2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 36a - The Banking Law of Connecticut
Chapter 669 - Regulated Activities
Section 36a-800 - (Formerly Sec. 42-127). Consumer collection agency. Definitions.

As used in sections 36a-800 to 36a-810, inclusive, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) “Consumer collection agency” means any person engaged in the business of collecting or receiving for payment for others of any account, bill or other indebtedness from a consumer debtor or engaged in the business of collecting or receiving for payment property tax from a property tax debtor on behalf of a municipality, including any person who, by any device, subterfuge or pretense, makes a pretended purchase or takes a pretended assignment of accounts from any other person or municipality of such indebtedness for the purpose of evading the provisions of sections 36a-800 to 36a-810, inclusive. It includes persons who furnish collection systems carrying a name which simulates the name of a consumer collection agency and who supply forms or form letters to be used by the creditor, even though such forms direct the consumer debtor or property tax debtor to make payments directly to the creditor rather than to such fictitious agency. “Consumer collection agency” further includes any person who, in attempting to collect or in collecting such person’s own accounts or claims from a consumer debtor, uses a fictitious name or any name other than such person’s own name which would indicate to the consumer debtor that a third person is collecting or attempting to collect such account or claim. “Consumer collection agency” does not include (A) an individual employed on the staff of a licensed consumer collection agency, or by a creditor who is exempt from licensing, when attempting to collect on behalf of such consumer collection agency, (B) persons not primarily engaged in the collection of debts from consumer debtors who receive funds in escrow for subsequent distribution to others, including, but not limited to, real estate brokers and lenders holding funds of borrowers for payment of taxes or insurance, (C) any public officer or a person acting under the order of any court, (D) any member of the bar of this state, and (E) a person who services loans or accounts for the owners thereof when the arrangement includes, in addition to requesting payment from delinquent consumer debtors, the providing of other services such as receipt of payment, accounting, record-keeping, data processing services and remitting, for loans or accounts which are current as well as those which are delinquent. Any person not included in the definition contained in this subdivision is, for purposes of sections 36a-645 to 36a-647, inclusive, a “creditor”, as defined in section 36a-645;

(2) “Consumer debtor” means any natural person, not an organization, who has incurred indebtedness or owes a debt for personal, family or household purposes, including current or past due child support, or who has incurred indebtedness or owes a debt to a municipality due to a levy by such municipality of a personal property tax;

(3) “Creditor” means a person, including a municipality, that retains, hires, or engages the services of a consumer collection agency;

(4) “Municipality” means any town, city or borough, consolidated town and city, consolidated town and borough, district as defined in section 7-324 or municipal special services district established under chapter 105a;

(5) “Organization” means a corporation, partnership, association, trust or any other legal entity or an individual operating under a trade name or a name having appended to it a commercial, occupational or professional designation;

(6) “Property tax” has the meaning given to the term in section 7-560;

(7) “Property tax debtor” means any natural person or organization who has incurred indebtedness or owes a debt to a municipality due to a levy by such municipality of a property tax.

(1953, 1955, S. 3310d; 1967, P.A. 882, S. 19; 1971, P.A. 539, S. 1; P.A. 75-486, S. 64, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 161, 162, 610; P.A. 78-226, S. 1; 78-303, S. 54, 136; P.A. 80-482, S. 333, 348; P.A. 84-61, S. 1, 3; P.A. 87-9, S. 2, 3; P.A. 88-65, S. 56; P.A. 91-357, S. 61, 78; P.A. 92-12, S. 103; P.A. 93-127, S. 1, 3; P.A. 94-122, S. 328, 340; P.A. 01-207, S. 3, 12; P.A. 02-111, S. 46; P.A. 03-262, S. 1; P.A. 04-8, S. 11; P.A. 07-72, S. 8.)

History: 1967 act deleted language which had specifically included debt adjustment and prorate companies in definition of “collection agency”; 1971 act defined “consumer collection agency” rather than “collection agency”, expanding definition and specifically excluding lender licensed by banking commission under Ch. 647, and added definitions of “commissioner”, “consumer debtor” and “organization”; P.A. 75-486 substituted replaced public utilities commission with public utilities control authority in Subdiv. (b); P.A. 77-614 replaced bank commissioner and public utilities commission with banking commissioner (within the department of business regulation, the banking department having been made a division within that department) and division of public utility control within the department of business regulation, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-226 defined “creditor”; P.A. 78-303 confirmed change in bank commissioner’s title and replaced banking commission with banking commissioner to conform with P.A. 77-614 which abolished said commission; P.A. 80-482 restored division of banking to prior status as independent department, made division of public utility control an independent department and abolished the department of business regulation; P.A. 84-61 amended Subsec. (b) to exempt from the definition of “consumer collection agency” those persons delineated in Subdivs. (1) through (5), inclusive, replacing prior exemption provision; (Revisor’s note: Pursuant to P.A. 87-9 “banking commissioner” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “commissioner of banking”); P.A. 88-65 substituted a reference to Sec. 42-133a for Sec. 42-133 in the introductory language; P.A. 91-357 made a technical change in Subsec. (c); P.A. 92-12 redesignated Subsecs. and Subdivs. and made technical changes; P.A. 93-127 amended Subdiv. (2) to include “municipality” in the definition of “consumer collection agency”, amended Subdiv. (4) to include debts owed to a municipality in the definition of “consumer debtor”, added a new Subdiv. (6) defining “municipality” and renumbered the former Subdiv. (6) as (7), effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-122 deleted the definitions of “person” and “commissioner”, reordered definitions and made other technical changes, effective January 1, 1995; Sec. 42-127 transferred to Sec. 36a-800 in 1995; (Revisor’s note: In 1997 the Revisors editorially changed the reference at the end of Subdiv. (1) from “creditor”, as defined in “subsection (2)” of section 36a-645; to “creditor” as defined in “subdivision (3)” of section 36a-645; to reflect correctly P.A. 94-122, S. 293); P.A. 01-207 made a technical change in Subdiv. (1) and amended definition of “consumer debtor” in Subdiv. (2) to add the phrase “including current or past due child support”, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 02-111 redefined “consumer collection agency” in Subdiv. (1) and added Subdivs. (6) and (7) defining “property tax” and “property tax debtor”, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 03-262 redefined “consumer collection agency” in Subdiv. (1) by substituting “or receiving for payment” for “, without receiving,” effective July 9, 2003; P.A. 04-8 made a technical change in Subdiv. (3), effective April 16, 2004; P.A. 07-72 made technical changes in Subdiv. (1).

See chapter 669, part I, (Sec. 36a-645 et seq.) re regulation of creditors’ collection practices.

See chapter 669, part II, (Sec. 36a-655 et seq.) re debt adjusters.