reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
WI Stat § 422.411 (2021)
2021 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations|Chapter 422 - Consumer credit transactions.|422.411 - Attorney fees.

422.411  Attorney fees. (1) Except as provided in subs. (2) and (2m), with respect to a consumer credit transaction no term of a writing may provide for the payment by the customer of attorney fees. (2) With respect to a consumer transaction in which credit is extended for the purpose of acquiring or refinancing the acquisition of residential real property, which is secured by a first lien or purchase money mortgage or equivalent security interest on such property, and on which the annual percentage rate disclosed pursuant to subch. III is 12 percent or less, the creditor may contract for the customer's payment of reasonable attorney fees actually incurred by the creditor, but the customer shall be liable for such fees only to the extent:(a) Such fees are payable to a licensed attorney who is not an employee of the creditor; and(b) Such fees do not exceed 5 percent of the amount of the judgment entered against the customer, or $100 in the event no judgment is so entered and the dispute is settled prior to judgment. (2m) A lender licensed under s. 138.09 may contract for the customer's payment of reasonable attorney fees actually incurred by the licensed lender to foreclose a mortgage or equivalent security interest in residential real property, but the customer is liable for attorney fees only if all of the following conditions are satisfied:(a) The fees are payable to a licensed attorney who is not an employee of the licensed lender.(b) The fees do not exceed 5 percent of the amount of the judgment entered against the customer, or $100 in the event a judgment is not entered and the dispute is settled before judgment. (3) Taking or arranging for the customer to sign an instrument in violation of this section is subject to s. 425.304.History:  1971 c. 239; 1973 c. 3; 1993 a. 368, 490; 1997 a. 302.Legislative Council Note, 1973: Broadens the range of residential real estate transactions in which the limited amount of attorney fees allowed by the Wisconsin consumer act can be contracted for. The amendment's effect is to allow all first lien and purchase money creditors, and creditors refinancing a first lien or purchase money transaction, to contract for attorney fees. As the section now reads, only purchase money first mortgagees may contract for them. As amended, all such creditors will be treated in an equal manner. [Bill 432-A]
WI Stat § 422.412 (2021)
2021 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations|Chapter 422 - Consumer credit transactions.|422.412 - Restriction on liability in consumer lease.

422.412  Restriction on liability in consumer lease. In a consumer lease, the obligation of a customer upon expiration of the lease may not exceed the average payment allocable to a monthly period under the lease. This limitation does not apply to charges for damages to the leased property occasioned by other than normal use or for other default.History:  1971 c. 239; 1997 a. 302.
WI Stat § 422.414 (2021)
2021 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations|Chapter 422 - Consumer credit transactions.|422.414 - Use of multiple agreements.

422.414  Use of multiple agreements. (1) No creditor shall divide or otherwise encourage the customer or customers to become obligated at the same time on more than one consumer loan, more than one consumer credit sale, or one or more interlocking consumer loans (s. 422.408) and consumer credit sale for the purpose of obtaining a higher rate of finance charge than would otherwise be permitted under chs. 421 to 427. (2) Multiple agreements which arise out of substantially the same transaction shall be presumed to be in violation of this section. (3) A violation of this section is subject to s. 425.305.History:  1971 c. 239; 1979 c. 89.
WI Stat § 422.415 (2021)
2021 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations|Chapter 422 - Consumer credit transactions.|422.415 - Changes in open-end credit terms.

422.415  Changes in open-end credit terms. (1) Except as provided in sub. (2), no creditor shall make any change in the terms of open-end credit plans that is adverse to the interests of the customer with respect to any outstanding balances or that imposes or alters a charge permitted under s. 422.202 (2m). For the purposes of this section, a change shall be presumed to be adverse if the result thereof is to increase the rate of the finance charge or the amount of the periodic payment due. Outstanding balances shall be determined on the assumption that all payments shall be credited first to any finance charges that may be due and then to the payment of debts in the order in which the entries to the account showing the debts were made. (2) A change that is adverse to the interests of the customer with respect to outstanding balances or that imposes or alters a charge permitted under s. 422.202 (2m) may be made if any of the following conditions is met:(a) The change is required by legislation, regulations or administrative rules becoming effective after the date of the agreement with the customer and the creditor has mailed or delivered to the customer written notice disclosing such proposed change not less than 3 months prior to the effective date of such change or such lesser period of time as may be available before such change is required to be made.(b) The change is made within 3 months of March 1, 1973 or within 3 months after the repeal or expiration of any federal legislation, administrative order, rule, guideline or regulation, the purpose of which was to limit or freeze finance charges or other charges, in effect on March 1, 1973, whichever is later.(c) The creditor mails or otherwise delivers to the customer a written disclosure of the proposed change not less than 90 days prior to the effective date of such change.(d) The customer agrees in writing to a change other than a change made to apply a finance charge permitted by the treatment of s. 422.201 (2) by chapter 168, laws of 1979, to a balance outstanding on April 6, 1980. (3) No term of a writing executed by the customer shall constitute authorization for a creditor to unilaterally make changes in the terms of the credit plan, which are otherwise prohibited by this section. (4) A violation of this section is subject to s. 425.304.History:  1971 c. 239; 1979 c. 168; 1981 c. 45 s. 51; 1993 a. 150; 1995 a. 328.
WI Stat § 422.4155 (2021)
2021 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations|Chapter 422 - Consumer credit transactions.|422.4155 - Notice of termination of liability.

422.4155  Notice of termination of liability. (1) In an open-end credit plan in which more than one person may be obligated for extensions of credit, any person may terminate his or her liability for future extensions of credit under the plan by giving written notice to the creditor of the person's termination of liability. The person's liability for future extensions of credit under the plan shall continue as to loans extended to, or purchases made by, any other person under the plan for 15 business days after the creditor's receipt of the termination notice. The terminating person's liability may not exceed the greater of the requested and contracted for credit limit under the plan or the balance outstanding under the plan on the receipt of the termination notice plus $500. (2) Notwithstanding sub. (1), a person remains liable for loans extended to, or purchases made by, the person after giving the termination notice.History:  1981 c. 45.
WI Stat § 422.416 (2021)
2021 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations|Chapter 422 - Consumer credit transactions.|422.416 - Referral transactions prohibited.

422.416  Referral transactions prohibited. (1) With respect to a consumer transaction no merchant shall give or offer to give a rebate or discount or otherwise pay or offer to pay value to the customer as an inducement for a consumer transaction in consideration of the customer's giving to the creditor the names of prospective customers, or otherwise aiding the creditor in entering into a transaction with another customer or, without being limited by any of the foregoing, performing any other act or the occurrence of any other event, if the earning of the rebate, discount or other value is contingent upon the occurrence of an event subsequent to the time the customer enters into the agreement. (2) A violation of this section is subject to s. 425.305.History:  1971 c. 239; 1991 a. 316.
WI Stat § 422.417 (2021)
2021 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations|Chapter 422 - Consumer credit transactions.|422.417 - Restrictions on security interests.

422.417  Restrictions on security interests. (1) With respect to a consumer credit sale a seller may take a security interest only in:(a) The property sold;(b) Goods upon which the property sold is installed or to which it is annexed, or goods upon which the services sold are performed, if the obligation secured is $500 or more;(c) Real property to which the property sold is affixed, or which is maintained, repaired or improved as a result of the sale of the property or services, if the obligation secured is $1,000 or more; and(d) Goods of the consumer which were the subject of a prior transaction with the seller which is consolidated (s. 422.206) with the consumer credit sale, or if the consumer credit sale is made pursuant to an open-end credit plan, goods previously purchased by the consumer pursuant to the plan, subject however to s. 422.418. (2) With respect to a consumer lease, except as otherwise provided in s. 429.205 with respect to a motor vehicle consumer lease, a lessor may not take a security interest in any property owned or leased by the customer other than the leased goods to secure the lessor's obligations under the lease. This subsection does not prohibit a security interest in a cash security deposit for a consumer lease of motor vehicles. (3) With respect to a consumer loan, in addition to the limitations on security interests required by 12 CFR 227.13 (d), 12 CFR 535.2 (a) (4) or 16 CFR 444.2 (a) 4, if any, a lender may not take a security interest, other than a purchase money security interest, in:(a) Clothing of the customer and the customer's dependents and the following, if they are not fixtures: dining table and chairs, refrigerator, heating stove, cooking stove, radio, beds and bedding, couch and chairs, cooking utensils and kitchenware; or(b) Real property if the obligation secured is less than $1,000. (4) A violation of this section is subject to s. 425.304.History:  1971 c. 239; 1973 c. 3; 1975 c. 406, 407, 421; 1981 c. 20, 391; 1985 a. 256; 1989 a. 359; 1991 a. 316; 1995 a. 329; 1997 a. 302.
WI Stat § 422.418 (2021)
2021 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations|Chapter 422 - Consumer credit transactions.|422.418 - Security interests: consolidations; open-end credit plans.

422.418  Security interests: consolidations; open-end credit plans. (1) The parties may agree in a consolidation agreement under s. 422.206 that the creditor may secure the consolidated obligation by a security interest in property in which the creditor has an existing security interest as a result of the prior transaction which is one of those agreed to become consolidated. (2) For the purpose of determining the extent to which a consolidated obligation is secured after a consolidation of consumer sales, and after a consolidation of consumer loans in which one or more of the loans consolidated is secured by a purchase money security interest in property of the type described in s. 422.417 (3) (a), payments received by the creditor after a consolidation agreement are deemed to have been first applied to the payment of obligations arising from the transactions first made. To the extent that obligations are paid pursuant to this section, security interests in items of property terminate as the obligation originally incurred with respect to each item is paid. (3) Payments received by the creditor upon an open-end credit plan are deemed, for the purpose of determining the amount of the unpaid balance secured by the various security interests, to have been applied first to the payment of finance charges in the order of their entry to the account, and then to the payment of the respective amounts financed in the order in which the entries to the account were made. (4) If obligations consolidated or financed pursuant to an open-end credit plan arise from 2 or more transactions made on the same day, payments received by the creditor are deemed, for the purpose of determining the amount of the obligation secured by the various security interests, to have been applied first to the payment of the smallest obligation.History:  1971 c. 239; 1973 c. 3; 1997 a. 302.
WI Stat § 422.419 (2021)
2021 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations|Chapter 422 - Consumer credit transactions.|422.419 - Waivers prohibited.

422.419  Waivers prohibited. (1) No contract evidencing a consumer credit transaction may contain any provision by which:(a) The merchant or other person acting on the merchant's behalf is given authority to enter the customer's dwelling or to commit any breach of the peace in the course of taking possession of collateral securing the transaction;(b) The customer waives any right of action against the merchant, or other person acting on the merchant's behalf, for any breach of the peace or other illegal act committed in the course of taking possession of such collateral; or(c) The customer executes a power of attorney or similar instrument appointing the merchant, or other person acting on the merchant's behalf, as the customer's agent in the taking of possession of such collateral. (2) A violation of this section is subject to s. 425.304.History:  1971 c. 239; 1991 a. 316.
WI Stat § 422.420 (2021)
2021 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations|Chapter 422 - Consumer credit transactions.|422.420 - Cosigner charges.

422.420  Cosigner charges. No term of a writing signed by a cosigner and made pursuant to a consumer credit transaction may: (1) Provide for payment by the cosigner of any fees or charges which could not be imposed upon the customer as part of the transaction; or (2) Operate to remove from the cosigner any rights or protections given the customer under chs. 421 to 427.History:  1973 c. 3.
WI Stat § 422.422 (2021)
2021 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations|Chapter 422 - Consumer credit transactions.|422.422 - Cash discounts.

422.422  Cash discounts. No credit card issuer may, by contract or otherwise, prohibit a merchant from offering a discount to a customer to induce the customer to pay by cash, check, or similar means, rather than by use of a credit card or its underlying account, for the purchase of goods or services.History:  2005 a. 84.
WI Stat § 422.501 (2021)
2021 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations|Chapter 422 - Consumer credit transactions.|422.501 - Definitions.

422.501  Definitions. In this subchapter: (1) “Buyer" means a natural person or customer who is solicited to purchase or who purchases the services of a credit services organization. (1m) “Consumer reporting agency" has the meaning given in 15 USC 1681a (f). (2) (a) “Credit services organization" means a person or merchant who, with respect to the extension of credit by others, sells, provides or performs, or represents that the person will sell, provide or perform, any of the following services in return for the payment of money or for other valuable consideration:1. Improving a buyer's credit record, credit history or credit rating.2. Arranging for or obtaining an extension of credit for a buyer.3. Providing advice or assistance to a buyer with regard to subd. 1. or 2.(b) “Credit services organization" does not include any of the following:1. A person organized, chartered or holding a license or authorization certificate to make loans or extensions of credit pursuant to the laws of this state or the United States and who is subject to regulation and supervision by an official or agency of this state or the United States.2. A bank or savings and loan association whose deposits or accounts are insured by the federal deposit insurance corporation, or a credit union whose deposits or accounts are insured by the national credit union administration.3. A nonprofit organization described under section 501 (c) (3) of the internal revenue code and exempt from taxation under section 501 (a) of the internal revenue code.4. A person licensed as an adjustment service company under s. 218.02 if the person is acting within the course and scope of that license.5. A person licensed as a real estate broker or salesperson under ch. 452 if the person is acting within the course and scope of that license.6. A person licensed to practice law in this state if the person is rendering services within the course and scope of his or her practice as an attorney at law.7. A broker-dealer or agent registered under s. 551.406 if the broker-dealer or agent is acting within the course and scope of that license.8. A person licensed as a mortgage banker, mortgage loan originator, or mortgage broker under s. 224.72 or 224.725 if the person is acting within the course and scope of the license.9. A consumer reporting agency, if the consumer reporting agency is acting within the scope of assembling or evaluating consumer credit information on consumers for the purpose of furnishing consumer reports, as defined in 15 USC 1681a (d), to 3rd parties. (3) “Extension of credit" means the right to defer payment of debt or to incur debt and defer its payment, that is offered or granted for debt that is incurred primarily for personal, family or household purposes.History:  1991 a. 244; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 145, 302; 2007 a. 196; 2009 a. 2.
WI Stat § 422.502 (2021)
2021 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations|Chapter 422 - Consumer credit transactions.|422.502 - Registration requirements.

422.502  Registration requirements. (1) A person may not act as a credit services organization unless the person has been issued a certificate of registration from the administrator and the person has complied with the bond or letter of credit requirements under sub. (3). (2) A person desiring to act as a credit services organization shall apply to the administrator for a certificate of registration on a form prescribed by the administrator and shall pay the administrator a registration fee of $100. (3) (a) A person desiring to act as a credit services organization shall obtain a surety bond that is issued by a surety company admitted to do business in this state or an irrevocable letter of credit from a federally insured bank or savings and loan association located in this state. The bond or letter of credit shall be in an amount equal to $25,000.(b) The credit services organization shall file a copy of the bond or letter of credit with the administrator.(c) The bond or letter of credit shall be in favor of this state for the benefit of any person who is damaged by a violation of this subchapter. The bond or letter of credit shall also be in favor of any person damaged by a violation of this subchapter.(d) A person claiming against the bond or letter of credit for a violation of this subchapter may maintain an action at law against the credit services organization and against the surety or financial institution. The surety or financial institution may be liable only for actual damages and not for punitive damages. The aggregate liability of the surety or financial institution to all persons damaged by a credit services organization's violation of this subchapter may not exceed the amount of the bond or letter of credit. (4) A certificate of registration as a credit services organization expires on December 1 of the even-numbered year after issuance. A credit services organization may renew a certificate of registration by submitting to the administrator a renewal application and a $100 renewal fee on or before the expiration date of the existing certificate of registration. A credit services organization shall refile a bond or letter of credit that satisfies sub. (3) as part of the renewal application.History:  1991 a. 244; 1999 a. 85.
WI Stat § 422.503 (2021)
2021 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations|Chapter 422 - Consumer credit transactions.|422.503 - Prohibited activities.

422.503  Prohibited activities. (1) A credit services organization, and its salespersons, agents and representatives who offer or sell the services of the credit services organization, may not do any of the following:(a) Charge or receive any money or other valuable consideration solely for referral of the buyer to a merchant who will or may extend credit to the buyer, if the credit extended to the buyer is upon substantially the same terms as is credit that is available to the general public.(b) Make, or counsel or advise any buyer to make, any statement which is untrue or misleading and which is known, or which by the exercise of reasonable care should be known, to be untrue or misleading, to a consumer reporting agency or to any person who has extended credit to a buyer or to whom a buyer is applying for an extension of credit, with respect to a buyer's credit worthiness, credit standing or credit capacity.(c) Make or use any untrue or misleading representations in the offer or sale of the services of the credit services organization or engage, directly or indirectly, in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deception upon any person in connection with the offer or sale of the services of a credit services organization. (2) A violation of this section is subject to s. 425.305.History:  1991 a. 244.
WI Stat § 422.504 (2021)
2021 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations|Chapter 422 - Consumer credit transactions.|422.504 - Information statement.

422.504  Information statement. (1) Before the execution of a contract or agreement between the buyer and a credit services organization or before the credit services organization receives from the buyer any money or other valuable consideration, the credit services organization shall provide the buyer a written statement that includes all of the information required under sub. (2). The credit services organization shall maintain for a period of 2 years an exact copy of the statement that is signed by the buyer to acknowledge receipt of the statement. (2) The information statement under sub. (1) shall include all of the following information:(a) Notice of the buyer's right to review any file on the buyer maintained by a consumer reporting agency; the buyer's right to obtain a copy of that file; the approximate price the buyer may be charged by the consumer reporting agency for a copy of the file; and the buyer's right to obtain a copy of the buyer's file free of charge from the consumer reporting agency if the buyer requests the copy within 30 days after the buyer receives notice of a denial of credit.(b) Notice of the buyer's right to dispute the completeness or accuracy of any item contained in any file on the buyer maintained by a consumer reporting agency.(c) A description of the services to be performed by the credit services organization for or on behalf of the buyer and the total amount the buyer will be charged for the services.(d) Notice of the buyer's right to proceed against the bond or letter of credit obtained by the credit services organization, a description of procedures that the buyer is to follow to proceed against the bond or letter of credit, and the name and address of the surety company that issued the bond or the name and address of the financial institution that issued the letter of credit. (3) A violation of this section is subject to s. 425.305.History:  1991 a. 244.