No debt management services provider shall:

(1) purchase from a creditor any obligation of a debtor;

(2) use, threaten to use, seek to have used, or seek to have threatened the use of any legal process, including but not limited to garnishment and repossession of personal property, against any debtor while the debt management services agreement between the registrant and the debtor remains executory;

(3) advise, counsel, or encourage a debtor to stop paying a creditor, or imply, infer, encourage, or in any other way indicate, that it is advisable to stop paying a creditor;

(4) sanction or condone the act by a debtor of ceasing payments to a creditor or imply, infer, or in any manner indicate that the act of ceasing payments to a creditor is advisable or beneficial to the debtor;

(5) require as a condition of performing debt management services the purchase of any services, stock, insurance, commodity, or other property or any interest therein either by the debtor or the registrant;

(6) compromise any debts unless the prior written or contractual approval of the debtor has been obtained to such compromise and unless such compromise inures solely to the benefit of the debtor;

(7) receive from any debtor as security or in payment of any fee a promissory note or other promise to pay or any mortgage or other security, whether as to real or personal property;

(8) lend money or provide credit to any debtor if any interest or fee is charged, or directly or indirectly collect any fee for referring, advising, procuring, arranging, or assisting a consumer in obtaining any extension of credit or other debtor service from a lender or debt management services provider;

(9) structure a debt management services agreement that would result in negative amortization of any debt in the plan;

(10) engage in any unfair, deceptive, or unconscionable act or practice in connection with any service provided to any debtor;

(11) offer, pay, or give any material cash fee, gift, bonus, premium, reward, or other compensation to any person for referring any prospective customer to the registrant or for enrolling a debtor in a debt management services plan, or provide any other incentives for employees or agents of the debt management services provider to induce debtors to enter into a debt management services plan;

(12) receive any cash, fee, gift, bonus, premium, reward, or other compensation from any person other than the debtor or a person on the debtor's behalf in connection with activities as a registrant, provided that this paragraph does not apply to a registrant which is a bona fide nonprofit corporation duly organized under chapter 317A or under the similar laws of another state;

(13) enter into a contract with a debtor unless a thorough written budget analysis indicates that the debtor can reasonably meet the requirements of the financial adjustment plan and will be benefited by the plan;

(14) in any way charge or purport to charge or provide any debtor credit insurance in conjunction with any contract or agreement involved in the debt management services plan;

(15) operate or employ a person who is an employee or owner of a collection agency or process-serving business; or

(16) solicit, demand, collect, require, or attempt to require payment of a sum that the registrant states, discloses, or advertises to be a voluntary contribution to a debt management services provider or designee from the debtor.

History: 2007 c 57 art 3 s 57; 2009 c 37 art 4 s 17; 2009 c 178 art 1 s 63