N.M. Admin. Code § 12.2.12.9

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 23, December 10, 2024

Section 12.2.12.9 - UNFAIR OR DECEPTIVE PRACTICES; REQUIRED DISCLOSURES

A. It is an unfair or deceptive trade practice for any debt collector acting in the regular course of his or her trade or commerce, whether directly or indirectly, by letter, telephone, electronically or by any other means, to collect or to attempt to collect from any person any payment of any debt that the debt collector knows or has reason to know is a time-barred debt, or to seek or obtain from any person any payment, admission, affirmation, acknowledgement of a debt, or new promise to pay, or any waiver of legal rights or defenses with regard to any debt, that the debt collector knows or has reason to know is a time-barred debt unless the debt collector discloses the following information:

(1) the disclosure is prefaced with the following statement: "We are required by New Mexico Attorney General rule to notify you of the following information. This information is not legal advice.";

(2) either that the debt is unenforceable through a lawsuit because the time for filing has expired, or that it may be unenforceable through a lawsuit because the time for filing may have expired;

(3) if the debt is time-barred, the person cannot be required to pay the debt through a lawsuit;

(4) the person is not required by the law: to sign any admission, affirmation or acknowledgement of, or new promise to pay the debt; or to make any payment on the debt; or to waive any of his or her rights with regard to the effect of the running of the applicable statute of limitation;

(5) an explanation of the consequences pursuant to NMSA 1978, Section 37-1-16, with regard to the revival of the statute of limitation resulting from: any payment on the debt; any signed admission, affirmation or acknowledgement of the debt; any signed new promise to pay the debt; any waiver of the debtor's legal rights resulting from the unenforceability of the debt due to the running of the applicable statute of limitation.

B. A debt collector who makes the following disclosure shall be deemed to have complied with the requirements of Subsection A of 12.2.12.9 NMAC: "We are required by New Mexico Attorney General rule to notify you of the following information. This information is not legal advice: This debt may be too old for you to be sued on it in court. If it is too old, you can't be required to pay it through a lawsuit. You can renew the debt and start the time for the filing of a lawsuit against you to collect the debt if you do any of the following: make any payment of the debt; sign a paper in which you admit that you owe the debt or in which you make a new promise to pay; sign a paper in which you give up ("waive") your right to stop the debt collector from suing you in court to collect the debt."

C. The disclosures required by Subsection A of 12.2.12.9 NMAC shall be in plain language, and shall be designed to reasonably and fairly inform the least sophisticated consumer.

D. If the demand for payment is in a language other than English, the debt collector shall give the disclosures required by Subsection A of 12.2.12.9 NMAC in that language.

E. In the case of written communications, the disclosures required by Subsection A of 12.2.12.9 NMAC or Subsection B of 12.2.12.9 NMAC shall be clear and conspicuous and shall be placed on the front page.

F. In the case of oral communications, the disclosures required by Subsection A of 12.2.12.9 NMAC or Subsection B of 12.2.12.9 NMAC shall be made immediately before or immediately after the first statement requesting payment, or, if no request for payment is made, no later than immediately after reference to the debt is first made.

G. The disclosures required by Subsection A of 12.2.12.9 NMAC shall be given only to those debtors whom the debt collector reasonably and in good faith determines owes a debt that is time-barred.

H. It is a defense to the requirements of Subsection A of 12.2.12.9 NMAC, Subsection B of 12.2.12.9 NMAC, and Subsection G of 12.2.12.9 NMAC if, in making the erroneous determination, the debt collector exercised reasonable efforts to determine whether the debt was time-barred or not and made the error in good faith, as supported by the debt collector's documentation. The absence of any documentation creates a rebuttable presumption of the lack of reasonable efforts and good faith.

N.M. Admin. Code § 12.2.12.9

12.2.12.9 NMAC - N, 12/15/10