A.200, or an employee
of a licensee.
(2)
“Earnings” means salary, wages or other compensation for service.
(3)(a)
“Lender” means an individual, corporation, association, firm, partnership,
limited liability company or joint stock company that is engaged in the
business of making loans.
(b)
“Lender” does not include a financial institution or a trust company, as those
terms are defined in ORS 706.008.
(4)
“Licensee” means a person licensed under ORS 725A.024.
(5)(a)
“Payday loan” means a loan of not more than $50,000, other than a purchase
money loan, in which:
(A)
The primary purpose is personal, family or household use;
(B)
The loan agreement specifies a term of not more than 60 days or specifies that
a payday loan lender may demand repayment within 60 days; and
(C)
The evidence of the loan is usually a check or electronic repayment agreement
provided by or on behalf of the borrower.
(b)
“Payday loan” does not include a loan with a term longer than 60 days in which
a lender may accelerate repayment if the borrower defaults.
(6)
“Payday loan lender” means a lender that is engaged in the business of making
loans, at least 10 percent of which are payday loans.
(7)
“Title loan” means:
(a)
A loan of not more than $50,000, other than a purchase money loan, in which:
(A)
The title to a motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, boat or mobile home is
security for the loan;
(B)
The loan agreement specifies a term of not more than 60 days and requires the
borrower to repay the entire amount in a single payment; and
(C)
The lender is a title loan lender;
(b)
A loan of a type substantially equivalent to a loan described in paragraph (a)
of this subsection that the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business
Services designates by rule or order as a title loan; or
(c)
A sale-leaseback arrangement between a consumer and a purchaser for a motor
vehicle, recreational vehicle, boat or mobile home in an amount that does not
exceed $50,000 when:
(A)
The title and all rights to the motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, boat or
mobile home do not transfer from the consumer to the purchaser in a bona fide
sale of the motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, boat or mobile home or the
consumer retains equity in the motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, boat or
mobile home after the consumer’s sale to the purchaser;
(B)
The purchaser and the consumer agree within 60 days of the date on which the
consumer sells the motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, boat or mobile home to
the purchaser that the consumer has an option to or will repurchase the motor
vehicle, recreational vehicle, boat or mobile home from the purchaser for a
nominal price or a price other than the market value, determined at the time
the lease expires, of the motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, boat or mobile
home;
(C)
During the term in which the consumer leases the motor vehicle, recreational
vehicle, boat or mobile home, the purchaser or an agent of the purchaser holds
a check, electronic repayment agreement or other evidence of the consumer’s
agreement to repurchase the motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, boat or mobile
home that was provided by or on behalf of the consumer; or
(D)
The director by rule or order designates the sale-leaseback arrangement as a
title loan.
(8)
“Title loan lender” means a lender that is engaged in the business of making
loans, at least 10 percent of which are title loans. [2010 c.23 §1]
725A.012 Application.
(1) ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990 do not limit a person’s rights,
powers or privileges under a law of this state or of the United States that
regulates the person’s lending money or extending credit, provided that the
person complies with the provisions of the law.
(2)
Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3) of this section, ORS 725A.010 to
725A.092 and 725A.990 do not affect a loan made or payable in another
jurisdiction and lawful where made or payable.
(3)(a)
A person is subject to ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990 if in the person’s
capacity as a lender the person makes a payday loan or title loan to a consumer
who resides in or maintains a domicile in this state and the consumer:
(A)
Negotiates or agrees to the terms of the payday loan or title loan in person,
by mail, by telephone or via the Internet while the consumer is physically
present in this state;
(B)
Enters into or executes a contract with the person for a payday loan or title
loan in person, by mail, by telephone or via the Internet while the consumer is
physically present in this state; or
(C)
Makes a payment on the payday loan or title loan in this state.
(b)
For purposes of this subsection, a consumer makes a payment on a payday loan or
title loan in this state if:
(A)
A person, for purposes of receiving or processing a payment on the payday loan
or title loan, debits an account that the consumer holds in a branch of a
financial institution that is located in this state; or
(B)
The consumer makes a payment on the payday loan or title loan with a negotiable
instrument that is drawn on a financial institution that is, or a branch of
which is, located in this state. [2010 c.23 §2]
LICENSING
725A.020 Licensing requirement.
(1)(a) Except as provided in ORS 82.010, 82.020 and 82.025, a person may not
conduct business as a payday loan lender or a title loan lender unless the
person obtains a license under ORS 725A.024.
(b)
A person may not act as an agent, broker or facilitator for making a payday
loan or title loan unless the person obtains a license under ORS 725A.024,
regardless of whether the principal that makes the payday loan or title loan
must obtain a license under paragraph (a) of this subsection.
(2)(a)
Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, a person subject to the
provisions of subsection (1) of this section may not deposit a consumer’s
check, withdraw funds electronically from a consumer’s account or otherwise
collect the principal of, interest on, or a fee or charge for a loan subject to
ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990 if at the time the person makes the loan
the person is not in compliance with subsection (1) of this section.
(b)
A person subject to subsection (1) of this section may process a payment for or
collect a loan if:
(A)
The terms and conditions of the loan substantially comply with the provisions
of ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990;
(B)
The person proves to the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business
Services by clear and convincing evidence that the person did not know that the
person was required to comply with the provisions of subsection (1) of this
section; and
(C)
The person obtains a license under ORS 725A.024 within 90 days after becoming
aware of or receiving actual notice of the requirement for a license.
(3)
Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to a person that does not collect
a fee or consideration in connection with a payday loan or title loan or an
application for a payday loan or title loan and:
(a)
Does not interact directly with a borrower or consumer;
(b)
Acts solely as an intermediary between the borrower or consumer and a lender or
a person that conducts business as a broker or facilitator for a payday loan or
title loan;
(c)
Transmits information, electronically or otherwise, concerning the borrower or
consumer to a lender or a person that conducts business as a broker or
facilitator for a payday loan or title loan; or
(d)
Prepares, issues or delivers a negotiable instrument to a lender or a person
that conducts business as a broker or facilitator for a payday loan or title
loan, for subsequent delivery to a borrower or consumer. [2010 c.23 §3]
725A.022 License application; contents;
fee; rules. (1) An applicant for a license as a
payday loan lender or a title loan lender shall apply to the Director of the
Department of Consumer and Business Services in writing on a form and in a
manner that the director prescribes by rule. An application for a license as a
payday loan lender or a title loan lender must:
(a)
List the applicant’s name, residence address and business address;
(b)
Name and list the residence address and business address for the applicant’s
officers and directors, if the applicant is a corporation, or for the applicant’s
members, if the applicant is a partnership, limited liability company or other
association;
(c)
Identify the county and city in which, and the street address, if any, at which
the applicant will conduct business; and
(d)
Provide other information the director requires.
(2)(a)
At the time the applicant submits an application under this section, the
applicant shall pay to the director a license fee in an amount the director
sets under ORS 725A.028. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this
subsection, the license fee is not refundable.
(b)
If the director for cause does not issue a license or if the applicant
withdraws the application after the director has investigated the applicant,
the director shall refund the license fee, less an amount the director retains
to pay the administrative and investigative costs the director incurred in
connection with the application. [2010 c.23 §4]
725A.024 License application approval;
license issuance; applicant qualifications; license denial; term of license;
rules. (1) Within 90 days after receiving an
application under ORS 725A.022, the Director of the Department of Consumer and
Business Services shall issue and deliver to the applicant a license to conduct
business in accordance with ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990 at the
location identified in the application if the director finds that:
(a)
The applicant and the applicant’s members, if the applicant is a partnership,
limited liability company or other association, or the applicant’s officers and
directors, if the applicant is a corporation, have the financial
responsibility, experience, character and general fitness necessary to command
the confidence of the community and to warrant the belief that the applicant
will operate the business honestly, fairly and efficiently and in compliance
with the provisions of ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990.
(b)
The applicant has paid the fee required under ORS 725A.022.
(c)
Grounds do not exist under ORS 725A.026 to disapprove the application.
(d)
Other reasons or conditions that would warrant the director’s refusal to issue
a license do not exist.
(2)
An applicant may not become a licensee under this section unless the applicant
is legally qualified to conduct business in this state.
(3)(a)
The director shall disapprove an application and deny the applicant a license
if the director finds that the applicant does not meet the standard set forth
in subsection (1)(a) of this section or has not paid the required application
fee or that grounds, reasons or conditions described in subsection (1)(b), (c)
or (d) of this section exist and warrant the director’s disapproval and denial.
(b)
If the director disapproves an application or denies the applicant a license
under paragraph (a) of this subsection, the director shall notify the applicant
immediately and shall state the director’s reasons for the disapproval or
denial.
(4)(a)
The director by rule shall prescribe the form of the license the director
issues under this section. At a minimum, the director shall require the license
to display the licensee’s full name and the address at which the licensee
conducts business.
(b)
A license the director issues under this section:
(A)
Is not transferable or assignable; and
(B)
Remains in full force and effect until:
(i) The director revokes or suspends the license in
accordance with ORS 725A.034; or
(ii)
The licensee surrenders the license in accordance with ORS 725A.038.
(5)
The director may issue more than one license to the same licensee if the director
finds that for each additional license the licensee meets the qualifications
set forth in this section. Each license the director issues must be for a
separate and distinct place in which the licensee conducts business in
accordance with ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990. [2010 c.23 §5]
725A.026 Grounds for disapproving license
application. (1) The Director of the Department of
Consumer and Business Services may disapprove an application submitted under
ORS 725A.022 and deny a license to the applicant if a person named in the
application:
(a)
Cannot meet financial obligations as the obligations mature, has liabilities
that exceed assets or is in a financial condition that prevents the person from
conducting business with safety to consumers;
(b)
Engaged in dishonest, fraudulent or illegal practices or conduct in a business
or profession;
(c)
Failed to comply with or knowingly or repeatedly violated a provision of or a
rule adopted under the Bank Act, ORS chapter 723, 725 or 726 or ORS 725A.010 to
725A.092 and 725A.990;
(d)
Was convicted of a crime, an essential element of which is fraud;
(e)
Is permanently or temporarily enjoined by a court of competent jurisdiction
from engaging in or continuing a practice or conduct in connection with making
payday loans, title loans or consumer loans; or
(f)
Is subject to an order in which:
(A)
The director imposed a fine or other civil penalty on the person under the Bank
Act, ORS chapter 723, 725 or 726 or ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990;
(B)
The director removed the person from an office in an entity regulated under the
Bank Act, ORS chapter 723 or 725 or ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990; or
(C)
A state or federal agency with authority over banking institutions, savings
associations, credit unions or consumer finance companies, within a five-year
period before the applicant submitted an application under ORS 725A.022:
(i) Imposed a fine or other civil penalty on the person; or
(ii)
Removed the person from an office in a state banking institution, a national
bank, a state or federal savings association, a state or federal credit union
or a consumer finance company.
(2)
If the director denies a license to an applicant under this section, the
director shall provide the applicant with a reasonable opportunity for a
hearing under ORS chapter 183. [2010 c.23 §6]
725A.028 License fee; other fees; rules.
(1) A licensee each year shall pay to the Director of the Department of
Consumer and Business Services a license fee in an amount the director specifies
by rule. The licensee shall pay the fee not later than the date the director
sets in the rule.
(2)
The director shall specify the amount of the fee described in subsection (1) of
this section after considering:
(a)
The amount of other moneys available for the director to use in performing the
director’s duties;
(b)
The costs the director will incur in performing the director’s duties in the
year in which the director will collect the fee; and
(c)
The amount the director needs to establish and maintain a reasonable emergency
fund.
(3)
In addition to any license fee the director collects under subsection (1) of
this section, whenever the director devotes extra attention to a licensee’s
affairs, either when the licensee requests the attention or the director
determines that the extra attention is necessary, the director shall charge as
a fee for the extra attention the actual cost the director incurs. [2010 c.23 §7]
725A.030 Annual report; contents; penalty;
rules. (1) On or before February 15 of each
year, or on a date the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business
Services establishes by rule, a licensee shall file a report with the director
in a form and with the content the director prescribes by rule. The report must
contain information the director requires concerning the licensee’s business
and the operations at each place of business in which the licensee conducts
business in this state during the preceding calendar year under the terms of a
license issued under ORS 725A.024.
(2)
The director may assess against a licensee a penalty of $10 for each day after
February 15, or after the date the director specifies in subsection (1) of this
section, during which the licensee fails to file a report required under this
section. [2010 c.23 §8]
725A.032 Business name and location.
(1) A licensee may not conduct a business that is subject to ORS 725A.010 to
725A.092 and 725A.990 except under the name and at the place of business named
in the license. The licensee at all times shall display the license
conspicuously in the licensee’s place of business.
(2)
A licensee that changes the location at which the licensee conducts business as
a payday loan lender or title loan lender shall notify the Director of the
Department of Consumer and Business Services in writing and return the licensee’s
license. The director shall amend the license to reflect the new location and
return the amended license to the licensee.
(3)
The director may allow the licensee to change the location in which the
licensee conducts business as a payday loan lender or title loan lender to a
location outside the city named in the original license only if the director
determines that the new location will serve substantially the same community
that the location named in the original license served.
(4)
If the director disapproves the proposed new location, the director shall
immediately notify the licensee of the disapproval and return the license
unchanged to the licensee. [2010 c.23 §9]
725A.034 License revocation and suspension.
(1) The Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services may revoke
a license issued under ORS 725A.024 if the director:
(a)
Gives the licensee 10 days’ written notice in which the director specifies the
action the director will take and the general grounds for the action;
(b)
Provides the licensee with reasonable opportunity for a hearing under ORS
chapter 183 in connection with the action; and
(c)
Finds that:
(A)
The licensee failed to pay the annual license fee;
(B)
The licensee failed to comply with a demand, ruling or requirement the director
made under ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990;
(C)
The licensee, if the licensee is a corporation, failed to keep the corporation
in good standing under applicable provisions of law;
(D)
The licensee violated a provision of ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990 or a
rule the director adopted under ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990; or
(E)
A fact or condition exists that clearly would have warranted the director’s
refusing to issue the license had the fact or condition existed at the time the
licensee submitted an application under ORS 725A.022.
(2)
The director, without notice or hearing, may suspend a license for a period not
exceeding 30 days, pending investigation. The director shall provide the
licensee with a reasonable opportunity for a hearing under ORS chapter 183 if
the director proposes to suspend a license for a period longer than 30 days.
(3)
The director may revoke or suspend only the particular license with respect to
which grounds for revocation or suspension exist. If the director finds that
grounds for revoking or suspending a license exist with respect to more than
one of the locations in which a licensee operates, the director may revoke or
suspend the license issued to the licensee for each location with respect to
which grounds for revocation or suspension exist. [2010 c.23 §10]
725A.036 License reinstatement; fee.
The Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services may reinstate
a license the director revoked if the licensee:
(1)
Complies with applicable provisions of law;
(2)
Complies with a demand, ruling or requirement the director issues or imposes;
and
(3)
Pays a fee of $25. [2010 c.23 §11]
725A.038 License surrender.
(1) A licensee may deliver a written notice to the Director of the Department
of Consumer and Business Services to surrender a license the director issued to
the licensee under ORS 725A.024.
(2)(a)
A licensee shall surrender a license under which no material loan activity has
occurred for a period of 12 consecutive months.
(b)
For purposes of this subsection, “material loan activity” includes a new loan,
a loan that refinances an existing loan or a formal extension of existing loan
repayment provisions for more than 30 days.
(3)
A licensee’s surrendering a license under subsection (1) or (2) of this section
does not affect the licensee’s civil or criminal liability for acts the
licensee committed before surrendering the license. [2010 c.23 §12]
725A.040 Effect of license revocation,
suspension or surrender. Revocation, suspension or
surrender of a license issued under ORS 725A.024 does not impair or affect the
rights or obligations specified in a lawful contract between the licensee and a
borrower that existed before the revocation, suspension or surrender. [2010
c.23 §13]
REGULATION
725A.050 Director’s power to examine or
investigate; costs. (1) The Director of the
Department of Consumer and Business Services, to secure information the
director requires and to ensure compliance with ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and
725A.990 and rules the director adopts under ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and
725A.990:
(a)
May at any time investigate a licensee or a person required under ORS 725A.020
to obtain a license.
(b)
Shall examine a licensee not less than once every two years and may inspect and
examine the licensee at other times that the director determines are necessary.
(2)
For purposes of subsection (1) of this section:
(a)
A licensee or a person required to obtain a license as a payday loan lender or
title loan lender is subject to inspection and shall give the director free
access to the licensee’s or person’s place of business, books, accounts,
records, files, safes and vaults.
(b)
The director may:
(A)
Conduct an investigation or examination without prior notice to the person the
director investigates or examines.
(B)
Compel the attendance of a witness or other person from whom the director
requires testimony necessary to conduct an investigation or examination and
examine the witness or person under oath.
(C)
Require a licensee or a person required to obtain a license as a payday loan
lender or title loan lender to produce books, accounts, records, files or other
documents.
(c)
A person may not knowingly give or cause to be given to the director a document
or an oral or written statement or report that is false in any material
respect.
(3)
If the director investigates or examines under this section a licensee or a
person required to obtain a license as a payday loan lender or title loan
lender, the licensee or person shall pay the director for the actual cost of
the investigation or examination. The director may maintain an action to
recover the cost in a court of competent jurisdiction. [2010 c.23 §14]
725A.052 Record keeping requirements.
The Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services may specify
the form and content of the books and records the licensee must keep in
accordance with the provisions of ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990. The
licensee shall preserve and make available the books and records for a period
of at least two years after the licensee makes the final entry in connection
with a loan or account recorded in the book or record. [2010 c.23 §15]
725A.054 Duty to report defalcation;
audit. (1) A director or officer of a licensee
who has reason to believe that a defalcation has occurred at an office of the
licensee shall report the defalcation to the local, state or federal law
enforcement officer with jurisdiction.
(2)
A licensee, within five days after the discovery of a defalcation that occurs
at an office of the licensee, shall notify the Director of the Department of
Consumer and Business Services. If the director instructs the licensee to do
so, the licensee shall cause an audit to be made of the business of the
licensed office where the defalcation occurred, in accordance with the director’s
instructions.
(3)
The Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services may report a
defalcation to a federal, state or local law enforcement agency with
jurisdiction if the licensee has not reported the defalcation in accordance
with subsection (1) of this section. [2010 c.23 §16]
725A.056 Loan disclosure requirements;
receipt; procedure after full loan repayment. A
licensee shall:
(1)
Deliver to the borrower at the time the licensee makes a loan a statement in
the English language that shows in clear and distinct terms:
(a)
The borrower’s and the licensee’s names and addresses.
(b)
The amount of the loan, the date on which the licensee made the loan and the
maturity of or payment terms for the loan.
(c)
The interest rate to which the licensee and borrower agreed and the
consideration the licensee will charge for the loan.
(d)
The nature of the security for the loan, if the licensee has taken a lien on
personal property by chattel mortgage, bill of sale, collateral agreement or
otherwise.
(2)
Make available to the borrower upon request a plain and complete receipt for
all payments the borrower made on a loan at the time the licensee receives the
payments. The receipt must:
(a)
Specify the amount, if any, that the licensee applied toward interest;
(b)
Identify the date to which the interest is paid;
(c)
Specify the amount, if any, the licensee applied toward principal; and
(d)
State the unpaid principal balance for the loan, if a principal balance
remains.
(3)
Permit a borrower at any time to pay any amount in advance on any loan.
(4)
Mark the word “Paid” or “Renewed” indelibly on the note, or on other evidence
of the debt or obligation that bears the borrower’s signature, whenever the
borrower pays the loan in full or renews the loan. If the borrower repays the
loan in full, the licensee shall also:
(a)
Release a mortgage or security agreement that no longer secures the loan and
restore any security or collateral, to the extent and in the manner required by
law.
(b)
Release a Uniform Commercial Code filing that no longer secures the loan, to
the extent and in the manner required under ORS 79.0513.
(c)
Return any assignment the borrower gave.
(d)
Return to the borrower the canceled note or other evidence of the loan or,
alternatively, acknowledge to the borrower in writing that the borrower has
repaid the loan. [2010 c.23 §17]
725A.058 Dissemination of false, misleading
or deceptive statement. A licensee or other person may
not advertise, print, display, publish, distribute or broadcast or cause or
permit to be advertised, printed, displayed, published, distributed or
broadcast in any manner whatsoever a statement or representation that is false,
misleading or deceptive with respect to a rate, term or condition for a payday
loan or title loan. [2010 c.23 §18]
725A.060 Prohibited conduct generally.
(1) A licensee or a person required under ORS 725A.020 to obtain a license may not:
(a)
Take from a consumer:
(A)
A power of attorney, except a power of attorney to transfer ownership of a
motor vehicle at the time the licensee or the person makes a loan secured by a
motor vehicle.
(B)
A note or promise to pay that does not accurately disclose the actual amount or
the term of the loan, the rate of interest charged and the schedule of payments
for the loan.
(C)
An instrument in which blank spaces remain to be filled in after execution.
(D)
An assignment of earnings as payment or as security for a loan. An assignment
that violates this subparagraph is unenforceable by the assignee and revocable
by the assignor. For purposes of this subparagraph, if the licensee or the
person pays money to or on behalf of a consumer in return for a right or claim
to all or a portion of the consumer’s unpaid earnings, the licensee or the
person has made a loan to the consumer that is secured by an assignment of
earnings. This subparagraph does not preclude an employee from authorizing
deductions from the employee’s earnings if the authorization is revocable.
(b)
Conduct business where liquor or lottery tickets are sold or where gambling
devices are located.
(c)
Charge a consumer:
(A)
More than the actual amount that the vendor or service provider charges the
licensee or the person for access to or use of the system described in ORS
725A.090; or
(B)
More than one fee per loan transaction for dishonored checks or insufficient
funds, regardless of how many checks or debit agreements the licensee or the person
obtains from the consumer for the transaction. The fee may not exceed $20.
(d)
Collect a fee for a dishonored check under ORS 30.701 or seek or recover
statutory damages or attorney fees from a consumer for a dishonored check under
ORS 30.701. The licensee or the person may recover from the consumer a fee that
an unaffiliated financial institution charges to the licensee or the person for
each dishonored check. For a dishonored check or insufficient funds, the fees
described in this subsection are the only remedy the licensee or the person may
pursue and the only fees the licensee or the person may charge.
(2)
The provisions of ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990 do not prevent a
licensee or a person required under ORS 725A.020 to obtain a license from
recovering amounts associated with collecting a defaulted loan that are
authorized by statute or awarded by a court of law. [2010 c.23 §19]
725A.062 Prohibited conduct for title loan
lender. A title loan lender may not:
(1)
Make or renew a title loan at a rate of interest that exceeds 36 percent per
annum, excluding a one-time origination fee for a new loan.
(2)
Charge during the term of a new title loan, including all renewals of the loan,
more than one origination fee of $10 per $100 of the loan amount or $30,
whichever is less.
(3)
Make or renew a title loan for a term of less than 31 days.
(4)
Make or renew a title loan to a consumer without forming a good faith belief
that the consumer has the ability to repay the title loan. In forming a good
faith belief, the title loan lender shall consider factors that the Director of
the Department of Consumer and Business Services specifies by rule. A title
loan lender complies with this subsection if the title loan lender meets the
conditions the director specifies.
(5)
Charge a consumer a fee or interest other than a fee or interest described in
subsection (1) or (2) of this section or in ORS 725A.060 (1)(c) or (d).
(6)
Include in a title loan contract:
(a)
A hold-harmless clause;
(b)
A confession of judgment or other waiver of the right to notice and the
opportunity to be heard in an action;
(c)
A provision in which the consumer agrees not to assert against the lender or a
holder in due course a claim or defense arising out of the contract;
(d)
An executory waiver or a limitation of exemption from
attachment, execution or other process on real or personal property the
consumer holds, owns or is due, unless the waiver or limitation applies only to
property that is subject to a security interest executed in connection with the
loan; or
(e)
A clause that permits interest to continue after the consumer’s motor vehicle,
recreational vehicle, boat or mobile home has been repossessed.
(7)
Require or accept from a consumer a set of keys to the motor vehicle,
recreational vehicle, boat or mobile home the title to which secures the title
loan.
(8)
Make more than one outstanding title loan that is secured by one title.
(9)
Renew an existing title loan that is secured by one title more than two times
after the loan is first made.
(10)
Make a new title loan to a consumer within seven days of the date on which a
previous title loan expires. [2010 c.23 §20]
725A.064 Prohibited conduct for payday
loan lender. A payday loan lender may not:
(1)
Make or renew a payday loan at a rate of interest that exceeds 36 percent per
annum, excluding a one-time origination fee for a new loan.
(2)
Charge during the term of a new payday loan, including all renewals of the
loan, more than one origination fee of $10 per $100 of the loan amount or $30,
whichever is less.
(3)
Make or renew a payday loan for a term of less than 31 days.
(4)
Charge a consumer a fee or interest other than a fee or interest described in
subsection (1) or (2) of this section or in ORS 725A.060 (1)(c) or (d).
(5)
Include in a payday loan contract:
(a)
A hold-harmless clause;
(b)
A confession of judgment or other waiver of the right to notice and the
opportunity to be heard in an action;
(c)
A provision in which the consumer agrees not to assert against the lender or a
holder in due course a claim or defense arising out of the contract; or
(d)
An executory waiver or a limitation of exemption from
attachment, execution or other process on real or personal property the
consumer holds, owns or is due, unless the waiver or limitation applies only to
property that is subject to a security interest executed in connection with the
loan.
(6)
Renew an existing payday loan more than two times.
(7)
Make a new payday loan to a consumer within seven days of the date on which a
previous payday loan expires. [2010 c.23 §21]
ENFORCEMENT
725A.080 Complaint and administrative
remedy. (1) A person who claims to be aggrieved
by a practice that violates a provision of ORS 725A.020, 725A.060, 725A.062 or
725A.064 or a rule adopted under ORS 725A.092 that regulates a licensee or a
person required under ORS 725A.020 to obtain a license may, not later than one
year after the date of the alleged violation, file with the Director of the
Department of Consumer and Business Services a verified written complaint. The
complaint must state the name and address of the licensee or the person alleged
to have committed the unlawful practice and the particulars of the alleged
unlawful practice. The director may require the complaint to set forth other
information that the director considers pertinent.
(2)
A title loan lender shall state in every contract for a title loan, in a type
size equal to at least 12-point type, that the consumer or the consumer’s
attorney may file a complaint with the director as provided in this section.
(3)
After receiving a complaint under this section, the director may, under ORS
725A.050, investigate the unlawful practice and the licensee or the person
alleged in the complaint to have committed the unlawful practice. [2010 c.23 §22]
725A.082 Cease and desist order.
(1) If the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services has
reasonable cause to believe that a person violated, is violating or is about to
violate a provision of ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990 or a rule the
director adopted or an order the director issued under ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092
and 725A.990, the director may order the person to cease and desist from the
violation.
(2)
The director, in an order the director issues under subsection (1) of this
section, shall:
(a)
State the facts constituting the violation;
(b)
Require the person named in the order to cease and desist from the violation or
to meet specific conditions;
(c)
State the effective date of the order; and
(d)
Advise the person named in the order that the person has a right to a contested
case hearing under ORS chapter 183.
(3)
An order under this section is effective 30 days after the date of the order,
unless the person named in the order requests a hearing on the order, and
remains in effect until the director or a court withdraws the order.
(4)
If an individual named in an order under this section fails to comply with the
order, in addition to imposing a penalty under ORS 725A.990, the director may issue
an order to remove or suspend the individual from the individual’s office or
position. [2010 c.23 §23]
725A.084 Suspension or removal of officer
or director of licensee. (1) If the Director of the
Department of Consumer and Business Services finds that an officer or director
of a licensee is dishonest, reckless or incompetent or refuses to comply with
the law, with a rule the Department of Consumer and Business Services adopted
or with a written requirement or instruction the department imposed or issued,
the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services may order the
licensee to suspend the licensee’s officer or director from the officer or
director’s office or position.
(2)
The Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, for any of
the reasons set forth in ORS 725A.026, may order a licensee to remove an
officer or director of the licensee from office. [2010 c.23 §24]
725A.086 Limitation of personal liability.
A person is not personally liable for an act the person does or fails to do in
good faith and in compliance with a rule or order the Director of the
Department of Consumer and Business Services adopted or issued under ORS
725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990, even if the director amends or rescinds the
rule or order or a judicial or other authority determines that the rule or
order is invalid. [2010 c.23 §25]
MISCELLANEOUS
725A.090 Loan tracking system; rules;
fees. (1) The Director of the Department of
Consumer and Business Services, by contract with a vendor or service provider
or otherwise, may develop and implement a system by means of which a licensee
may determine whether a consumer has an outstanding loan, the number of loans
the consumer has outstanding, the dates on which the consumer entered into or renewed
a loan contract subject to ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990 and other
information necessary to comply with the provisions of ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092
and 725A.990. The director by rule may specify the form and content of the
system, but shall ensure at a minimum that the information entered into or
stored by the system is:
(a)
Accessible to and usable by licensees and the director from any location in
this state; and
(b)
Secured against public disclosure, tampering, theft or unauthorized acquisition
or use.
(2)
The information in the system described in subsection (1) of this section is
not subject to public inspection or disclosure and is not subject to discovery,
subpoena or other compulsory process except in an action brought under ORS
725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990.
(3)
A vendor or service provider that operates or administers the system described
in subsection (1) of this section may charge a licensee a fee or fees for
access to or use of the system in amounts that the director approves by rule.
(4)(a)
If the system described in subsection (1) of this section is developed and
implemented, licensees subject to ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990, within
one business day after conducting a loan transaction that generates information
that the system described in subsection (1) of this section requires, shall
enter or update the information.
(b)
A licensee, after the date on which the licensee ceases to make loans subject
to ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990, shall continue to enter and update
information for loans that are outstanding or that have not yet expired.
(c)
Within 10 business days after ceasing to make loans subject to ORS 725A.010 to
725A.092 and 725A.990, a licensee shall submit to the director for approval a
plan for continuing compliance with this subsection. The director shall
promptly approve or disapprove the plan and may require the licensee to submit
a new or modified plan that ensures compliance with this subsection.
(5)
The director by rule shall establish requirements for retaining, archiving and
deleting information entered into or stored by the system described in
subsection (1) of this section. [2010 c.23 §26]
725A.092 Rules.
(1) The Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, in
accordance with ORS chapter 183, may adopt rules for the purposes of protecting
borrowers and consumers, providing clarity to licensees and otherwise carrying
out and enforcing the provisions of ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990. The
rules may include, but are not limited to, provisions that establish loan
forms, terms, charges and fees.
(2)
Before the director adopts a rule under subsection (1) of this section, the
director shall submit a copy of the rule to each licensee.
(3)
The director may institute an action or proceeding and make a specific ruling,
demand or finding that the director considers necessary to carry out or enforce
a provision of ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990 or a rule the director
adopted, an order the director issued or an action the director took to carry
out or enforce the provisions of ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990. [2010
c.23 §27]
PENALTIES
725A.990 Penalties.
(1) The Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services may assess
a civil penalty of not more than $2,500 against a person who violates a
provision of ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and 725A.990 or a rule the director
adopted or final order the director issued under ORS 725A.010 to 725A.092 and
725A.990. The director, in addition to imposing a penalty under this subsection
for the violation, may revoke the licensee’s license.
(2)
A civil penalty under this section must be imposed as provided in ORS 183.745.
(3)
Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, moneys collected under
this section must be paid to the State Treasurer and credited as provided in
ORS 705.145.
(4)
In addition to any other penalty provided by law, the director may assess
against a person who makes a payday loan or title loan in violation of ORS
725A.020 a civil penalty in an amount equal to the interest the person receives
that exceeds nine percent per annum. The director shall pay all moneys
collected under this subsection to the Department of State Lands for the
benefit of the Common School Fund. [2010 c.23 §28]
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