Section 22400 - Applicability of article; precomputing charges and applying paymentsThis article applies only to loan contracts payable in substantially equal and consecutive monthly installments of principal and charges combined, the first of which is due not less than 15 days nor more than one month and 15 days from the date the loan is made. In lieu of computing charges and applying payments as provided in Section 22307, a licensee may precompute charges and apply payments as follows:
(a) The total charges which would be earned if the contract were repaid exactly according to its terms, at the monthly rate stated in the contract, may be precomputed when the loan is made and added to the principal of the loan. For the purpose of computation, a month shall be that period of time from any date in one month to the corresponding date in the next month, and if there is no corresponding date, then to the last day of the next month. The principal amount of the loan shall be its face value as referred to in Section 22309. Every payment may be applied to the combined total of principal and precomputed charges until the contract is fully paid. The acceptance of payment of charges on loans made under the provisions of this article shall not be deemed to constitute payment deduction or receipt thereof in advance nor compounding under Section 22309. Precomputed charges shall be subject to the following adjustments: (1) The portion of the precomputed charge applicable to any particular monthly installment period shall bear the same ratio to the total precomputed charge, excluding any adjustment made for a first period of more than one month, as the balance scheduled to be outstanding during that monthly period bears to the sum of all monthly balances scheduled originally by the loan contract.(2) If the loan contract is paid in full by cash, a new loan, refinancing, or otherwise, the borrower shall receive a rebate of that portion of the precomputed charge that is the difference between the total precomputed charge and the charges at the contract rate computed in accordance with the provisions of Section 22307 or 22308. The tender, by the borrower or at his or her request, of an amount equal to the unpaid balance, less the required rebate, must be accepted by the licensee in full payment of the contract.(3) If three or more, but not all, installments are prepaid in full at any one time, all of the prior charges for the loan shall be recalculated and all subsequent charges for the remaining term of the loan shall be recalculated by applying each payment first to charges and the remainder to principal in accordance with the provisions of Section 22307 or 22308.(4) If the payment date of all wholly unpaid installments on which no default charge has been collected is deferred one or more full months and the contract so provides, the licensee may charge and collect a deferment charge. The deferment charge shall not exceed the portion of the precomputed charge applicable prior to deferment, to the first deferred monthly installment period multiplied by the number of months the maturity of the contract is deferred. The number of months shall not exceed the number of full installments that are in default on the date of deferment or that may become due within 15 days of that date. When a deferment charge is made, no portion of the precomputed charge shall apply to the installment periods in which no installment payment is required by reason of the deferment. In computing any default charge or required rebate, the portion of the precomputed charge applicable to each deferred balance and installment period following the deferment period and prior to the deferred maturity shall remain the same as that applicable to the balances and periods under the original loan contract. The charge may be collected at the time of deferment or at any time thereafter. Any payment received at the time of deferment may be applied first to the deferment charge and the remainder, if any, applied to the unpaid balance of the contract. However, if the payment is sufficient to pay, in addition to the appropriate deferment charge, any installment that is in default and the applicable default charge, it shall be first so applied and any such installment shall not be deferred nor subject to the deferment charge.(5) In the event of default of more than 10 days in the payment of one-half or more of any scheduled installment, the licensee may charge and collect a default charge not exceeding an amount equal to the portion of the precomputed charge applicable to the final installment period. The charge may not be collected more than once for the same default and may be collected at the time of the default or at any time thereafter. If the default charge is deducted from any payment received after default occurs, and the deduction results in the default of a subsequent installment, no charge may be made for the resulting default.(6) A borrower and licensee may agree that the first installment due date may be not more than 15 days more than one month and the amount of the installment may be increased by one-thirtieth of the portion of the precomputed charge applicable to a first installment of one month for each extra day.(b) The statement to be given to the borrower as provided in subdivision (a) of Section 22337 and the contract shall disclose in addition to other required information the principal amount of the loan exclusive of charges and the basis for computing the refund of precomputed charges in case of prepayment in full or acceleration of maturity and for computing default and deferment charges. The delivery of a receipt of each payment showing the total amount of each payment complies with subdivision (d) of Section 22337.(c) If the maturity of the contract when the charges are precomputed is accelerated for any reason, the licensee shall make the same refund or credit as would be required if the contract was paid in full on the date of acceleration. The unpaid balance shall be treated as the unpaid principal balance, and thereafter the unpaid balance of the contract shall bear charges at the agreed rate of charge if the loan contract so provides.Repealed and added by Stats. 1994, Ch. 1115, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1995. Operative July 1, 1995, by Sec. 5 of Ch. 1115.