422.415(1)(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. 422.415(2)(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: 422.415(2)(a)(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. 422.415(2)(b)(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. 422.415(2)(c)(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. 422.415(3)(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. 422.4155422.4155 Notice of termination of liability. 422.4155(1)(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. 422.4155(2)(2) Notwithstanding sub. (1), a person remains liable for loans extended to, or purchases made by, the person after giving the termination notice. 422.4155 HistoryHistory: 1981 c. 45. 422.416422.416 Referral transactions prohibited. 422.416(1)(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. 422.416 HistoryHistory: 1971 c. 239; 1991 a. 316. 422.417422.417 Restrictions on security interests. 422.417(1)(1) With respect to a consumer credit sale a seller may take a security interest only in: 422.417(1)(b)(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; 422.417(1)(c)(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 422.417(1)(d)(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. 422.417(2)(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. 422.417(3)(a)(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 422.417(3)(b)(b) Real property if the obligation secured is less than $1,000. 422.418422.418 Security interests: consolidations; open-end credit plans. 422.418(1)(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. 422.418(2)(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. 422.418(3)(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. 422.418(4)(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. 422.419(1)(1) No contract evidencing a consumer credit transaction may contain any provision by which: 422.419(1)(a)(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; 422.419(1)(b)(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 422.419(1)(c)(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. 422.419 HistoryHistory: 1971 c. 239; 1991 a. 316. 422.420422.420 Cosigner charges. No term of a writing signed by a cosigner and made pursuant to a consumer credit transaction may: 422.420(1)(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 422.420(2)(2) Operate to remove from the cosigner any rights or protections given the customer under chs. 421 to 427. 422.420 HistoryHistory: 1973 c. 3. 422.421422.421 Variable rate transaction. 422.421(1)(a)(a) “Approved index” means any relevant index approved by the administrator that is beyond the control of the creditor and is verifiable by the customer. 422.421(1)(b)1.1. “Consummation” with respect to a variable rate transaction other than one pursuant to an open-end credit plan means the time at which a customer becomes contractually obligated on the variable rate transaction. 422.421(1)(b)2.2. “Consummation” with respect to a variable rate transaction pursuant to an open-end credit plan means the time at which a creditor accepts a customer’s application and authorizes the customer’s participation in the plan or the time at which an amendment to an existing open-end credit plan is accepted by or becomes binding on the customer under sub. (11) or s. 422.415. 422.421(1)(c)(c) “Variable rate transaction” means any open-end credit plan and any consumer credit transaction other than one pursuant to an open-end credit plan, the terms of which permit the rate of finance charge to be adjusted from time to time during the term of the plan or transaction other than by an adjustment under s. 422.415, but does not include any consumer credit transaction the terms of which permit only the rates of finance charge that are initially numerically specified in any document evidencing the plan or transaction. 422.421(2)(2) Variable rate transactions permitted. Creditors may engage in variable rate transactions subject to the conditions and limitations of this section. 422.421(3)(a)(a) Adjustments in the rate of finance charge of a variable rate transaction that are based upon changes in an approved index shall be made in accordance with provisions set forth in the documents evidencing the variable rate transaction including provisions specifying all of the following: 422.421(3)(a)2.2. The relationship between approved index values and the rates of finance charge. 422.421(3)(a)7.7. The method of implementing any rounding of the rates of finance charge. 422.421(3)(b)(b) The provisions under par. (a) 5. may specify limited magnitudes of decreases in the rate of finance charge if the provisions specify limited magnitudes of increases that are at least as restrictive. 422.421(3)(c)(c) If a creditor fails at any time to increase the rate of finance charge to the extent permitted by the provisions under par. (a), the creditor may not carry over and add any portion of the increase to any subsequent adjustment. Failure at any time to increase the rate of finance charge to the extent permitted by the provisions under par. (a) does not affect in any way the creditor’s right to prospectively reestablish the relationship between approved index values and the rates of finance charge in accordance with the provisions under par. (a). 422.421(4)(a)(a) Adjustments in the rate of finance charge of a variable rate transaction that are not based upon changes in an approved index shall be made in accordance with provisions set forth in the documents evidencing the variable rate transaction, including provisions specifying all of the following: 422.421(4)(a)1.1. If based upon changes in an index other than an approved index, the method of determining index values. 422.421(4)(a)2.2. If based upon changes in an index other than an approved index, the relationship between index values and the rates of finance charge. 422.421(4)(a)7.7. The method of implementing any rounding of the rates of finance charge. 422.421(4)(b)(b) The provisions under par. (a) may not specify an increase in the rate of finance charge in excess of 2 percent plus any carry over permitted under par. (d) for each 12-month period commencing with the consummation of the variable rate transaction. 422.421(4)(c)(c) The provisions under par. (a) may not specify a date for adjustment that is earlier than 3 months after the date of consummation of the variable rate transaction. 422.421(4)(d)(d) If a creditor fails to increase the rate of finance charge during a 12-month period under par. (b) to the extent permitted by the provisions under par. (a), the increase may be carried over and added to any adjustment in the rate of finance charge otherwise permitted by the provisions under par. (a) but only during the succeeding 12-month period and subject to the limitations of par. (e). 422.421(4)(e)(e) The maximum increase which may be carried over to a succeeding 12-month period under par. (d) is the difference between the rate of finance charge as of the commencement of the preceding 12-month period plus 2 percent and the highest rate of finance charge actually imposed during that 12-month period, or one percent, whichever is less. 422.421(5)(a)1.1. Except as provided in par. (b), a creditor shall mail or deliver to the customer written notice of every change implementing an adjustment in the rate of finance charge in a variable rate transaction. The notice shall be mailed or delivered to the customer at the customer’s last-known address appearing on the records of the creditor. If the variable rate transaction involves more than one customer, notice given to any customer satisfies this requirement. 422.421(5)(a)2.2. The notice under subd. 1. shall be mailed or delivered at least 15 days prior to the effective date of the adjustment if the adjustment is implemented in whole or in part by a change in the amount of a periodic payment, other than the final payment, previously disclosed to the customer. 422.421(5)(a)3.3. The notice under subd. 1. shall be mailed or delivered not later than 30 days after the effective date of the adjustment if the adjustment is implemented by any change other than a change under subd. 2. 422.421(5)(b)1.1. The requirements of par. (a) do not apply to a creditor if the adjustment is made in a variable rate transaction pursuant to an open-end credit plan that is based upon changes in an approved index. 422.421(5)(b)2.2. The requirements of par. (a) do not apply to a creditor if the adjustment is made in a variable rate transaction, other than a transaction pursuant to an open-end credit plan, that is based upon changes in an approved index if the change does not cause a change in the amount of a periodic payment, other than the final payment, previously disclosed to the customer. 422.421(5)(c)(c) If the final payment in a variable rate transaction, other than one pursuant to an open-end credit plan, exceeds the final payment disclosed to the customer prior to consummation by more than 50 percent but not less than $100 as a result of adjustments in the rate of finance charge during the term of the variable rate transaction, the creditor shall give the customer written notice of the estimated amount of the final payment at least 90 days but not more than 180 days prior to the due date of the final payment. The notice shall be mailed or delivered to the customer at the customer’s last-known address appearing on the records of the creditor. If the variable rate transaction involves more than one customer, notice given to any customer satisfies this requirement. Notwithstanding the terms of the variable rate transaction, the final payment shall not be due until the later of the originally scheduled due date or 90 days after mailing or delivering the notice and the customer shall not be in default during that period if the customer continues to make payments in the scheduled amounts and with the scheduled frequency in effect immediately prior to the final payment until the total amount due has been paid in full. 422.421(6)(a)(a) For any variable rate transaction, other than one pursuant to an open-end credit plan, entered into before November 1, 1984, the maximum rate of finance charge for any payment period may not exceed the limit set forth in s. 422.201 (2) (bm) as determined on the earlier of the first day of the payment period or the day notice is given under sub. (5) for the payment period.
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statutes
/statutes/statutes/422/iv/418
Chs. 421- 429, Wisconsin Consumer Act
statutes/422.418
statutes/422.418
section
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