Source: http://www.myfairdebt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&p=156
Timestamp: 2019-11-22 23:30:16
Document Index: 186120237

Matched Legal Cases: ['§443', '§443', '§443', '§443', '§443', '§443', '§443', '§443', '§443', '§443', '§443', '§443', '§443']

Board index » State Debt Collection Statutes, Cases and Laws » Hawai'i: Debt Collection Act
Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2006 9:15 pm
Revised Statutes, Vol. 14, Chapter 708, Section 8105 (37-708-8105)
www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/docs/docs.asp?press1=docs
See also www.hawaii.gov/dcca/pdf/hrs_pvl_443b.pdf
Hawaii State Statutes Regulating Debt Collection / Debt Collectors
Â§443B-1 Definitions. As used in this chapter:
"Client" means a person who offered or extended credit which created a debt, or to whom a debt is owed, and who engages the professional services of a collection agency. The term does not include any person who receives an assignment or transfer of a debt in default solely for the purpose of facilitating collection of a debt for another.
(1) Any person using any name other than the person's own in collecting the person's own claims with the intention of conveying, or which tends to convey the impression that a third party has been employed;
(2) Any person who, in the conduct of the person's business for a fee, regularly repossesses any merchandise or chattels for another; and
"Collection agency" does not include licensed attorneys at law acting within the scope of their profession, licensed real estate brokers, and salespersons residing in this State when engaged in the regular practice of their profession, nor banks, trust companies, building and loan associations, savings and loan associations, financial services loan companies, credit unions, companies doing an escrow business, individuals regularly employed on a regular wage or salary in the capacity of credit persons or in other similar capacity for a single employer who is not a collection agency, nor any public officer or any person acting under an order of court.
Â§443B-3 Registration required. (a) No collection agency shall collect or attempt to collect any money or any other forms of indebtedness alleged to be due and owing from any person who resides or does business in this State without first registering under this chapter. (b) Registration shall include: (1) Submission of a complete application for registration; (2) Submission of a certificate of good standing or a certificate of authority from the business registration division; (3) Payment of appropriate fees; (4) Filing and maintenance of a bond in the amount prescribed in section 443B-5; (5) Maintenance of a regular active business office in the State; and (6) Designation of a principal collector, as prescribed in section 443B-6. (c) Any collection agency which has filed a bond with the director and maintained that bond in full force and effect, and which has not filed an application and paid the registration fee within ninety days of June 6, 1987, shall submit an application in the same manner as a new applicant subject to the provisions of sections 443B-4 and 443B-6.
[Â§443B-3.5] Exempt out-of-state collection agency. (a) A collection agency licensed or registered as a collection agency in another state, may apply for designation as an exempt out-of-state collection agency and conduct business in this State pursuant to this section. A collection agency granted designation as an exempt out-of-state collection agency shall be exempt from registration and other regulatory requirements under this chapter except as provided in this section.
(b) A collection agency may apply for designation as an exempt out-of-state collection agency; provided that the collection agency:
(1) Is licensed or registered as a collection agency under the laws of a state that:
(A) Regulates collection agencies; and (B) Does not require a Hawaii collection agency to obtain a license or register to collect debts in that state if the activities of the Hawaii collection agency are limited to those described in paragraphs (2), (3), and (4);
(2) Is collecting debts on behalf of an out-of-state creditor;
(3) Does not solicit or engage in collection activities for clients in this State; and
(4) Only collects debts in this State using interstate communication methods, including telephone, facsimile, or mail.
(c) An applicant for designation as an exempt out-of-state collection agency shall submit the following:
(1) An application for an out-of-state collection agency exemption as prescribed by the director;
(2) Verification that: (A) The collection agency holds a current license, permit, or registration to conduct business as a collection agency in another state; (B) Is in good standing with and has compiled with the laws of that state, including the maintenance of a bond, if required, and in the amount required by the state; and (C) The collection agency's state of licensure does not require Hawaii collection agencies to register or become licensed in that state before collecting debts in that state;
(3) An agreement in writing to comply with the requirements of sections 443B-9, 443B-15, 443B-16, 443B-17, 443B-18, and 443B-19; and
(4) Payment of the following nonrefundable fees: (A) With the application, and application fee of $25; and
(B) Upon approval of an out-of-state collection agency exemption, the compliance resolution fund fee for collection agencies.
(d) An exempt out-of-state collection agency may renew the exemption biennially by June 30 of each even-numbered year pursuant to subsection (c).
(e) An out-of-state collection agency shall not collect or attempt to collect any money or any other form of indebtedness alleged to be due and owing from any person who resides or does business in this State without first registering under this chapter or receiving an exemption pursuant to this section.
(f) An exempt out-of-state collection agency shall be subject to sections 443B-9,
443B-15, 443B-16, 443B-17, 443B-18, and 443B-19, and all remedies provided by this chapter and by any other law.
Â§443B-4.57 Fine, revocation, suspension, termination, denial of registration, renewal of registration, or restoration of registration. In addition to any other actions authorized by law, the director may fine any agency, revoke or terminate any registration, suspend the right of the registrant to use the registration, or refuse to renew or restore a registration for any cause authorized by law, including but not limited to the following:
(1) Dishonesty, deceit, fraud, or gross negligence in conducting business as a collection
(2) Advertising by means of false and deceptive statements or by statements which tend to deceive or defraud;
(3) Advertising or acting as a collection agency without a current and active certificate of registration issued under this chapter;
(4) Violation of any provision of this chapter or the rules adopted pursuant thereto;
(5) Commingling of clients' funds or other property;
(7) Failure to notify the director in writing of any material change in information; and
(8) Providing false or misleading information at the time of application or during the time of registration.
[Â§443B-4.63] Furnishing deceptive forms. It is unlawful for any person who is not a registered collection agency to design, compile, or furnish any form knowing that the form could be used to create a belief in a debtor that the person who designed, compiled or furnished the form is a collection agency.
[Â§443B-6] Place of business; principal collector. (a) A collection agency shall have andmaintain a regular active business office in the State for the purpose of conducting collection agency business. The business office shall be open to the public during stated reasonable business hours. (b) Every collection agency shall designate a principal collector to assume responsibility for the direct management and control of the daily operation of the office.
(b) A collection agency shall not commingle the money of its clients with its own, but shall maintain a separate trust account for clients' funds in a federally insured financial institution.
Â§443B-9 Collection, attorney's, or commission fees; exception. (a) A collection agency shall not collect, or attempt to collect, any collection fee or attorney's fee or commission from any debtor; provided that an attorney's fee or commission may be collected after filing of a suit against any debtor and the fee or commission shall not be in excess of twenty-five per cent of the unpaid principal balance. All attorney's fees or commissions collected by a collection agency shall be remitted to the attorney and no portion of the collection shall be retained by the collection agency. (b) This section shall not prohibit a collection agency from collecting, or attempting to
collect, from a debtor, a commission authorized under a contract with the University of Hawaii pursuant to section 304-93(b), or a contract with the department of taxation pursuant to sections 231-13 and231-26.
Â§443B-15 Threats or coercion. No collection agency shall collect or attempt to collect any money or other forms of indebtedness alleged to be due and owing by means of any threat, coercion, or attempt to coerce, including any conduct which is described as follows: (1) The use, or express or implicit threat of use, of violence or other criminal means to cause harm to the person, reputation, or property of any person; (2) The accusation or threat to falsely accuse any person of fraud or any crime or any conduct which, if true, would tend to disgrace the other person or in any way subject a person to ridicule or any conduct which, if true, would tend to disgrace the other person
or in any way subject a person to the ridicule or contempt of society; (3) False accusations made to another person, including any credit reporting agency that a debtor or an alleged debtor has not paid a just debt, or threat to so make false accusations; (4) The threat to sell or assign to another the obligation of a debtor or an alleged debtor
with an attending representation or implication that the result of the sale or assignment would be that the debtor or alleged debtor would lose any defense to the claim or would be subjected to harsh, vindictive, or abusive collection attempts; and (5) The threat that nonpayment of an alleged claim will result in the arrest of any person.
[Â§443B-16] Harassment and abuse. No collection agency shall oppress, harass, or abuse any person in connection with the collection of or attempt to collect any claim alleged to be due and owing by that person or another in any of the following ways: (1) The use of profane or obscene language that is intended to abuse the hearer or reader; (2) The placement of telephone calls without disclosure of the caller's identity or with the
intent to harass, or threaten any person at the called number; and (3) Causing expense to any person in the form of long distance telephone tolls, telegram fees, or other charge incurred by a medium of communication, by concealment of the true purpose of the notice, letter, message, or communication.
[Â§443B-17] Unreasonable publication. No collection agency shall unreasonably publicize information relating to any alleged indebtedness or debtor, in any of the following ways:
(1) The disclosure, publication, or communication of any false information relating to the
indebtedness of a debtor or alleged debtor to any employer or the employer's agent;
(2) The disclosure, publication, or communication of false information relating to the
indebtedness of a debtor or alleged debtor to any relative or family member of the
debtor or alleged debtor;
(3) The disclosure, publication, or communication of any information by a collection agency relating to the indebtedness of a debtor or alleged debtor by publishing or posting any list of debtors, except for the publication of "stop lists" to point-of-sale locations where credit is extended, or by advertising for sale any claim to enforce payment thereof or in any other manner other than through proper legal action, process, or proceeding; and
(4) The use of any form of communication by a collection agency to the debtor or alleged
debtor, which ordinarily may be seen by any other person, that displays or conveys any
information about the alleged claim other than the name, address, and phone number of
Â§443B-18 Fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading repre sentations. No collection agency shall use any fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading representation or means to collect, or attempt to collect, claims or to obtain information concerning a debtor or alleged debtor, including any conduct which is described as follows:
(1) The use of any company name while engaged in the collection of claims other than the true name of the collection agency;
(2) The failure to disclose clearly:
(A) In the initial written and initial oral communication made to collect, or attempt to collect, a claim or to obtain, or attempt to obtain, information about a debtor or alleged debtor that the collection agency is attempting to collect a claim and that any information obtained will be used for that purpose; and (B) In subsequent communications that the communication is from a debt collector; provided that this paragraph shall not apply to a formal pleading made in connection with a legal action;
(3) Any false representation that the collection agency has in its possession information or something of value for the debtor or alleged debtor that is made to solicit or discover information about the debtor or alleged debtor;
(4) The failure to disclose clearly the name and full business address of the person to whom the claim has been assigned for collection or to whom the claim is owed at the time of making any demand for money;
(5) Any false representation or implication of the character, extent, or amount of a claim against a debtor or alleged debtor, or of its status in any legal proceeding;
(6) Any false representation or false impression that any collection agency is vouched for, bonded by, affiliated with, or an instrumentality, agent, or official of, this State or any agency of federal, state, or local government;
(8) Any representation that an existing obligation of the debtor or alleged debtor may be increased by the addition of attorney's fees, investigation fees, service fees, and any other fees or charges when in fact the fees or charges may not legally be added to the existing obligations; or
(9) Any false representation or false impression about the status or true nature of, or the services rendered by, the collection agency or its business.
[Â§443B-19] Unfair or unconscionable means. No collection agency shall use unfair or unconscionable means to collect or attempt to collect any claim in any of the following ways:
(1) The seeking or obtaining of any written statement or acknowledgment in any form that a debtor or alleged debtor's obligation is one incurred for necessities of life where the original obligation was not in fact incurred for these necessities;
(2) The seeking or obtaining of any written statement or acknowledgment in any form containing an affirmation of any obligation by a debtor or alleged debtor who has been declared bankrupt, without clearly disclosing the nature and consequences of the affirmation and the fact that the debtor or alleged debtor is not legally obligated to make
the affirmation;
(3) The collection of or the attempt to collect from a debtor or alleged debtor all or any part of the collection agency's fees or charges for services rendered;
(4) The collection of or the attempt to collect any interest or other charge, fee, or expense incidental to the principal obligation unless the interest or incidental fee, charge, or expense is expressly authorized by the agreement creating the obligation and legally chargeable to the debtor or alleged debtor; or unless the interest or incidental fee, charge, or expense is expressly authorized by law; and
(5) Any communication with a debtor or alleged debtor whenever it appears that the debtor or alleged debtor is represented by an attorney and the attorney's name and address are known.
[Â§443B-20] Unfair competition, unfair or deceptive acts or practices. A violation of this chapter by a collection agency shall constitute unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce for the purpose of section 480-2.
Hawaii's published code: http://www.hawaii.gov/dcca/pdf/hrs_pvl_443b.pdf