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<section article="gcl" article_name="Commercial Law" number="14-1315" title_number="14" title_name="Miscellaneous Consumer Protection Provisions" subtitle_number="13" subtitle_name="Miscellaneous Provisions">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Consumer contract” means a contract involving the sale, lease, or provision of goods or services which are for personal, family, or household purposes.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Contract”, unless specifically provided otherwise, includes consumer, commercial, and business contracts, covenants, leases of any kind, and tariffs on file with any regulatory authority.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <level label="i">
        <text>“Late fee” means any charge or fee imposed because a payment is not made when the payment is due under the terms of a contract.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>“Late fee” includes a fee imposed under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph that is described:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>As a flat rate;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>As a percentage of the amount due; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>In any other terms.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The parties to a contract may agree to require the payment of a late fee when a party fails to make a payment when the payment is due.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>A contract that requires the payment of a late fee shall disclose, by its terms or by notice:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The amount of the late fee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The conditions under which the late fee will be imposed; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The timing for the imposition of the late fee.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>A late fee imposed under this section is not:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Interest;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A finance charge;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Liquidated damages; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>A penalty.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>This section does not affect a late fee, a finance charge, interest, or any other fee or charge otherwise allowed under applicable law.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A late fee included in a consumer contract pursuant to this section is subject to one of the following limitations:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <level label="1">
          <text>The amount of the late fee may be up to $5 per month, or up to 10% per month of the payment amount that is past due, whichever is greater; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>No more than 3 monthly late fees may be imposed for any single payment amount that is past due, regardless of the period during which the payment remains past due; or</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The amount of the late fee may be up to 1.5% per month of the payment amount that is past due.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The amount of the late fee under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be disclosed, in the consumer contract or by notice, in size equal to at least 10-point bold type.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, a late fee included in a consumer contract pursuant to this section may not be imposed until 15 days after the date the bill was rendered for the goods or services provided.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>If a bill is not rendered, a late fee included in a consumer contract pursuant to this section may not be imposed until 15 days after the payment amount becomes due.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>A late fee imposed under this section is subject to any additional limitations or conditions prescribed by any federal, State, or local regulatory agency or authority having jurisdiction over entities imposing late fees regulated by this section.</text>
  </level>
</section>
