426.110(7)
(7) As soon as practicable after the commencement of an action brought as a class action, the court shall determine by order whether it is to be so maintained. An order under this subsection may be conditional, and may be altered or amended before the decision on the merits. If the court determines that the action may not be maintained as a class action, it shall allow the action to proceed on behalf of the parties appearing in the action.
426.110(8)
(8) In any class action maintained under
sub. (6) (c), the court shall direct to the members of the class the best notice practicable under the circumstances, including individual notice to all members who can be identified through reasonable effort. The notice shall advise each member that:
426.110(8)(a)
(a) The court will exclude a class member from the class if the member so requests by a specified date;
426.110(8)(b)
(b) The judgment, whether favorable or not, will include all members who do not request exclusion; and
426.110(8)(c)
(c) Any member who does not request exclusion may, if the member desires, enter an appearance through the member's counsel.
426.110(9)
(9) The judgment in an action maintained as a class action under
sub. (6) (a) or
(b), whether or not favorable to the class, shall include and describe those whom the court finds to be members of the class. The judgment in an action maintained as a class action under
sub. (6) (c), whether or not favorable to the class, shall include and specify or describe those to whom the notice provided in
sub. (8) was directed, and who have not requested exclusion, and whom the court finds to be members of the class.
426.110(10)
(10) When appropriate, an action may be brought or maintained as a class action with respect to particular issues, or a class may be divided into subclasses and each subclass treated as a class, and this section shall then be construed and applied accordingly.
426.110(11)
(11) If the judgment is for a class of plaintiffs, the court shall render judgment in favor of the administrator and against the defendants for all costs of notice incurred by the administrator in such action.
426.110(12)
(12) In the conduct of actions to which this section applies, the court may make appropriate orders, which may be altered or amended as may be desirable from time to time, for any of the following purposes:
426.110(12)(a)
(a) Determining the course of proceedings or prescribing measures to prevent undue repetition or complication in the presentation of evidence or argument.
426.110(12)(b)
(b) Requiring, for the protection of the members of the class or otherwise for the fair conduct of the action, that notice be given in such manner as the court may direct to some or all of the members of any step in the action, or of the proposed extent of the judgment, or of the opportunity of members to signify whether they consider the representation fair and adequate, to intervene and present claims or defenses, or otherwise to come into the action.
426.110(12)(c)
(c) Imposing conditions on the representative parties or on intervenors.
426.110(12)(d)
(d) Requiring that the pleadings be amended to eliminate therefrom allegations as to representation of absent persons, and that the action proceed accordingly.
426.110(13)
(13) A class action shall not be dismissed or compromised without the approval of the court, and notice of the proposed dismissal or compromise shall be given to all members of the class in such manner as the court directs.
426.110(14)
(14) A merchant shall not be liable in a class action for specific penalties under
s. 425.302 (1) (a),
425.303 (1),
425.304 (1),
425.305 (1) or
429.301 (1) for which it would be liable in individual actions by reason of violations of
chs. 421 to
427 and
429 or of conduct prescribed in
sub. (2) unless it is shown by a preponderance of the evidence that the violation was a wilful and knowing violation of
chs. 421 to
427 and
429.No recovery in an action under this subsection may exceed $100,000.
426.110(15)
(15) A plaintiff who prevails shall be awarded a reasonable attorney's fee. Notwithstanding
s. 425.308 (2), reasonable attorney's fees in a class action shall be determined by the value of the time reasonably expended by the attorney rather than by the amount of the recovery on behalf of the class. A legal aid society or legal services program which represents a class shall be awarded a reasonable service fee in lieu of reasonable attorney's fees, equal in amount to the amount of the attorney's fees as measured by this subsection.
426.110(16)
(16) The administrator, whether or not a party to an action, shall bear the costs of notice except that the administrator may recover such costs from the defendant as provided in
sub. (11).
426.110 Annotation
Sub. (4) (c) is procedural and not substantive as it does not grant or deny the substantive right to sue. Mace v. Van Ru Credit Corp. 109 F (3d) 338 (1997).
426.111
426.111
Debtors' remedies not affected. The grant of powers to the administrator in this chapter does not affect remedies available to customers under
chs. 421 to
427 and
429 or under other principles of law or equity.
REGISTRATION AND FEES
426.201(1)(1) The registration requirements of this section apply to persons who do any of the following in this state:
426.201(1)(a)
(a) Make or solicit consumer credit transactions, except a person who engages in consumer credit transactions solely through honoring credit cards issued by 3rd parties not related to such person.
426.201(1)(b)
(b) Directly collect payments from or enforce rights against customers arising from such transactions, wherever made.
426.201(2)
(2) Each person subject to the registration requirements under
sub. (1) shall file a registration statement with the administrator within 30 days after commencing business in this state, and thereafter, on or before February 28 of each year. The registration statement shall include all of the following information:
426.201(2)(b)
(b) The name under which the person transacts business if different from
par. (a).
426.201(2)(c)
(c) The address of the person's principal office, which may be outside this state.
426.201(2)(d)
(d) The addresses of all of the person's offices or retail stores, if any, in this state.
426.201(2)(e)
(e) If consumer transactions or other business subject to this chapter are made otherwise than at an office or retail store in this state, a brief description of the manner in which they are made.
426.201(2)(f)
(f) The address of the person's designated agent upon whom service of process may be made in this state.
426.201(2)(fm)
(fm) The average monthly outstanding balance of all consumer credit transactions held by the person for the reporting period for which the registration statement is filed. In this paragraph, "average monthly outstanding balance" and "reporting period" have the meanings given under
s. 426.202 (1m) (a).
426.201(2)(g)
(g) Such other similar information as the administrator may require to effectuate the purposes and policies of
chs. 421 to
427 and
429.
426.201(3)
(3) The administrator shall adopt rules governing the filing of changes, additions or modifications of the registration statement required by this section, and shall adopt rules pertaining to form, verification and similar matters pertaining to the registration.
426.201(4)
(4) The following persons shall not be subject to this section solely by reason of their debt collection activities unless they are licensed debt collectors under
s. 218.04:
426.201(4)(a)
(a) Attorneys authorized to practice law in this state or professional service corporations composed of licensed attorneys formed pursuant to
ss. 180.1901 to
180.1921;
426.201(4)(b)
(b) Duly licensed real estate brokers and real estate salespersons; and
426.201(4)(c)
(c) Duly licensed insurance companies subject to the supervision of the office of the commissioner of insurance.
426.201(5)
(5) No person is subject to this section solely by reason of offering the discount described in
s. 422.201 (8).
426.202(1m)(a)1.
1. "Average outstanding monthly balance" means, for any person during any reporting period, the amount calculated as follows:
426.202(1m)(a)1.a.
a. Determining the outstanding balance of all consumer credit transactions that the person has entered into and that originated in this state, as of the last day of each month during the reporting period.
426.202(1m)(a)1.b.
b. Adding the outstanding balance for each month in the reporting period.
426.202(1m)(a)1.c.
c. Dividing the sum determined under
subd. 1. b. by the number of months in the reporting period during which the person had outstanding consumer credit transactions.
426.202(1m)(a)2.
2. "Reporting period" means, for any registration statement, the last full calendar year preceding the date on which the registration statement is due.
426.202(1m)(b)
(b)
Registration fee requirement. Any person required to register under
s. 426.201 shall pay a registration fee to the administrator when the person files the registration statement required under
s. 426.201, except that a person is not required to pay a registration fee under this section if the person's average outstanding monthly balance for that reporting period does not exceed $250,000.
426.202(1m)(c)
(c)
Amount of registration fee. The amount of the registration fee shall be determined in accordance with rates set by the administrator, subject to the maximum and minimum fees under
pars. (d) and
(e). In setting these rates, the administrator shall consider the costs of administering
chs. 421 to
427 and
429, including the costs of enforcement, education and seeking voluntary compliance with
chs. 421 to
427 and
429.Subject to
pars. (d) and
(e), the registration fee for a person shall be based on the person's average monthly outstanding balance during the reporting period.
426.202(1m)(d)
(d)
Minimum fee. Any person required to pay a registration fee under
par. (b) shall pay a registration fee of at least $25 per reporting period.
426.202(1m)(e)
(e)
Maximum fees. Any person required to pay a registration statement under this section may not be required to pay a registration fee that exceeds any of the following:
426.202(1m)(e)2.
2. For the reporting period, 0.005% of the average monthly outstanding balance.
426.202(4)
(4) Submission of data for calculating the amount of fee. A person required to register under
s. 426.201 shall submit such financial and other data as the administrator may require which will support the computation of the amount of the fee.
426.202(5)
(5) Recovery of fees. The administrator shall bring an action in any court of record to recover any fees that the administrator determines are due and owing under this section.
426.203
426.203
Penalties. Whoever fails to comply with the registration requirements under
s. 426.201 or fails to pay a fee required under
s. 426.202 may be required to forfeit not more than $50. Each day that this failure continues constitutes a separate offense. Forfeitures received by the administrator under this section shall be credited to the appropriation account under
s. 20.144 (1) (h) and may be expended from the account only for consumer or merchant education programs.
426.203 History
History: 1995 a. 27.
VIOLATIONS AND ENFORCEMENT
426.301
426.301
Violations and enforcement. 426.301(1)
(1) The administrator may recover in a civil action from a person who violates
chs. 421 to
427 and
429 or any rule made pursuant to any authority granted in
chs. 421 to
427 and
429, a civil penalty of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000 for each violation.
426.301(2)
(2) In addition to the amount to which the administrator shall be entitled under
sub. (1), the administrator may recover in a civil action from a person who knowingly or wilfully violates
chs. 421 to
427 and
429 or any rule made pursuant to any authority granted in
chs. 421 to
427 and
429, a civil penalty of not less than $1,000 and not more than $10,000 for each violation.
