A. A licensee may charge, collect, and receive only the following fees and charges in connection with a motor vehicle title loan, provided such fees and charges are set forth in the written loan contract described in § 6.2-2215.1:

Terms Used In Virginia Code 6.2-2216

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Interest: means all charges payable directly or indirectly by a borrower to a licensee as a condition to a loan, including fees, service charges, and renewal charges, and any ancillary product sold in connection with a loan, but does not include the monthly maintenance fees, deposit item return fees, late charges, or reasonable costs of repossession and sale authorized under § 6. See Virginia Code 6.2-2200
  • Licensee: means a person to whom a license has been issued under this chapter. See Virginia Code 6.2-2200
  • loan agreement: means a written document that sets out the terms and conditions under which a licensee agrees to make a motor vehicle title loan to a borrower, and the borrower agrees to give to the licensee a security interest in a motor vehicle owned by the borrower to secure repayment of the motor vehicle title loan and performance of the other obligations under the loan agreement. See Virginia Code 6.2-2200
  • Loan amount: means the principal amount of a loan exclusive of fees or charges. See Virginia Code 6.2-2200
  • Motor vehicle: means an automobile, motorcycle, mobile home, truck, van, or other vehicle operated on public highways and streets. See Virginia Code 6.2-2200
  • Person: means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, or other legal or commercial entity. See Virginia Code 6.2-2200
  • Principal: means any person who, directly or indirectly, owns or controls (i) 10 percent or more of the outstanding stock of a stock corporation or (ii) a 10 percent or greater interest in any other type of entity. See Virginia Code 6.2-2200
  • title loan: means a loan secured by a non-purchase money security interest in a motor vehicle. See Virginia Code 6.2-2200

1. Interest at a simple annual rate not to exceed 36 percent;

2. Subject to § 6.2-2216.1, a monthly maintenance fee that does not exceed the lesser of eight percent of the originally contracted loan amount or $15, provided the fee is not added to the loan balance on which interest is charged;

3. Any deposit item return fee incurred by the licensee, not to exceed $25, if a borrower’s check or electronic draft is returned because the account on which it was drawn was closed by the borrower or contained insufficient funds, or the borrower stopped payment of the check or electronic draft;

4. Damages and costs to which the licensee may become entitled to by law in connection with any civil action to collect a loan after default, except that the total amount of damages and costs shall not exceed the originally contracted loan amount;

5. Reasonable costs of repossession and sale of the motor vehicle in accordance with § 6.2-2217, provided that the total amount of such costs of repossession and sale that a licensee or any person working on its behalf may charge or receive from the borrower shall be limited to an amount equal to five percent of the originally contracted loan amount; and

6. A late charge in accordance with the provisions of § 6.2-400 provided that the late charge shall not exceed $20.

B. Notwithstanding anything set forth in subsection A, other provisions of this chapter, or in a motor vehicle title loan agreement, interest shall not accrue on the principal balance of a motor vehicle title loan from and after:

1. The date that the motor vehicle securing the title loan is repossessed by or at the direction of the licensee; or

2. Sixty days after the borrower has failed to make a monthly payment on a motor vehicle title loan as required by the loan agreement unless the borrower has not surrendered the motor vehicle and the borrower is concealing the motor vehicle.

C. A licensee shall not be entitled to collect or recover from a borrower any sum otherwise permitted pursuant to § 6.2-302, 8.01-27.2, or 8.01-382. In no event shall the borrower be liable for fees incurred in connection with the storage of a motor vehicle securing a title loan.

D. If any person causes a borrower to pay fees related to repossession or sale of the motor vehicle in excess of the amount allowed under subdivision A 5, or any fee to store the motor vehicle, the borrower shall be entitled to recover such amounts or fees from the licensee upon presenting a valid receipt.

2010, c. 477, § 6.1-496; 2020, cc. 1215, 1258.