50-1117. Same; definitions. Definitions as used in this act: (a) "Commissioner" means the state bank commissioner or designee, who shall be the deputy commissioner of the consumer and mortgage lending division of the office of the state bank commissioner.

(b) "Consumer" means an individual who is a resident of this state.

(c) "Credit services organization" means a person who engages in, or holds out to the public as willing to engage in, the business of debt management services for a fee, compensation or gain, or in the expectation of a fee, compensation or gain.

(d) "Debt management service" means:

(1) Receiving or offering to receive funds from a consumer for the purpose of distributing the funds among such consumer's creditors in full or partial payment of such consumer's debts;

(2) improving or offering to improve a consumer's credit record, history, rating or score; or

(3) negotiating or offering to negotiate to defer or reduce a consumer's obligations with respect to credit extended by others.

(e) "Insolvent" means a person whose debts exceed their assets.

(f) "Law firm" means a lawyer or lawyers in a law partnership, professional corporation, sole proprietorship or other association authorized to practice law; or lawyers employed in a legal services organization or the legal department of a corporation or other organization.

(g) "Licensee" means a person who is licensed by the commissioner as a credit services organization.

(h) "Nationwide mortgage licensing system and registry" means a mortgage licensing system developed and maintained by the conference of state bank supervisors and the American association of residential mortgage regulators for the licensing and registration of licensed mortgage loan originators and other financial service providers.

(i) "Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, unincorporated organization or other form of entity, however organized, including a nonprofit entity.

(j) "Trust account" means an account established by the applicant or licensee in a federally insured financial institution used to hold funds paid by consumers to a credit services organization for designation indicating the funds in the account are:

(1) Not funds of the applicant or licensee or its owners, officers or employees; and

(2) unavailable to creditors of the applicant or licensee.

History: L. 2004, ch. 22, § 2; L. 2012, ch. 161, § 17; L. 2017, ch. 52, § 13; July 1.