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<section article="gcl" article_name="Commercial Law" number="14-1323" 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” means a purchaser, lessee, or recipient of consumer goods, consumer services, or consumer credit.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Consumer credit”, “consumer goods”, and “consumer services” mean, respectively, credit, goods, and services that are primarily for personal, household, or family purposes.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>“Consumer credit contract” means a written agreement for the provision of consumer credit between a person and a consumer who resides in the State.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>“Prohibited risk factor” means the identity of:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A person from whom a consumer lawfully obtains consumer credit, consumer goods, or consumer services; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A person who makes or holds a mortgage loan on a consumer’s home.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>A person may not include or enforce a provision in a consumer credit contract, without the consumer’s prior written consent, that:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Triggers a default under the consumer credit contract based on a prohibited risk factor; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Authorizes a party to the consumer credit contract to use a prohibited risk factor for the purpose of:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Accelerating a payment owed under the consumer credit contract;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Increasing the interest rate payable under the consumer credit contract;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Reducing the credit limit available under the consumer credit contract; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Altering a term of the consumer credit contract in any other manner adverse to the consumer.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>A provision included in a consumer credit contract in violation of subsection (b) of this section is void and unenforceable.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>Subsection (b) of this section does not prohibit a person from using information to detect or prevent fraudulent activity in connection with the provision of consumer credit.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>A violation of this section is:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>An unfair or deceptive trade practice within the meaning of Title 13 of this article; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Subject to the penalty and enforcement provisions contained in Title 13 of this article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
