Connecticut 2013 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06173 Compare Versions

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11 General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6173
2-January Session, 2013 *_____HB06173JUD___042413____*
2+January Session, 2013 *_____HB06173BA____031413____*
33
44 General Assembly
55
66 Substitute Bill No. 6173
77
88 January Session, 2013
99
10-*_____HB06173JUD___042413____*
10+*_____HB06173BA____031413____*
1111
1212 AN ACT CONCERNING THE REFORM OF DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES.
1313
1414 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
1515
1616 Section 1. Section 36a-645 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):
1717
1818 As used in sections 36a-645 to 36a-647, inclusive, as amended by this act, sections 3 to 5, inclusive, and section 42-150aa, as amended by this act, unless the context otherwise requires:
1919
2020 (1) "Consumer debtor" means any natural person residing in this state who owes a debt to a creditor.
2121
2222 (2) "Creditor" means (A) any person to whom a debt is owed by a consumer debtor and such debt results from a transaction occurring in the ordinary course of such person's business, or (B) any person to whom such debt is assigned. "Creditor" includes a debt buyer, as defined in subdivision (4) of this section, but shall not include a consumer collection agency, as defined in section 36a-800, or any department or agency of the United States, this state, any other state, or any political subdivision thereof.
2323
2424 (3) "Debt" means an obligation or alleged obligation arising out of a transaction in which the money, property, goods or services which are the subject of the transaction are for personal, family or household purposes, whether or not such obligation has been reduced to judgment.
2525
2626 (4) "Debt buyer" means a person or entity that (A) is engaged in the business of purchasing delinquent debt, including, but not limited to, delinquent or charged-off consumer loans or consumer credit accounts, for collection purposes, or (B) receives assignments of claims for collection purposes from a person or entity that purchased delinquent debt, including, but not limited to, delinquent or charged-off consumer loans or consumer credit accounts, whether it collects the debt itself or hires a third party for collection or an attorney for representation in a cause of action to collect such debt.
2727
2828 (5) "Original creditor" means the last person or entity, identified by the name it uses in its dealings with a consumer, that extended credit to the consumer for the purchase of goods or services, for the lease of goods, or as a loan of money.
2929
3030 Sec. 2. Section 36a-646 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):
3131
3232 (a) No creditor shall use any abusive, harassing, fraudulent, deceptive or misleading representation, device or practice to collect or attempt to collect any debt.
3333
3434 (b) No debt buyer shall bring suit or initiate an arbitration proceeding against a consumer debtor or otherwise attempt to collect on a debt:
3535
3636 (1) When the debt buyer knows or reasonably should know that such collection is barred by the applicable statute of limitations;
3737
3838 (2) Without (A) proof that the debt buyer is the owner of the specific debt instrument or account at issue, and (B) verification of the amount of the debt allegedly owed by the consumer debtor. For purposes of this subdivision, "verification" includes documentation of the name of the original creditor, the name and address of the consumer debtor as appearing on the original creditor's records, the original creditor's account number for the consumer debtor, a copy of the contract or other document evidencing the debt and an itemized accounting of the amount claimed to be owed, including all fees and charges; or
3939
4040 (3) Without first giving the consumer debtor written notice of the intent to file a legal action not less than thirty days in advance of filing such action. The written notice shall include the name, address and telephone number of the debt buyer, the name of the original creditor, the original creditor's account number for the consumer debtor, a copy of the contract or other document evidencing the debt and an itemized accounting of all amounts claimed to be owed.
4141
4242 (c) No debt buyer shall fail to comply with sections 3 to 5, inclusive, of this act.
4343
4444 Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2013) (a) In any cause of action initiated by a debt buyer against a consumer debtor, the debt buyer shall, not later than two days after the return date, or, in the case of a small claims matter, not later than ten days prior to the answer date, mail or deliver to the consumer debtor the following materials with delivery confirmation:
4545
4646 (1) A copy of the contract or other writing evidencing the original debt, which shall contain a written or electronic signature of the consumer debtor. If a claim is based on credit card debt and no such signed writing evidencing the original debt ever existed, then the debt buyer shall attach copies of documents generated when the credit card was used;
4747
4848 (2) A copy of the assignment or other writing establishing that the debt buyer is the owner of the debt. If the debt has been assigned more than once, the debt buyer shall attach each assignment or other writing evidencing the transfer of ownership and establishing an unbroken chain of ownership. Each assignment or other writing evidencing transfer of ownership shall contain the original account number of the debt purchased and clearly show the consumer debtor's name associated with such account number; and
4949
5050 (3) An itemization of the amount of damages sought, including:
5151
5252 (A) The amount owed for the purchase of goods or services or for the lease of goods or the amount of credit extended;
5353
5454 (B) Interest, fees and charges imposed by the original creditor;
5555
5656 (C) Any interest, fees or charges imposed by any debt buyer or other assignee of the debt;
5757
5858 (D) Attorney's fees;
5959
6060 (E) Any other fees, costs or charges sought or imposed;
6161
6262 (F) The amount and date of the last payment before default or charge-off, whichever is later;
6363
6464 (G) Each payment credited to the debt after default or charge-off; and
6565
6666 (H) The amount the debt buyer paid for the account.
6767
6868 (b) If the consumer debtor appears for trial on the scheduled trial date, the debt buyer either fails to appear or is not prepared to proceed to trial and the court does not find good cause for a continuance, the court shall enter judgment for the consumer debtor and dismiss the debt buyer's action with prejudice. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the court may award the consumer debtor costs and attorney's fees, including lost wages and other related expenses.
6969
7070 (c) If the debt buyer fails to deliver the documents required under subsection (a) of this section, the debt buyer shall not be entitled to a default judgment against the consumer debtor.
7171
7272 Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2013) (a) Prior to entry of a judgment or order against a consumer debtor in a cause of action initiated by a debt buyer, the debt buyer shall file:
7373
7474 (1) A statement of compliance with section 3 of this act;
7575
7676 (2) An authenticated copy of the contract or other writing evidencing the original debt, which shall contain the consumer debtor's written or electronic signature. If a claim is based on credit card debt and no such signed writing evidencing the original debt ever existed, then the debt buyer shall attach authenticated copies of documents generated when the credit card was used;
7777
7878 (3) Evidence sufficient to establish the amount and nature of the debt by business records that satisfy the requirements of section 52-180 of the general statutes, which shall include:
7979
8080 (A) The original creditor's name;
8181
8282 (B) The original creditor's account number for the consumer debtor;
8383
8484 (C) The amount of the original debt;
8585
8686 (D) An itemization of charges and fees claimed to be owed;
8787
8888 (E) The original charge-off balance or, if the balance has not been charged off, an explanation of how the balance was calculated;
8989
9090 (F) An itemization of post charge-off additions, if applicable;
9191
9292 (G) The date of the last payment;
9393
9494 (H) The amount of interest claimed and the basis for the interest charged;
9595
9696 (I) The amount the debt buyer paid for the consumer debtor's account; and
9797
9898 (J) A statement of the applicable statute of limitations period and the filing date of the cause of action;
9999
100100 (4) An affidavit containing a statement that the debt buyer is the sole current owner of the debt, which shall include or be accompanied by (A) a chronological listing of the name of all prior owners of the debt and the date of each transfer or ownership of the debt, beginning with the name of the original creditor; and (B) a contract of sale and exhibits that transferred ownership of the debt to the debt buyer;
101101
102102 (5) Evidence sufficient to establish an unbroken chain of ownership by business records that satisfy the requirements of section 52-180 of the general statutes. Such evidence shall include (A) an affidavit by the original creditor of the facts constituting the debt, the default in payment, the sale or assignment of the debt, authenticated contract of sale and exhibits and the amount due at the time of sale or assignment; (B) for each subsequent assignment or sale of the debt to another entity, including an entity related by common ownership or affiliated by corporate control, an affidavit authenticating the attached contract of sale and exhibits of the debt by the debt seller or assignor, completed by the seller or assignor; and (C) proof that each assignment or other writing evidencing transfer of ownership contains the original account number of the debt purchased and clearly shows the consumer debtor's name associated with such account number; and
103103
104104 (6) An affidavit that states that the time period during which the debt buyer may bring suit or initiate an arbitration proceeding to collect the debt under the applicable statute of limitations, or any extension of the time period available under the statute of limitations, has not expired.
105105
106106 (b) In any action on a debt, if a debt buyer seeks a judgment or an order against the debtor and has not complied with the requirements of this section, the court shall not enter a judgment for the debt buyer and shall dismiss the action with or without prejudice.
107107
108108 (c) If the debt buyer is the prevailing party in any action to collect on a debt, any interest on the judgment shall be at a maximum rate of interest equal to the weekly average one-year constant maturity yield of United States Treasury securities, as published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, for the calendar week preceding the date of the judgment. No other rate of interest on the judgment shall be permitted, including the rate provided for in the contract or other writing evidencing the original debt.
109109
110110 Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2013) (a) On and after October 1, 2013, a debt buyer shall commence any action for the collection of debt, including, but not limited to, a cause of action for breach of contract, account stated or open account, not later than three years from the date of the accrual of the cause of action, which shall be the later of the date of charge-off or one hundred eighty days after the last regular payment on the debt, notwithstanding the provisions of any applicable statute of limitations, unless such statute of limitations provides for a shorter limitations period.
111111
112112 (b) Notwithstanding any other provisions of any other law, if a debt has been charged-off or if there has not been any payment on a debt for more than one hundred eighty days, any subsequent payment toward such debt shall not extend the three-year limitations period set forth in subsection (a) of this section or bar the consumer debtor from asserting any defenses to the collection of such debt.
113113
114114 (c) When the three-year limitations period set forth in subsection (a) of this section has expired, the right to collect the debt is extinguished along with any remedies available to the debt buyer pursuant to a cause of action for the collection of such debt.
115115
116116 Sec. 6. Section 36a-647 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):
117117
118118 (a) The commissioner may adopt such regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of sections 36a-645 to 36a-647, inclusive, as amended by this act, and sections 3 to 5, inclusive, of this act, including, but not limited to, specifying those acts which are deemed to be in violation of section 36a-646.
119119
120120 (b) The commissioner may receive and investigate complaints and may receive assurances of voluntary compliance with the provisions of sections 36a-645 to 36a-647, inclusive, as amended by this act, and sections 3 to 5, inclusive, of this act, or forward such complaints to the appropriate prosecuting officials at the commissioner's discretion. No action taken by the commissioner against a creditor in accordance with section 36a-50 relieves the creditor from civil liability.
121121
122122 (c) Whenever the commissioner has reason to believe that any person has violated, is violating or is about to violate any provision of sections 36a-645 to 36a-647, inclusive, as amended by this act, or sections 3 to 5, inclusive, of this act, or any regulation adopted under this section, the commissioner may take action against such person in accordance with sections 36a-50 and 36a-52.
123123
124124 (d) Nothing contained in sections 36a-645 to 36a-647, inclusive, as amended by this act, shall be construed as a limitation upon the power or authority of the state, the Attorney General or the commissioner to seek administrative, legal or equitable relief as provided by other statutes or at common law.
125125
126126 Sec. 7. Section 36a-648 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):
127127
128128 (a) A creditor, as defined in section 36a-645, who [uses any abusive, harassing, fraudulent, deceptive or misleading representation, device or practice to collect or attempt] violates section 36a-646, as amended by this act, or the regulations adopted pursuant to section 36a-647, as amended by this act, while collecting or attempting to collect a debt [in violation of section 36a-646 or the regulations adopted pursuant to section 36a-647] shall be liable to a person who is harmed by such conduct in an amount equal to the sum of: (1) Any actual damages sustained by such person, (2) if such person is an individual, such additional damages as the court may award, not less than five hundred dollars per violation and not to exceed [one] five thousand dollars per violation, [and] (3) in the case of a class action, the amount for each named plaintiff as could be recovered under subdivision (2) of this subsection and an amount as the court may determine for each other class member, not exceeding the amount per person that could be recovered under subdivision (2) of this subsection, and (4) in the case of any successful action to enforce liability under the provisions of this subsection, the costs of the action and [, in the discretion of the court,] a reasonable attorney's fee as determined by the court.
129129
130130 (b) If a creditor violates section 36a-646, as amended by this act, or the regulations adopted pursuant to section 36a-647, as amended by this act, neither the creditor nor any other person who may legally seek to collect on a claim brought pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be allowed to collect any interest, service charge, attorney's fees, collection costs, delinquency charge or any other fees or charges otherwise legally chargeable to the consumer debtor on such claim. A creditor who is not a debt buyer may recover from the consumer debtor the amount of the original claim or obligation.
131131
132132 [(b)] (c) In determining the amount of liability in an action brought pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the trier of fact shall consider, among other relevant factors, the frequency and persistence of noncompliance by the creditor, the nature of such noncompliance and the extent to which such noncompliance was intentional. In any class action brought pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the trier of fact shall also consider the resources of the creditor and the number of persons adversely affected by such noncompliance.
133133
134134 [(c)] (d) A creditor may not be held liable in an action brought under this section if the creditor shows by a preponderance of the evidence that the violation was not intentional and resulted from a bona fide error, notwithstanding the maintenance of procedures reasonably adopted by the creditor to avoid any such error.
135135
136136 [(d)] (e) An action to enforce liability under this section may be brought in any court of competent jurisdiction not later than one year after the date on which the violation occurs.
137137
138138 Sec. 8. Subsection (a) of section 37-3a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):
139139
140140 (a) Except as provided in sections 37-3b, 37-3c, [and] 52-192a and section 4 of this act, interest at the rate of ten per cent a year, and no more, may be recovered and allowed in civil actions or arbitration proceedings under chapter 909, including actions to recover money loaned at a greater rate, as damages for the detention of money after it becomes payable. Judgment may be given for the recovery of taxes assessed and paid upon the loan, and the insurance upon the estate mortgaged to secure the loan, whenever the borrower has agreed in writing to pay such taxes or insurance or both. Whenever the maker of any contract is a resident of another state or the mortgage security is located in another state, any obligee or holder of such contract, residing in this state, may lawfully recover any agreed rate of interest or damages on such contract until it is fully performed, not exceeding the legal rate of interest in the state where such contract purports to have been made or such mortgage security is located.
141141
142142 Sec. 9. Section 42-150aa of the general statutes is amended by adding subsection (c) as follows (Effective October 1, 2013):
143143
144144 (NEW) (c) If the attorney's fees sought pursuant to subsection (b) of this section are for services rendered to an assignee or a debt buyer, as defined in section 36a-645, as amended by this act, the holder of a contract or lease subject to the provisions of this section shall provide all of the following materials setting forth the party's obligation to pay attorney's fees to the court before the court may enforce such provisions:
145145
146146 (1) A copy of the contract or other writing evidencing the original debt, which shall contain a written or electronic signature of the defendant. If a claim is based on credit card debt and no such signed writing evidencing the original debt ever existed, then the holder shall attach copies of documents generated when the credit card was used; and
147147
148148 (2) A copy of the assignment or other writing establishing that the plaintiff is the owner of the debt. If the debt has been assigned more than once, the holder shall attach each assignment or other writing evidencing transfer of ownership and establishing an unbroken chain of ownership. Each assignment or other writing evidencing transfer of ownership shall contain the original account number of the debt purchased and shall clearly show the debtor's name associated with such account number.
149149
150150 Sec. 10. Subsection (c) of section 52-352a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):
151151
152152 (c) "Exempt" means, unless otherwise specified, not subject to any dispossession or taking, including any form of process or court order for the purpose of debt collection;
153153
154154 Sec. 11. Subsection (a) of section 52-576 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):
155155
156156 (a) No action for an account, or on any simple or implied contract, or on any contract in writing, shall be brought but within six years after the right of action accrues, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section and section 5 of this act.
157157
158158
159159
160160
161161 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
162162 Section 1 October 1, 2013 36a-645
163163 Sec. 2 October 1, 2013 36a-646
164164 Sec. 3 October 1, 2013 New section
165165 Sec. 4 October 1, 2013 New section
166166 Sec. 5 October 1, 2013 New section
167167 Sec. 6 October 1, 2013 36a-647
168168 Sec. 7 October 1, 2013 36a-648
169169 Sec. 8 October 1, 2013 37-3a(a)
170170 Sec. 9 October 1, 2013 42-150aa
171171 Sec. 10 October 1, 2013 52-352a(c)
172172 Sec. 11 October 1, 2013 52-576(a)
173173
174174 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
175175
176176 Section 1
177177
178178 October 1, 2013
179179
180180 36a-645
181181
182182 Sec. 2
183183
184184 October 1, 2013
185185
186186 36a-646
187187
188188 Sec. 3
189189
190190 October 1, 2013
191191
192192 New section
193193
194194 Sec. 4
195195
196196 October 1, 2013
197197
198198 New section
199199
200200 Sec. 5
201201
202202 October 1, 2013
203203
204204 New section
205205
206206 Sec. 6
207207
208208 October 1, 2013
209209
210210 36a-647
211211
212212 Sec. 7
213213
214214 October 1, 2013
215215
216216 36a-648
217217
218218 Sec. 8
219219
220220 October 1, 2013
221221
222222 37-3a(a)
223223
224224 Sec. 9
225225
226226 October 1, 2013
227227
228228 42-150aa
229229
230230 Sec. 10
231231
232232 October 1, 2013
233233
234234 52-352a(c)
235235
236236 Sec. 11
237237
238238 October 1, 2013
239239
240240 52-576(a)
241241
242242
243243
244244 BA Joint Favorable Subst.
245-JUD Joint Favorable
246245
247246 BA
248247
249248 Joint Favorable Subst.
250-
251-JUD
252-
253-Joint Favorable