Section 58-15-34 - Payday loan products; prohibited acts.

58-15-34. Payday loan products; prohibited acts.

A licensee shall not:  

A.     enter into an agreement for a renewed payday loan or otherwise refinance or extend the term of a payday loan;  

B.     enter into an agreement for a payday loan with a consumer who is participating in a payment plan pursuant to Section 58-15-35 NMSA 1978;  

C.     threaten or intimidate a consumer or threaten to use or request the use of criminal process in this or another state to collect on a payday loan product;  

D.     use a device or agreement that would have the effect of charging or collecting more fees, charges or interest than that allowed by law by entering into a different type of transaction with the consumer that has that effect;  

E.     require a consumer to enter into a new payday loan to pay an existing payday loan in whole or in part when the existing loan is eligible for a payment plan pursuant to Section 58-15-35 NMSA 1978;  

F.     charge a fee to cash a check representing the proceeds of a payday loan product;  

G.     charge a late fee or delinquency charge if a consumer fails to repay a payday loan product on time;  

H.     assign or attempt to assign a consumer's personal check to a third party unless for collection purposes;  

I.     use or attempt to use the check written by the consumer for a payday loan product as collateral for purposes other than repaying that payday loan product;  

J.     require a consumer to provide multiple checks or multiple debt authorizations;  

K.     accept collateral for a payday loan product other than the consumer's check or debit authorization or require a consumer to provide a guaranty from another person for a payday loan product;  

L.     include any of the following provisions in a payday loan product agreement:

(1)     a hold harmless clause; 

(2)     a confession of judgment clause or power of attorney;

(3)     an assignment of or order for payment of wages or other compensation for services; 

(4)     a waiver of claims for punitive damages; 

(5)     a provision in which the consumer agrees not to assert a claim or defense arising out of the contract;  

(6)     a waiver of a provision of the New Mexico Small Loan Act of 1955 [58-15-31 NMSA 1978]; 

(7)     a waiver of the right to enter into a payment plan pursuant to Section 58-15-35 NMSA 1978; or 

(8)     a waiver of any rights secured by New Mexico law;  

M.     make a payday loan product contingent on the purchase of insurance or other goods or services;  

N.     take a check, instrument or form in which blanks are left to be filled in after execution of the check, instrument or form;   

O.     offer, arrange, act as an agent for or assist a third party in any way in the making of a payday loan product unless the third party complies with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations;  

P.     knowingly enter into a payday loan product with a consumer who lacks the capacity to consent; or  

Q.     use an agency agreement or partnership agreement as a scheme or contrivance to circumvent the application of the provisions of the New Mexico Small Loan Act of 1955 to a consumer's payday loan product.  For the purposes of this subsection: 

(1)     "agency agreement" means any agreement between in-state entities and a banking corporation, savings and loan association or credit union operating under the laws of the United States or of any state whereby the in-state agent holds a predominant economic interest in the revenues generated by a payday loan made to New Mexico residents; and 

(2)     "partnership agreement" means any agreement between in-state entities and a banking corporation, savings and loan association or credit union operating under the laws of the United States or of any state whereby the in-state partner holds a predominant economic interest in the revenues generated by a payday loan made to New Mexico residents.