N.Y. Personal Property Law 301 – Definitions
§ 301. Definitions. In this article, unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires:
Terms Used In N.Y. Personal Property Law 301
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- 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.
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
- 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.
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
1. "Motor vehicle" or "vehicle" means any device propelled or drawn by any power other than muscular power, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a public highway, road or street except that it shall not include a "snowmobile" as defined in subdivision three of § 21.05 of the parks, recreation and historic preservation law. "Motor vehicle" or "vehicle" also means a "mobile home" or a "manufactured home". "Mobile home" or "manufactured home" means a structure, transportable in one or more sections, which in the traveling mode, is eight body feet or more in width or forty body feet or more in length, or when erected on site, is three hundred twenty or more square feet, and which is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation when connected to required utilities, and includes the plumbing, heating, air-conditioning and electrical systems contained therein.
2. "Retail buyer" or "buyer" means a person who buys a motor vehicle from a retail seller and who executes a retail instalment contract in connection therewith.
3. "Retail seller" or "seller" means a person who sells a motor vehicle to a retail buyer under or subject to a retail instalment contract.
4. "Retail instalment sale" or "sale" means a sale, other than for a commercial or business use or for the purpose of resale, of a motor vehicle by a retail seller to a retail buyer for a time sale price payable in two or more instalments, payment of which is secured by a retail instalment contract. The cash sale price of the motor vehicle, the amount, if any, included for insurance, official fees and credit service charge shall together constitute the time sale price.
5. "Retail instalment contract" or "contract" means an agreement, entered into in this state, pursuant to which the title to, the property or a security interest in or a lien upon a motor vehicle, which is the subject matter of a retail instalment sale, is retained or taken by a retail seller from a retail buyer as security, in whole or in part, for the buyer's obligation. The term includes such an agreement wherever entered into if executed by the buyer in this state and if solicited in person by a salesman or other person acting on his own behalf or that of the seller. The term also includes a contract whereby a security interest in favor of the seller is created or retained and a contract for the bailment or leasing of a motor vehicle by which the bailee or lessee contracts to pay as compensation for its use a sum substantially equivalent to or in excess of its value and by which it is agreed that the bailee or lessee is bound to become, or for no other or for a nominal consideration has the option of becoming, the owner of the motor vehicle upon full compliance with the terms of the contract.
6. "Cash sale price" means the cash sale price stated in a retail instalment contract for which the seller would sell to the buyer, and the buyer would buy from the seller, the motor vehicle which is the subject matter of the retail instalment contract if the sale were a sale for cash instead of a retail instalment sale. The cash sale price may include any taxes, registration, license and other fees and charges for insurance, for accessories and their installation and for delivering, servicing, repairing or improving the motor vehicle and for other services incidental to the agreement. It also may include the unpaid balance of any amount financed under an outstanding motor vehicle loan agreement or motor vehicle retail instalment contract or the unpaid portion of the early termination obligation under an outstanding motor vehicle retail lease agreement.
7. "Official fees" means the filing or other fees required by law to be paid to a public officer to perfect the interest or lien, in or on a motor vehicle, retained or taken by a seller under a retail instalment contract, and to file or record a release, satisfaction or discharge of the contract.
8. "Credit service charge" means that part of the time sale price by which it exceeds the aggregate of the cash sale price and the amount, if any, included in a retail instalment sale for insurance and official fees.
9. "Financing agency" means a person engaged, in whole or in part, in the business of purchasing retail instalment contracts from one or more retail sellers. The term includes but is not limited to a bank, trust company, savings bank, savings and loan association, private banker or investment company, if so engaged. The term also includes a retail seller engaged, in whole or in part, in the business of holding retail instalment contracts acquired from retail buyers.
10. The "holder" of a retail instalment contract means the retail seller of the motor vehicle under or subject to the contract or, if the contract is purchased by a financing agency or other assignee, the financing agency or other assignee.
11. "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, association or other group, however organized.
12. Words in the singular include the plural and vice versa.