Terms Used In West Virginia Code > Chapter 47 > Article 16 - Collection Agencies

• Claim: means any obligation for the payment of money due or asserted to be due to another person, firm, corporation or association. See West Virginia Code 47-16-2
• Collection agency: means and includes all persons, firms, corporations and associations: (1) Directly or indirectly engaged in the business of soliciting from or collecting for others any account, bill or indebtedness originally due or asserted to be owed or due another and all persons, firms, corporations and associations directly or indirectly engaged in asserting, enforcing or prosecuting those claims. See West Virginia Code 47-16-2
• Commissioner: means the State Tax Commissioner or his or her agent. See West Virginia Code 47-16-2
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Customer: means any person, firm, corporation or association who has filed, assigned or sold any claim or chose in action with or to a collection agency for collection. See West Virginia Code 47-16-2
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by printing, engraving, writing, or otherwise. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• Judgment: includes decrees and orders for the payment of money, or the conveyance or delivery of land or personal property, or some interest therein, or any undertaking, bond or recognizance which has the legal effect of a judgment. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Licensee: means any person holding a business franchise registration certificate under section two, article twelve, chapter . See West Virginia Code 47-16-2
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10