California Business and Professions Code 7507.13 – (a) A licensed repossession agency is not liable for the act or …
(a) A licensed repossession agency is not liable for the act or omission of a legal owner, debt collector, debtor, lienholder, lessor, lessee, or registered owner, or an agent of any of them, in making an assignment or repossession order to it or for accepting an assignment or repossession order from any legal owner, debt collector, debtor, lienholder, lessor, lessee, or registered owner, or an agent of any of them, and is entitled to indemnity from the legal owner, debt collector, debtor, lienholder, lessor, lessee, or registered owner for any loss, damage, cost, or expense, including court costs and attorney’s fees, that it may reasonably incur as a result thereof. Nothing in this subdivision limits the liability of any person for his or her tortious conduct.
(b) The legal owner, debt collector, debtor, lienholder, lessor, lessee, or registered owner, or the agent of any of them, is not liable for any act or omission by a licensed repossession agency, or its agent, in carrying out an assignment or repossession order and is entitled to indemnity from the repossession agency for any loss, damage, cost, or expense, including court costs and attorney’s fees, that the legal owner, debt collector, debtor, lienholder, lessor, lessee, or registered owner, or the agent of any of them, may reasonably incur as a result thereof. Nothing in this subdivision limits the liability of any person for his or her tortious conduct.
Terms Used In California Business and Professions Code 7507.13
- Collateral: means any specific vehicle, trailer, boat, recreational vehicle, motor home, appliance, or other property that is subject to a security agreement. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
- Debtor: means any person obligated under a security agreement. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
- Legal owner: means a person holding any of the following:
California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
- license: means license, certificate, registration, or other means to engage in a business or profession regulated by this code or referred to in Section 1000 or 3600. See California Business and Professions Code 23.7
- Person: includes any individual, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
- qualified manager: is a person who possesses a valid qualification certificate in accordance with the provisions of Article 5 (commencing with Section 7504) and is in active control or management of, and who is a director of, the licensee's place of business. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
- Registered owner: means the individual listed in the records of the Department of Motor Vehicles, on a conditional sales contract, or on an assignment or a repossession order, as the registered owner. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
- Repossession: means any of the following:
California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
- repossession order: means any written authorization by the legal owner, lienholder, lessor, lessee, or registered owner, or the agent of any of them, to skip trace, locate, or repossess any collateral, including, but not limited to, collateral registered under the Vehicle Code that is subject to a security agreement that contains a repossession clause. See California Business and Professions Code 7500.1
- Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs, unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Business and Professions Code 15
(c) The legal owner, debtor, lienholder, lessor, lessee, or registered owner, or the agent of any of them, is not guilty of a violation of Section 7502.1 or 7502.2 if, at the time of the assignment or repossession order, the party making the assignment or repossession order has in its possession a copy of the repossessor’s current, unexpired repossession agency license, and a copy of the current, unexpired repossession agency’s qualified manager‘s certificate, and does not have actual knowledge of any order of suspension or revocation of the license or certificate.
(d) Neither a licensed repossession agency nor a legal owner, debtor, lienholder, lessor, lessee, or registered owner, or an agent of any of them may, by any means, direct or indirect, express or implied, instruct or attempt to coerce the other to violate any law, regulation, or rule regarding the recovery of any collateral, including, but not limited to, the provisions of this chapter or § 9609 of the Commercial Code.
(e) A licensed repossession agency, at least annually, on or before January 31 of each year, shall provide a legal owner from which the agency accepts an assignment or repossession order with a copy of this section, Sections 7500.2, 7507.4, 7507.115, 7507.12, and 7507.125 of this code, and § 28 of the Vehicle Code.
(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 509, Sec. 4. (AB 1859) Effective January 1, 2017.)