Appendix B to Part 113 - Standards of Fairness

Appendix B to Part 113 - Standards of Fairness

1. No finance charge contracted for, made, or received under any contract shall be in excess of the charge that could be made for such contract under the law of the place in which the contract is signed in the United States by the military member.

a. In the event a contract is signed with a U.S. company in a foreign country, the lowest interest rate of the State or States in which the company is chartered or does business shall apply.

b. However, interest rates and service charges applicable to overseas military banking facilities shall be as established by the Department of Defense.

2. No contract or loan agreement shall provide for an attorney's fee in the event of default unless suit is filed, in which event the fee provided in the contract shall not exceed 20 percent of the obligation found due. No attorney fees shall be authorized if the attorney is a salaried employee of the holder.

3. In loan transactions, defenses that the debtor may have against the original lender or its agent shall be good against any subsequent holder of the obligation. In credit transactions, defenses against the seller or its agent shall be good against any subsequent holder of the obligation, provided that the holder had actual knowledge of the defense or under conditions where reasonable inquiry would have apprised the holder of this fact.

4. The military member shall have the right to remove any security for the obligation beyond State or national boundaries if the military member or family moves beyond such boundaries under military orders and notifies the creditor, in advance of the removal, of the new address where the security will be located. Removal of the security shall not accelerate payment of the obligation.

5. No late charge shall be made in excess of 5 percent of the late payment, or $5.00, whichever is the lesser amount, or as provided by law or applicable regulatory agency determination. Only one late charge may be made for any tardy installment. Late charges shall not be levied where an allotment has been timely filed, but payment of the allotment has been delayed. Late charges by overseas banking facilities are a matter of contract with the Department of Defense.

6. The obligation may be paid in full at any time or through accelerated payments of any amount. There shall be no penalty for prepayment. In the event of prepayment, that portion of the finance charges that has inured to the benefit of the seller or creditor shall be prorated on the basis of the charges that would have been ratably payable had finance charges been calculated and payable as equal periodic payments over the terms of the contract, and only the prorated amount to the date of prepayment shall be due. As an alternative, the “Rule of 78” may be applied.

7. If a charge is made for loan insurance protection, it must be evidenced by delivery of a policy or certificate of insurance to the military member within 30 days.

8. If the loan or contract agreement provides for payments in installation, each payment, other than the down payment, shall be in equal or substantially equal amounts, and installments shall be successive and of equal or substantially equal duration.

9. If the security for the debt is repossessed and sold in order to satisfy or reduce the debt, the repossession and resale shall be governed by the laws of the State in which the security is requested.

10. A contract for personal goods and services may be terminated at any time before delivery of the goods or services without charge to the purchaser. However, if goods made to the special order of the purchaser result in preproduction costs, or require preparation for delivery, such additional costs shall be listed in the order form or contract.

a. No termination charge shall be made in excess of this amount. Contracts for delivery at future intervals may be terminated as to the undelivered portion.

b. The purchaser shall be chargeable only for that proportion of the total cost that the goods or services delivered bear to the total goods called for by the contract. (This is in addition to the right to rescind certain credit transactions involving a security interest in real estate provided by the Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. 1601 note, 1601-1614, 1631-1646, 1661-1665a, 1666-1666j, and 1667-1667e) and Federal Reserve Board Regulation Z (12 CFR 226)).