Section 50. Additional business requirements and restrictions

A. Each original license shall be prominently posted in each place of business of the licensee.

B. A licensee shall post in or on its licensed locations the days and hours during which it is open for business so that the posting is legible from outside.

C. A licensee shall endeavor to provide the loan documents, printed notice, and pamphlet required by 10VAC5-210-30, in a language other than English when a prospective borrower is unable to read the materials printed in English.

D. A licensee shall not knowingly make a motor vehicle title loan to (i) a person who has an outstanding motor vehicle title loan from the same licensee or another licensee; (ii) a covered member of the armed forces; or (iii) a dependent of a covered member of the armed forces. To enable a licensee to make these determinations and the determination in subsection F of this section, a licensee shall clearly and conspicuously include the following questions in its written loan application, which the licensee shall require each applicant to answer before obtaining a motor vehicle title loan. A licensee shall not make a motor vehicle title loan to an applicant unless the applicant answers "no" to all of these questions:

1. Do you currently have a motor vehicle title loan from any motor vehicle title lender?

2. At any time today, did you repay or satisfy in full a motor vehicle title loan from any motor vehicle title lender?

3. Are you (i) on active duty in the armed forces under a call or order that does not specify a period of 30 days or less, or (ii) on active guard and reserve duty?

4. Are you married to an individual who is either (i) on active duty in the armed forces under a call or order that does not specify a period of 30 days or less, or (ii) on active guard and reserve duty?

5. Are you the child, as defined in 38 USC § 101(4), of an individual who is either (i) on active duty in the armed forces under a call or order that does not specify a period of 30 days or less, or (ii) on active guard and reserve duty?

6. Was more than one-half of your support during the past 180 days provided by an individual who is either (i) on active duty in the armed forces under a call or order that does not specify a period of 30 days or less, or (ii) on active guard and reserve duty?

E. A licensee shall not require a borrower to purchase or maintain property insurance for a motor vehicle from or through a particular provider or list of providers.

F. A licensee shall not knowingly make a motor vehicle title loan to a borrower on the same day that the borrower repaid or satisfied in full a motor vehicle title loan from the same licensee or another licensee. Any motor vehicle title loan made in violation of this subsection shall for purposes of subdivision 17 of § 6.2-2215 of the Code of Virginia be deemed an evasion of the prohibition on refinancing a motor vehicle title loan agreement set forth in § 6.2-2216 F of the Code of Virginia.

G. The maturity date of a motor vehicle title loan shall not be earlier than 120 days from the date a motor vehicle title loan agreement is executed by a borrower or later than 12 months from the date a motor vehicle title loan agreement is executed by a borrower.

H. A licensee shall not electronically debit a borrower's deposit account or otherwise obtain any funds from a borrower by electronic means, including the use of the Automated Clearing House network, electronic funds transfers, electronic check conversions, or re-presented check entries.

I. If a licensee disburses loan proceeds by means of a check, the licensee shall not (i) charge the borrower a fee for cashing the check or (ii) permit either a check casher located in the same office as the licensee or any affiliated check casher to charge the borrower a fee for cashing the check.

J. A borrower shall have the right to cancel a motor vehicle title loan agreement at any time before the close of business on the next business day following the date that the loan agreement is executed by the borrower by returning the original loan proceeds check or paying to the licensee, in the form of cash or good funds instrument, the principal amount advanced to the borrower. If a borrower cancels a loan agreement in accordance with this subsection, the licensee shall upon receipt of the loan proceeds check, cash, or good funds instrument (i) mark the original loan agreement with the word "canceled," return it to the borrower, and retain a copy in its records; and (ii) return the certificate of title to the borrower. Furthermore, the licensee shall not be entitled to charge, contract for, collect, receive, recover, or require a borrower to pay any interest, fees, or other amounts otherwise permitted by § 6.2-2216 of the Code of Virginia.

K. A licensee shall give a borrower a signed, dated receipt for each cash payment made in person, which shall state the balance due on the loan.

L. A borrower shall be permitted to prepay a motor vehicle title loan either in whole or in part without charge. Partial prepayments shall reduce the outstanding loan balance upon which interest is calculated. A licensee may apply a payment first to any amounts that are due and unpaid at the time of such payment.

M. A licensee shall release its security interest and perform the following acts within 10 days after the date that a borrower's obligations under a motor vehicle title loan agreement are satisfied in full: (i) mark the original loan agreement with the word "paid" or "canceled," return it to the borrower, and retain a copy in its records; (ii) take any action necessary to reflect the termination of its lien on the motor vehicle's certificate of title; and (iii) return the certificate of title to the borrower.

N. When sending the written notices and accounting specified by § 6.2-2217 of the Code of Virginia, a licensee shall obtain proof of mailing from the United States Postal Service or other common carrier.

O. A licensee may impose a late charge for failure to make timely payment of any amount due under a motor vehicle title loan agreement provided that (i) the late charge is specified in the loan agreement and (ii) the amount of the late charge does not exceed 5.0% of the amount of the payment. A payment shall be considered to be timely if it is made no later than seven calendar days after the due date specified in the loan agreement.

P. Nothing in the Act or this chapter shall be construed to prohibit a licensee from (i) voluntarily accepting a payment on an outstanding motor vehicle title loan from a borrower after the date that such payment was due to the licensee or (ii) considering a payment to be timely if it is made more than seven calendar days after its due date. However, except as otherwise permitted by the Act and this chapter, the licensee shall not charge, contract for, collect, receive, recover, or require a borrower to pay any additional interest, fees, or other amounts.

Q. Pursuant to subdivision 2 of § 6.2-2201 of the Code of Virginia and subdivision 17 of § 6.2-2215 of the Code of Virginia, a licensee shall not make a motor vehicle title loan that has been arranged or brokered by another person. This provision shall not be construed to prohibit a licensee from originating motor vehicle title loans through its own employees.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 27, Issue 03, eff. October 1, 2010; amended, Virginia Register Volume 27, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2011.

Statutory Authority

§§ 6.2-2214 and 12.1-13 of the Code of Virginia.