Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes > Title 9-A > Article 8-A - Maine Truth-in-Lending

• Administrator: means the Superintendent of Consumer Credit Protection within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 10 Sec. 1308
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Annual percentage rate: The cost of credit at a yearly rate. It is calculated in a standard way, taking the average compound interest rate over the term of the loan so borrowers can compare loans. Lenders are required by law to disclose a card account's APR. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Board of directors: means the governing body with statutory powers and duties for a school administrative district. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 1
• Consumer: means an individual about whom a consumer report or an investigative consumer report has been prepared by a consumer reporting agency or an office of a consumer reporting agency. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 10 Sec. 1308
• Consumer reporting agency: means a person that, for monetary fees, dues or on a cooperative nonprofit basis, regularly engages in whole or in part in the practice of assembling or evaluating consumer credit information or other information on consumers for the purpose of furnishing consumer reports or investigative consumer reports to 3rd parties. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 10 Sec. 1308
• Dealer: means a person, corporation or partnership primarily engaged in the business of retail sales of farm and utility tractors, forestry equipment, industrial equipment, construction equipment, farm implements, farm machinery, yard and garden equipment, attachments, accessories and repair parts. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 10 Sec. 1285
• Dealer agreement: means a written or oral contract or agreement between a dealer and a wholesaler, manufacturer or distributor by which the dealer is granted the right to sell or distribute goods or services or to use a trade name, trademark, service mark, logotype or advertising or other commercial symbol. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 10 Sec. 1285
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Fair Credit Reporting Act: A federal law, established in 1971 and revised in 1997, that gives consumers the right to see their credit records and correct any mistakes. ^{Source: OCC}
• Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act: means the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 United States Code § 1681 et seq. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 10 Sec. 1308
• Federal Reserve System: The central bank of the United States. The Fed, as it is commonly called, regulates the U.S. monetary and financial system. The Federal Reserve System is composed of a central governmental agency in Washington, D.C. (the Board of Governors) and twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks in major cities throughout the United States. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Finance charge: The total cost of credit a customer must pay on a consumer loan, including interest. The Truth in Lending Act requires disclosure of the finance charge. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. ^{Source: OCC}
• Open-end credit: A credit agreement (typically a credit card) that allows a customer to borrow against a preapproved credit line when purchasing goods and services. The borrower is only billed for the amount that is actually borrowed plus any interest due. (Also called a charge account or revolving credit.) ^{Source: OCC}
• Person subject to this chapter: means a person subject to the provisions of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act and a consumer reporting agency. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 10 Sec. 1308
• Proper identification: means that information generally considered sufficient to identify a person. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 10 Sec. 1308
• Protected consumer: means an individual who has not attained 16 years of age at the time a request for the placement of a security freeze is made. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 10 Sec. 1308
• Representative: means a person who provides to a consumer reporting agency sufficient proof of authority to act on behalf of a protected consumer. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 10 Sec. 1308
• Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Right of rescission: Right to cancel, within three business days, a contract that uses the home of a person as collateral, except in the case of a first mortgage loan. There is no fee to the borrower, who receives a full refund of all fees paid. The right of rescission is guaranteed by the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). ^{Source: OCC}
• Security freeze: means a notice placed in a consumer report at the request of the consumer pursuant to section 1310 that prohibits a consumer reporting agency from releasing the consumer report or any information in the report without that consumer's express authorization. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 10 Sec. 1308
• Security freeze for a protected consumer: means :