Florida Statutes 687.02 – “Usurious contracts” defined
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(1) All contracts for the payment of interest upon any loan, advance of money, line of credit, or forbearance to enforce the collection of any debt, or upon any obligation whatever, at a higher rate of interest than the equivalent of 18 percent per annum simple interest are hereby declared usurious. However, if such loan, advance of money, line of credit, forbearance to enforce the collection of a debt, or obligation exceeds $500,000 in amount or value, then no contract to pay interest thereon is usurious unless the rate of interest exceeds the rate prescribed in s. 687.071.
(2) As amended by chapter 79-592, Laws of Florida, chapter 79-274, Laws of Florida, which amended subsection (1):
(a) Shall apply only to loans, advances of credit, or lines of credit made on or subsequent to July 1, 1979, and to loans, advances of credit, or lines of credit made prior to that date if the lender has the legal right to require full payment or to adjust or modify the interest rate, by renewal, assumption, reaffirmation, contract, or otherwise; and
Terms Used In Florida Statutes 687.02
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Forbearance: A means of handling a delinquent loan. A
- 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
- line of credit: whenever used in this chapter , means an arrangement under which one or more loans or advances of money may be made available to a debtor in one transaction or a series of related transactions. See Florida Statutes 687.0303
- 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.
(b) Shall not be construed as diminishing the force and effect of any laws applying to loans, advances of credit, or lines of credit, other than to those mentioned in paragraph (a), completed prior to July 1, 1979.