WASHINGTON STATUTES AND CODES

63.14.090 - Retail installment contracts, retail charge agreements, and lender credit card agreements -- Delinquency or collection charges -- Attorney's fees, court costs -- Other provisions not i

Retail installment contracts, retail charge agreements, and lender credit card agreements — Delinquency or collection charges — Attorney's fees, court costs — Other provisions not inconsistent with chapter are permissible.

(1) The holder of any retail installment contract, retail charge agreement, or lender credit card agreement may not collect any delinquency or collection charges, including any attorney's fee and court costs and disbursements, unless the contract, charge agreement, or lender credit card agreement so provides. In such cases, the charges shall be reasonable, and no attorney's fee may be recovered unless the contract, charge agreement, or lender credit card agreement is referred for collection to an attorney not a salaried employee of the holder.

(2) The contract, charge agreement, or lender credit card agreement may contain other provisions not inconsistent with the purposes of this chapter, including but not limited to provisions relating to refinancing, transfer of the buyer's equity, construction permits, and title reports.

(3) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, where the minimum payment is received within the ten days following the payment due date, delinquency charges for the late payment of a retail charge agreement or lender credit card agreement may not be more than ten percent of the average balance of the delinquent account for the prior thirty-day period when the average balance of the account for the prior thirty-day period is less than one hundred dollars, except that a minimum charge of up to two dollars shall be allowed. This subsection (3) shall not apply in cases where the payment on the account is more than thirty days overdue.

[1993 c 481 § 1; 1984 c 280 § 2; 1963 c 236 § 9.]