5 DE Code § 2224. (2021)
2021 Delaware Code|Title 5 - Banking|Chapter 22. Licensed Lenders|Subchapter II. Revolving Credit|§ 2224. Amendment of agreement.

§ 2224. Amendment of agreement. (a) Unless the agreement governing a revolving credit plan otherwise provides, a licensee may at any time and from time to time amend such agreement in any respect, whether or not the amendment or the subject of the amendment was originally contemplated or addressed by the parties or is integral to the relationship between the parties. Without limiting the foregoing, such amendment may change terms by the addition of new terms or by the deletion or modification of existing terms, whether relating to plan benefits or features, the rate or rates of periodic interest, the manner of calculating periodic interest or outstanding unpaid indebtedness, variable schedules or formulas, interest charges, fees, collateral requirements, methods for obtaining or repaying extensions of credit, attorney's fees, plan termination, the manner for amending the terms of the agreement, arbitration or other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, or other matters of any kind whatsoever. Unless the agreement governing a revolving credit plan otherwise expressly provides, any amendment may, on and after the date upon which it becomes effective as to a particular borrower, apply to all then outstanding unpaid indebtedness in the borrower's account under the plan, including any such indebtedness that arose prior to the effective date of the amendment. An agreement governing a revolving credit plan may be amended pursuant to this section regardless of whether the plan is active or inactive or whether additional borrowings are available thereunder. Any amendment that does not increase the rate or rates of periodic interest charged by a licensee to a borrower under § 2216 or § 2217 of this title shall become effective as determined by the licensee, subject to compliance by the licensee with any applicable notice requirements under the Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 1601 et seq.), and the regulations promulgated thereunder, as in effect from time to time. Any notice of an amendment sent by the licensee may be included in the same envelope with a periodic statement or as part of the periodic statement or in other materials sent to the borrower. (b) (1) If an amendment increases the rate or rates of periodic interest charged by a licensee to a borrower under § 2216 or § 2217 of this title, the licensee shall mail or deliver to the borrower, at least 15 days before the effective date of the amendment, a clear and conspicuous written notice that shall describe the amendment and shall also set forth the effective date thereof and any applicable information required to be disclosed pursuant to the following provisions of this section. (2) Any amendment that increases the rate or rates of periodic interest charged by a licensee to a borrower under § 2216 or § 2217 of this title shall become effective as to a particular borrower if the borrower does not, within 15 days of the earlier of the mailing or delivery of the written notice of the amendment (or such longer period as may be established by the licensee), furnish written notice to the licensee that the borrower does not agree to accept such amendment. The notice from the licensee shall set forth the address to which a borrower may send notice of the borrower's election not to accept the amendment and shall include a statement that, absent the furnishing of notice to the licensee of nonacceptance within the referenced 15 day (or longer) time period, the amendment will become effective and apply to such borrower. As a condition to the effectiveness of any notice that a borrower does not accept such amendment, the licensee may require the borrower to return to it all credit devices. If, after 15 days from the mailing or delivery by the licensee of a notice of an amendment (or such longer period as may have been established by the licensee as referenced above), a borrower uses a plan by making a purchase or obtaining a loan, notwithstanding that the borrower has prior to such use furnished the licensee notice that the borrower does not accept an amendment, the amendment may be deemed by the licensee to have been accepted and may become effective as to the borrower as of the date that such amendment would have become effective but for the furnishing of notice by the borrower (or as of any later date selected by the licensee). (3) Any amendment that increases the rate or rates of periodic interest charged by a licensee to a borrower under § 2216 or § 2217 of this title may, in lieu of the procedure referenced in paragraph (2) of this subsection, become effective as to a particular borrower if the borrower uses the plan after a date specified in the written notice of the amendment that is at least 15 days after the mailing or delivery of the notice (but that need not be the date the amendment becomes effective) by making a purchase or obtaining a loan; provided, that the notice from the licensee includes a statement that the described usage after the referenced date will constitute the borrower's acceptance of the amendment. (4) Any borrower who furnishes timely notice electing not to accept an amendment in accordance with the procedures referenced in paragraph (2) of this subsection and who does not subsequently use the plan, or who fails to use such borrower's plan as referenced in paragraph (3) of this subsection, shall be permitted to pay the outstanding unpaid indebtedness in such borrower's account under the plan in accordance with the rate or rates of periodic interest charged by a licensee to a borrower under § 2216 or § 2217 of this title without giving effect to the amendment; provided however, that the licensee may convert the borrower's account to a closed end credit account as governed by subchapter III of this chapter, on credit terms substantially similar to those set forth in the then-existing agreement governing the borrower's plan. (5) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this subsection, no notice required by this subsection of an amendment of an agreement governing a revolving credit plan shall be required, and any amendment may become effective as of any date agreed upon between a licensee and a borrower, with respect to any amendment that is agreed upon between the licensee and the borrower, either orally or in writing. (c) For purposes of this section, the following are examples of amendments that shall not be deemed to increase the rate or rates of periodic interest charged by a licensee to a borrower under § 2216 or § 2217 of this title:  (1) A decrease or increase in the required number or amount of periodic installment payments; (2) Any change to a plan that increases the rate or rates in effect immediately prior to the change by less than ¼ of 1 percentage point per annum; provided that a licensee may not make more than 1 such change in reliance on this paragraph with respect to a plan within any 12-month period; (3) a. A change in the schedule or formula used under a variable rate plan under § 2217 of this title that varies the determination date of the applicable rate, the time period for which the applicable rate will apply or the effective date of any variation of the rate, or any other similar change, or b. Any other change in the schedule or formula used under a variable rate plan under § 2217 of this title; provided that the initial interest rate that would result from any such change under this paragraph (3), as determined on the effective date of the change or, if notice of the change is mailed or delivered to the borrower prior to the effective date, as of any date within 60 days before mailing or delivery of such notice, will not be an increase from the rate in effect on such date under the existing schedule or formula; (4) A change from a variable rate plan to a fixed rate, or from a fixed rate to a variable rate plan so long as the initial rate that would result from such a change, as determined on the effective date of the change, or if the notice of the change is mailed or delivered to the borrower prior to the effective date, as of any date within 60 days before mailing or delivery of such notice, will not be an increase from the rate in effect on such date under the existing plan; (5) A change from a daily periodic rate to a periodic rate other than daily or from a periodic rate other than daily to a daily periodic rate; and (6) A change in the method of determining the outstanding unpaid indebtedness upon which periodic interest is calculated (including, without limitation, a change with respect to the date by which or the time period within which a new balance or any portion thereof must be paid to avoid additional periodic interest).66 Del. Laws, c. 22, §  1;  66 Del. Laws, c. 403, §  3;  70 Del. Laws, c. 217, §  2;  71 Del. Laws, c. 19, §  69;  72 Del. Laws, c. 15, §§  34, 35;