Terms Used In 14 Guam Code Ann. § 5201

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • 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
  • 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.
) Except as otherwise provided, no violation of this Title shall impair rights on a debt.
(2) The debtor is not obligated to pay a charge in excess of that allowed by this Title, and if he has paid an excess charge, he has a right to a refund. A refund may be made by reducing the debtor’s obligation by the amount of the excess charge. If the debtor has paid to the creditor an amount in excess of the lawful obligation under the agreement, the debtor may recover the excess amount from the person who made the

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excess charge or from the person to whom the excess charge was paid.

(3) If the debtor is entitled to a refund and a person liable to the debtor refuses, within a reasonable time after demand, to make a refund, the debtor may recover from that person a penalty in an amount determined by a court not in excess of the greater of either ten (10) times the amount of the excess charge, or the amount of the credit service or loan finance charge. If the creditor has made an excess charge in deliberate violation of or in reckless disregard for this Title, the penalty may be recovered even though the creditor has refunded the excess charge. No action pursuant to this Subsection may be brought in this Territory more than three (3) years after the time the excess charge was made or more than one (1) year after the due date of the last scheduled payment of the agreement pursuant to which the charge was made, whichever is later. No penalty pursuant to this Subsection may be recovered if a court has ordered a similar penalty in a civil action by the Administrator (§ 6113).

(4) If the creditor has violated the provisions of this Title applying to referral sales (§ 2411) or limitations on the schedule of payments or loan term for regulated loans (§ 3513), the debtor is not obligated to pay the credit service or loan finance charge. If he has paid any part of this charge he has a right to recover the payment from the person violating this Title or from a transferee of that person’s rights to whom debt is then owing. No action pursuant to this Subsection may be brought in this Territory more than one (1) year after the due date of the last scheduled payment of the agreement pursuant to which the charge was paid.
(5) If the creditor has violated the provisions of this Title applying to authority to make regulated loans (§ 3502), the loan is void and the debtor is not obligated to pay either the principal or loan finance charge. If he has paid any part of the principal or of the loan finance charge, he has a right to recover the payment from the person violating this Title or from a transferee of that person’s rights to whom debt is then owing. No action pursuant to this Subsection may be brought in this Territory more than one (1) year after the due date of the last scheduled payment of the agreement pursuant to which the charge was paid.
(6) If the creditor establishes by a preponderance of evidence that a violation is unintentional or the result of a bona fide error:

(a) no liability to pay a penalty shall be imposed under

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Subsection (3);

(b) no liability shall be imposed under Subsection (4); and
(c) no liability shall be imposed under Subsection (5) and the validity of the loan shall not be affected.
(7) In any case in which it is found that a creditor is liable for a violation of this Title, the court may award reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred by the debtor.