422.204 AnnotationLegislative Council Note, 1973: Clarifies the meaning of ss. 422.204 (5) and (6). The reference in sub. (5) to “partial payment” is phrased in a manner which infers that part of an installment cannot be deferred. However, this is not the case; see s. 422.204 (1) (intro.), which clearly allows the deferment of part of an installment. This change also has a minor substantive effect—the deferral charge on the deferment of part of an installment will always have to be calculated using the rate of finance charge previously disclosed to the buyer [s. 422.204 (1) (b)], rather than possibly refunding the partial payment and calculating the deferral charge using the “unit” method [s. 422.204 (1) (a)] if the transaction otherwise qualifies for such treatment.
422.204 AnnotationThe cross-reference language added in sub. (6) has the effect of specifying with greater exactitude those additional charges allowable in a deferral situation. [Bill 432-A]
422.205422.205 Finance charge on refinancing. 422.205(1)(1) With respect to a consumer credit transaction other than one pursuant to an open-end credit plan, the merchant may by agreement with the customer refinance the unpaid balance and may bargain for and receive a finance charge based on the amount financed resulting from the refinancing at a rate not exceeding that permitted in s. 422.201. 422.205(2)(2) For the purpose of determining the finance charge permitted in refinancing, the amount financed resulting from the refinancing shall constitute the total of the following: 422.205(2)(a)(a) The amount which the customer would have been required to pay upon prepayment pursuant to the provisions on rebate upon prepayment under s. 422.209 on the date of refinancing, except that for the purpose of computing this amount no minimum finance charge under s. 422.201 (9) shall be allowed; and 422.205(2)(b)(b) Appropriate additional charges under s. 422.202, included for the period of refinancing. 422.205(3)(3) The maximum period for payments resulting from refinancing under this section shall not exceed the periods provided in s. 422.403 commencing with the date of refinancing, but the outstanding balances for the purposes of that section shall be based on the amount financed resulting from such refinancing. 422.205 HistoryHistory: 1971 c. 239; 1979 c. 10 s. 24. 422.206422.206 Finance charge on consolidation. 422.206(1)(1) If a customer owes an unpaid balance to a creditor with respect to a consumer credit transaction and becomes obligated on another consumer credit transaction or desires to enter into another consumer credit transaction with the same creditor, the parties may agree to a consolidation resulting in a single schedule of payments. 422.206(2)(2) The unpaid balance with respect to the previous transaction shall be determined under s. 422.205 and the amount financed resulting therefrom shall be consolidated by adding to it the amount financed with respect to the subsequent transaction. The creditor may contract for and receive a finance charge based on the aggregate amount financed resulting from consolidation at a rate not exceeding that permitted by s. 422.201. 422.206(3)(3) The maximum period for payments resulting from consolidation under this section shall not exceed the periods provided for in s. 422.403 commencing with the date of consolidation but the outstanding balances for the purposes of that section shall be based on the amount of the consolidated outstanding balance. 422.206 HistoryHistory: 1971 c. 239. 422.207422.207 Advances to perform agreements of customer. 422.207(1)(1) With respect to a consumer credit transaction the parties may, to the extent not prohibited by chs. 421 to 427 and 429, agree that the customer will perform certain duties with respect to preserving or insuring collateral or goods subject to a motor vehicle consumer lease, if such duties are reasonable in relation to the risk of loss of or damage to the collateral or goods. If the customer fails to so perform the creditor may, if authorized by the agreement, pay for the performance of such duties on behalf of the customer. The amount paid may be added to the unpaid balance of the customer’s obligation, if, in the absence of performance, the merchant has made all expenditures on behalf of the customer in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner and the merchant has given the customer written notice of the nonperformance and reasonable opportunity after such notice to so perform. 422.207(2)(2) Within a reasonable time after advancing any sums pursuant to sub. (1), the merchant shall state to the customer in writing the amount of the sums advanced, any charges with respect to this amount and any revised payment schedule and, if the duties of the customer performed by the merchant pertain to insurance, a brief description of the insurance paid for including the type and amount of coverages. 422.207(3)(3) A finance charge may be made for sums advanced pursuant to sub. (1) at a rate not exceeding the rate stated to the customer pursuant to the provisions on disclosure in subch. III, or if no disclosure is required then at the annual rate of finance charge assessed on that transaction. With respect to an open-end credit plan the amount of the advance may be added to the unpaid balance of the account and the merchant may make a finance charge not exceeding that permitted by s. 422.201. 422.207 Cross-referenceCross-reference: See also s. DFI-WCA 1.30, Wis. adm. code. 422.208422.208 Right to prepay. Subject to s. 422.209 and, with respect to a motor vehicle consumer lease, s. 429.207, the customer may prepay in full or in any part, at any time without penalty, the unpaid balance of any consumer credit transaction other than a transaction secured by a first lien mortgage or equivalent security interest on real estate with an original term of 10 years or more and on which the annual percentage rate disclosed pursuant to subch. III is 10 percent or less. 422.208 HistoryHistory: 1971 c. 239; 1995 a. 329. 422.209422.209 Rebate on prepayment. 422.209(1)(1) Except as provided in sub. (1m), upon prepayment in full of the unpaid balance of a precomputed consumer credit transaction, refinancing or consolidation, an amount not less than the unearned portion of the finance charge calculated according to this section shall be rebated to the customer. If the total of all rebates, refunds and credits to be paid to the customer under chs. 421 to 427 is less than $1, no rebate need be made. 422.209(1m)(a)(a) In the event of prepayment under sub. (1), a merchant may retain a loan administration fee that meets all of the following conditions: 422.209(1m)(a)1.1. The loan administration fee does not exceed 2 percent of the amount financed in the precomputed consumer credit transaction, refinancing or consolidation. 422.209(1m)(a)2.2. The loan administration fee is for a consumer loan that is secured primarily by an interest in real property or in a mobile home, as defined in s. 101.91 (10), or in a manufactured home, as defined in s. 101.91 (2). 422.209(1m)(b)(b) Notwithstanding par. (a), if a merchant retains any portion of a loan administration fee charged on a loan that is prepaid from the proceeds of a new loan made by the same merchant within 6 months after the prior loan, then the merchant shall reduce any loan administration fee on the new loan by the amount of the loan administration fee on the prior loan that was retained by the merchant. 422.209(2)(a)(a) The unearned portion of the precomputed finance charge on consumer credit transactions repayable in substantially equal successive installments at approximately equal intervals shall be equal to at least that portion of the finance charge which the sums of the installment balances of the obligation scheduled to be outstanding after the installment date nearest the date of prepayment bears to the sum of all installment balances originally scheduled to be outstanding under the obligation. For the purpose of determining the installment date nearest the date of prepayment when payments are monthly, any prepayment made on or before the 15th day following an installment due date shall be deemed to have been made as of the installment due date, and if prepayment occurs on or after the 16th day it shall be deemed to have been made on the succeeding installment due date. This method of calculating rebates may be referred to as the “rule of 78” or “sum of the digits” method. This paragraph applies to all of the following: 422.209(2)(a)1.1. Consumer credit transactions entered into before November 1, 1981. 422.209(2)(a)2.2. Consumer credit transactions having initial terms of less than 49 months entered into on or after November 1, 1981 and before August 1, 1987. 422.209(2)(a)3.3. Consumer credit transactions in which the amount financed is less than $5,000, which have initial terms of less than 37 months and which are entered into on or after August 1, 1987. 422.209(2)(b)(b) The unearned portion of the finance charge on consumer credit transactions described in par. (c) is, at the option of the creditor, either of the following: 422.209(2)(b)1.1. The portion of the finance charge which is allocable to all unexpired payment periods as scheduled or deferred. A payment period is unexpired if prepayment is made within 15 days after the payment’s due date. The unearned finance charge is the finance charge which, assuming all payments are made as scheduled or deferred, would be earned for each unexpired payment period by applying to unpaid balances of principal, according to the actuarial method, the annual percentage rate disclosed to the customer under subch. III. The creditor may decrease the annual interest rate to the next multiple of 0.25 percent. 422.209(2)(b)2.2. The finance charge less the amount determined by applying the annual percentage rate disclosed to the customer under subch. III, according to the actuarial method, to the unpaid balances for the actual time those balances were unpaid up to the date of prepayment. 422.209(2)(c)1.1. Consumer credit transactions which have terms of 49 months or more and which are entered into after November 1, 1981 and before August 1, 1987. 422.209(2)(c)2.2. Consumer credit transactions in which the amount financed is $5,000 or more and which are entered into on or after August 1, 1987. 422.209(2)(c)3.3. Consumer credit transactions in which the amount financed is less than $5,000, which have initial terms of 37 months or more and which are entered into on or after August 1, 1987. 422.209(3)(3) With respect to other precomputed consumer credit transactions, the administrator may prescribe by rule the refund formula consistent with sub. (2) (a) taking into account the irregularity of installment amounts and due dates. 422.209(4)(a)(a) Except as provided in par. (b), the unearned portion of a deferral charge is the deferral charge multiplied by the number of unexpired payment periods as of the date of prepayment and divided by the total number of installments deferred. 422.209(4)(b)(b) If the unearned finance charge is calculated under sub. (2) (b), the deferral charge shall be refunded in full. 422.209(5)(5) This section does not preclude the collection or retention by the creditor of delinquency charges under s. 422.203 for delinquencies or payments due prior to prepayment. 422.209(6)(6) If the maturity of the obligation is accelerated for any reason and judgment is obtained, the customer is entitled to the same rebate as if payment in full had been made on the date judgment is entered against the customer. 422.209(6m)(6m) For purpose of this section, the finance charge in a manufactured home transaction as defined in s. 138.056 (1) (bg) does not include fees, discounts, or other sums actually imposed by the government national mortgage association, the federal national mortgage association, the federal home loan mortgage corporation or other governmentally sponsored secondary mortgage market purchaser of the loan or any private secondary mortgage market purchaser of the loan who is not a person related to the original lender. 422.210422.210 Agricultural credit transactions. 422.210(1)(1) Permissible finance charges and fees. With respect to a credit transaction that it is primarily for an agricultural purpose, a creditor may not charge, collect or receive any finance charge or fee unless the charge or fee is clearly disclosed in writing to the customer and that is agreed to by the creditor and the customer. 422.210 HistoryHistory: 1997 a. 302. DISCLOSURE AND FORM OF WRITINGS
422.301422.301 Requirements of federal act. In addition to the disclosures required by the federal consumer credit protection act, if any, the creditor shall disclose to the customer to whom credit is extended the information required by this subchapter. With respect to every consumer credit sale payable in installments (s. 421.301 (30)) upon which no separate finance charge is stated or imposed (s. 421.301 (20)) the creditor shall make disclosures in accordance with the federal consumer credit protection act, to the extent applicable, whether or not such act requires such disclosures to be made. 422.301 HistoryHistory: 1971 c. 239; 1979 c. 10. 422.301 AnnotationThe Functions of Disclosure Regulation in Consumer Transactions. Whitford. 1973 WLR 400.
422.302422.302 General requirements and provisions. 422.302(1)(1) The information required by this subchapter to be disclosed by the creditor to the customer to whom credit is extended: 422.302(1)(c)(c) Except as provided in s. 422.303 and in rules adopted by the administrator, need not be contained in a single writing or made in the order set forth in chs. 421 to 427; 422.302(1)(d)(d) May be supplemented by additional information or explanations supplied by the creditor, but none shall be stated, utilized or placed so as to mislead or confuse the customer or contradict, obscure or detract attention from the information required by this subchapter to be disclosed; and so long as the additional information or explanations do not have the effect of circumventing, evading or unduly complicating the information required to be disclosed by this subchapter; and 422.302(1)(e)(e) Need be made only to the extent applicable and only as to those items for which the creditor makes a separate charge to the customer. 422.302(2)(2) The creditor shall disclose all information required by this subchapter before the transaction is consummated; such disclosures may be made on the face of the writing evidencing the transaction. 422.302(3)(3) Before any payment is due, the creditor shall furnish the customer with an exact copy of each instrument, document, agreement and contract which is signed by the customer and which evidences the customer’s obligation. If there is more than one customer, delivery of copies of the documents to one of them constitutes compliance with this subsection. 422.302(4)(4) Anything to the contrary in chs. 421 to 427 notwithstanding, the sale of insurance under ch. 424 shall not be considered a sale requiring separate disclosure other than as provided in s. 422.202 (1). 422.302 HistoryHistory: 1971 c. 239; 1979 c. 10, 89. 422.302 AnnotationWhen a merchant first informed the customer of 24 percent interest to be charged on an open account in statements of the account provided after the account was opened, sub. (2) and s. 422.308 were violated and the merchant was only entitled to interest under s. 138.04. Severson Agri-Service, Inc. v. Lander, 172 Wis. 2d 269, 493 N.W.2d 230 (Ct. App. 1992). 422.303422.303 Form requirements other than open-end or discount. 422.303(1)(1) In a consumer credit sale other than one pursuant to an open-end credit plan or a credit sale in which the only finance charge is a prompt payment discount as described in s. 422.201 (8), the customer’s obligation to pay the total of payments shall be evidenced by a single instrument, which shall include, in addition to the other disclosures required by this subchapter, the signature of the seller, the signature of the customer, the date on which it was signed and a description of any property the customer transfers to the seller as a trade-in. 422.303(2)(2) The terms of such instrument evidencing a consumer credit sale shall be set forth in not less than 8-point standard type, or such similar type as is prescribed in rules adopted by the administrator, to the extent that larger type is not specifically required by chs. 421 to 427. 422.303(3)(3) Except as provided in sub. (4), every writing evidencing the customer’s obligation to pay under a consumer credit transaction other than one pursuant to an open-end credit plan or a motor vehicle consumer lease, shall contain immediately above or adjacent to the place for the signature of the customer, a clear, conspicuous, printed or typewritten notice in substantially the following language: NOTICE TO CUSTOMER
(a) DO NOT SIGN THIS BEFORE YOU READ THE WRITING ON THE REVERSE SIDE, EVEN IF OTHERWISE ADVISED.
(b) DO NOT SIGN THIS IF IT CONTAINS ANY BLANK SPACES.
(c) YOU ARE ENTITLED TO AN EXACT COPY OF ANY AGREEMENT YOU SIGN.
(d) YOU HAVE THE RIGHT AT ANY TIME TO PAY IN ADVANCE THE UNPAID BALANCE DUE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT AND YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO A PARTIAL REFUND OF THE FINANCE CHARGE.
422.303(4)(4) The notice described in sub. (3) (a) is not required when no terms appear on the reverse side of the writing. The notice described in sub. (3) (d) is not required with respect to a consumer credit transaction secured by a first lien mortgage or equivalent security interest on real property, the original term of which is 10 years or more. 422.303(5)(5) The creditor shall retain a copy of such writing evidencing a consumer credit transaction, other than one pursuant to an open-end credit plan, and of any proposal for a consumer credit transaction which the merchant has required or requested the customer to sign and which the customer has signed during contract negotiations, for a period of one year after the last payment scheduled under the transaction, or one year after the transaction has been repaid in full, whichever is sooner. The creditor shall supply the customer with copies of such documents upon any demand of the customer made within such period; one copy shall be furnished at no charge; and subsequent copies shall be furnished on the condition that the customer pay the creditor’s reasonable costs of preparing and forwarding the copy. Copies supplied under this subsection are in addition to those copies required by s. 422.302. 422.303 AnnotationLegislative Council Note, 1973: Makes clear that this section refers to copies of documents given subsequently to documents furnished in the original transaction. Section 422.302 (3) requires that a copy of each document signed by the customer and evidencing his obligation be given to the customer before the first payment is due. This section is intended to refer to additional copies of such documents, furnished to the customer during the course of repaying the obligation. The added language inserted in sub. (5) further clarifies this intent. [Bill 432-A]
422.304422.304 Prohibition of blank writings.
