Source: https://fairdebt.com/tdca.php
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 08:17:43+00:00

Document:
(1) "Consumer" means an individual who has a consumer debt.
(2) "Consumer debt" means an obligation, or an alleged obligation, primarily for personal, family, or household purposes and arising from a transaction or alleged transaction.
(3) "Creditor" means a party, other than a consumer, to a transaction or alleged transaction involving one or more consumers.
(4) "Credit bureau" means a person who, for compensation, gathers, records, and disseminates information relating to the creditworthiness, financial responsibility, and paying habits of, and similar information regarding, a person for the purpose of furnishing that information to another person.
(5) "Debt collection" means an action, conduct, or practice in collecting, or in soliciting for collection, consumer debts that are due or alleged to be due a creditor.
(6) "Debt collector" means a person who directly or indirectly engages in debt collection and includes a person who sells or offers to sell forms represented to be a collection system, device, or scheme intended to be used to collect consumer debts.
(B) regularly make contact with debtors for the purpose of collection or adjustment of debts.
(a) A third-party debt collector or credit bureau may not engage in debt collection unless the third-party debt collector or credit bureau has obtained a surety bond issued by a surety company authorized to do business in this state as prescribed by this section. A copy of the bond must be filed with the secretary of state.
(2) this state for the benefit of any person who is damaged by a violation of this chapter.
(c) The bond must be in the amount of $10,000.
§ 392.102. Claim Against Bond.
A person who claims against a bond for a violation of this chapter may maintain an action against the third-party debt collector or credit bureau and against the surety. The aggregate liability of the surety to all persons damaged by a violation of this chapter may not exceed the amount of the bond.
§ 392.201. Report To Consumer.
Not later than the 45th day after the date of the request, a credit bureau shall provide to a person in its registry a copy of all information contained in its files concerning that person.
Collector's or Credit Bureau's Files.
(a) An individual who disputes the accuracy of an item that is in a third-party debt collector's or credit bureau's file on the individual and that relates to a debt being collected by the third-party debt collector may notify in writing the third-party debt collector of the inaccuracy. The third-party debt collector make a written record of the dispute. If the third-party debt collector does not report information related to the dispute to a credit bureau, the third-party debt collector shall cease collection efforts until an investigation of the dispute described by Subsections (b)-(e) determines the accurate amount of the debt, if any. If the third-party debt collector reports information related to the dispute to a credit bureau, the reporting third-party debt collector shall initiate an investigation of the dispute described by Subsections (b)-(e) and shall cease collection efforts until the investigation determines the accurate amount of the debt, if any. This section does not affect the application of Chapter 20, Business & Commerce Code, to a third-party debt collector subject to that chapter.
(3) stating that the third-party debt collector or credit bureau has not had sufficient time to complete an investigation of the inaccuracy.
(2) immediately cease collection efforts related to the portion of the debt that was found to be inaccurate and on correction of the item send to each person who has previously received a report from the third-party debt collector containing the inaccurate information notice of the inaccuracy and a copy of an accurate report.
(e) On completion by the third-party debt collector of the investigation, the third-party debt collector shall inform the individual of the determination of whether the item is accurate or inaccurate. If the third-party debt collector determines that the information was accurate, the third-party debt collector may again report that information and resume collection efforts.
§ 392.301. Threats or Coercion.
§ 392.303. Unfair or Unconscionable Means.
(2) collecting or attempting to collect interest or a charge, fee, or expense incidental to the obligation unless the interest or incidental charge, fee, or expense is expressly authorized by the agreement creating the obligation or legally chargeable to the consumer.
§ 392.304. Fraudulent, Deceptive, or Misleading Representations.
§ 392.305. Deceptive Use of Credit Bureau Name.
§ 392.306. Use Of Independent Debt Collector.
A creditor may not use an independent debt collector if the creditor has actual knowledge that the independent debt collector repeatedly or continuously engages in acts or practices that are prohibited by this chapter.
§ 392.401. Bona Fide Error.
A person does not violate this chapter if the action complained of resulted from a bona fide error that occurred notwithstanding the use of reasonable procedures adopted to avoid the error.
(a) A person commits an offense if the person violates this chapter.
(b) An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 or more than $500 for each violation.
(c) A misdemeanor charge under this section must be filed not later than the first anniversary of the date of the alleged violation.
(e) A person who successfully maintains an action under this section for violation of Section 392.101, 392.202, or 392.301(a)(3) is entitled to not less than $100 for each violation of this chapter.
§ 392.404. Remedies Under Other Law.
(a) A violation of this chapter is a deceptive trade practice under Subchapter E, Chapter 17, Business & Commerce Code, and is actionable under that subchapter.
(b) This chapter does not affect or alter a remedy at law or in equity otherwise available to a debtor, creditor, governmental entity, or other legal entity.

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