§3314. Late charges

A. Lessees under both true and financed consumer lease agreements may contractually agree to pay late charges on any one or more rental payments which are not paid in full within ten days after the scheduled or deferred due dates, in an amount not to exceed five percent of the unpaid amount of such delinquent rental payment, or twenty-five dollars, whichever is greater.

B. Lessees under both true and financed commercial lease agreements may contractually agree to pay late charges in any amount or at any rate on any one or more delinquent rental payments which are not paid in full on the scheduled or deferred due dates.

C. Late charges under R.S. 9:3314(A) may be collected only once on a delinquent rental payment however long it remains in default. No such late charge may be collected on a rental payment that is paid in full within ten days after its scheduled due date for consumer leases, even though an earlier maturing rental payment or a late charge on an earlier rental payment may not have been paid in full. For purposes of this Subsection, payments are deemed to be applied first to current rentals and then to delinquent rentals and then to late charges.

D. No late charge may be collected on a consumer lease payment which has been deferred and a deferral charge has been paid or incurred, provided that the deferred payment is paid within ten days of its deferral date with regard to consumer leases.

E. Late charges may be collected at the time they accrue or at any time thereafter. The lessor is not required to notify the lessee of the assessment of late charges.

F. Late charges may be assessed in addition to interest rate charges as provided under R.S. 9:3311 and 3312.

Acts 1985, No. 592, §1, eff. July 13, 1985; Acts 1986, No. 213, §1.