<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="gbr" article_name="Business Regulation" number="7-101" title_number="7" title_name="Collection Agencies" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Definitions; General Provisions">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this title the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>“Board” means the State Collection Agency Licensing Board.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>“Collection agency” means a person who engages directly or indirectly in the business of:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>collecting for, or soliciting from another, a consumer claim; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>collecting a consumer claim the person owns, if the claim was in default when the person acquired it;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>collecting a consumer claim the person owns, using a name or other artifice that indicates that another party is attempting to collect the consumer claim;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>giving, selling, attempting to give or sell to another, or using, for collection of a consumer claim, a series or system of forms or letters that indicates directly or indirectly that a person other than the owner is asserting the consumer claim; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>employing the services of an individual or business to solicit or sell a collection system to be used for collection of a consumer claim.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Financial Regulation.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>“Consumer claim” means a claim that:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>is for money owed or said to be owed by a resident of the State; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>arises from a transaction in which, for a family, household, or personal purpose, the resident sought or got credit, money, personal property, real property, or services.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>“Control person” means a person who has the power, directly or indirectly, to direct the management or policies of a collection agency, whether through ownership of securities, by contract, or otherwise.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Control person” includes a person who:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>is a general partner, an officer, a director, or a member of a collection agency, or occupies a similar position or performs a similar function;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>directly or indirectly has the right to vote 10% or more of a class of voting securities, or has the power to sell or direct the sale of 10% or more of a class of voting securities of a collection agency; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>in the case of a partnership, a limited partnership, a limited liability partnership, a limited liability company, or any other business entity:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>has the right to receive on liquidation or dissolution of a collection agency 10% or more of the capital of the collection agency; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>has contributed 10% or more of the capital of a collection agency.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>“License” means a license issued in any form by the Board under this title to do business as a collection agency, including as provided for through NMLS.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>“Licensed collection agency” means a person who is required to be licensed under this title, regardless of whether the person is actually licensed.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>“Licensed location” means any location listed by the licensee in NMLS in accordance with this title.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="j">
    <text>“Licensed name” means:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the licensee’s legal name; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>any trade name used by the licensee in accordance with § 2–121 of the Financial Institutions Article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="k">
    <text>“Licensee” means a person licensed under this title to do business as a collection agency.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="l">
    <text>“NMLS” has the meaning stated in § 1–101 of the Financial Institutions Article.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="m">
    <text>“Unique identifier” means a number or another identifier assigned by NMLS.</text>
  </level>
</section>
