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HomeFinancial Code[DIVISION 10. CON...Ch. 3Art. 2§ 23061 Deferred Deposit Overcharge Penalties

§ 23061 Deferred Deposit Overcharge Penalties

Financial Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 23061 Deferred Deposit Overcharge Penalties

Key Takeaways

  • •If a payday lender charges you more than they're allowed to, they can't keep any extra money—they only get back what they lent you.
  • •This rule doesn’t apply if the lender made an honest mistake in calculating the fees, but they must fix it within 60 days and tell you about it.
  • •The lender has to prove the mistake was accidental and that they usually try to avoid errors.

Example

You take out a $300 payday loan, and the lender charges you $60 in fees, but the law only allows $45.

The lender has to give back all the fees and can only take the $300 they lent you. But if they made a real mistake (like a math error) and fix it quickly, they might not get in trouble.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 23061 Deferred Deposit Overcharge Penalties

(a) If any amount other than, or in excess of, the charges permitted by this division is charged, contracted for, or received in connection with a deferred deposit transaction, for any reason other than a willful act of the licensee, the licensee shall forfeit all charges and fees on the deferred deposit transaction and may collect or receive only the principal amount of the transaction. (b) Subdivision (a) shall not apply to an error in computation if (1) the licensee shows by a preponderance of evidence that the violation was not intentional and resulted from a bona fide error, notwithstanding the maintenance of procedures reasonably adapted to avoid that error, and (2) within 60 days of discovering the error the licensee notifies the customer of the error and makes whatever adjustments in the account are necessary to correct the error. (Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 777, Sec. 10. Effective January 1, 2003. Section operative on December 31, 2004, or sooner, pursuant to Section 23104.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

contractlicensetransactionconnectioncomputationpreponderanceevidenceviolation

Related Statutes

  • § 23062 Deferred Deposit Violation Penalties
  • § 22750 Void Loan Contracts
  • § 23060 Payday Loan Penalty Rules
  • § 4979.5 Broker Fiduciary Duty
  • § 22551 Loan Amount Verification Rules

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Financial Code. Section 23061.
View Official Source