(a) Unless the persons are married to each other, each creditor who obtains the signature of more than one person on a consumer credit contract shall deliver to each person who does not in fact receive any of the money, property, or services which are the subject matter of the consumer credit contract, prior to that person’s becoming obligated on the consumer credit contract, a notice in English and Spanish in at least 10-point type as follows:
NOTICE TO COSIGNER (Traducción en Inglés Se Requiere Por La Ley)
You are being asked to guarantee this debt. Think carefully before you do. If the borrower doesn’t pay the debt, you will have to. Be sure you can afford to pay if you have to, and that you want to accept this responsibility.
You may have to pay up to the full amount of the debt if the borrower does not pay. You may also have to pay late fees or collection costs, which increase this amount.
The creditor can collect this debt from you without first trying to collect from the borrower. The creditor can use the same collection methods against you that can be used against the borrower, such as suing you, garnishing your wages, etc. If this debt is ever in default, that fact may become a part of your credit record.
This notice is not the contract that makes you liable for the debt.
AVISO PARA EL FIADOR (Spanish Translation Required By Law)
Se le está pidiendo que garantice esta deuda. Piénselo con cuidado antes de ponerse de acuerdo. Si la persona que ha pedido este préstamo no paga la deuda, usted tendrá que pagarla. Esté seguro de que usted podrá pagar si sea obligado a pagarla y de que usted desea aceptar la responsabilidad.
Si la persona que ha pedido el préstamo no paga la deuda, es posible que usted tenga que pagar la suma total de la deuda, mas los cargos por tardarse en el pago o el costo de cobranza, lo cual aumenta el total de esta suma.
El acreedor (financiero) puede cobrarle a usted sin, primeramente, tratar de cobrarle al deudor. Los mismos metodos de cobranza que pueden usarse contra el deudor, podran usarse contra usted, tales como presentar una demanda en corte, quitar parte de su sueldo, etc. Si alguna vez no se cumpla con la obligación de pagar esta deuda, se puede incluir esa información en la historia de credito de usted.
Este aviso no es el contrato mismo en que se le echa a usted la responsabilidad de la deuda.
(b) Whenever notice is required to be given under subdivision (a) or (d) and the consumer credit contract is written in a language other than English or Spanish, the creditor shall deliver the notice as required in subdivision (a) or (d) in English and, in addition to or in lieu of Spanish, in the language in which the consumer contract is written.
(c) The requirements of subdivisions (a) and (b) do not apply to a creditor offering or extending open-end credit, as defined in Regulation Z, to joint applicants if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) The application or agreement signed by each applicant clearly and conspicuously discloses that after credit approval each applicant shall have the right to use the open-end credit plan to the extent of any limit set by the creditor and may be liable for all amounts extended under the plan to any joint applicant.
(2) After credit approval, the creditor issues for the use of each applicant any credit device such as a credit card which may be used to obtain credit under the open-end credit plan and sends the credit device to the address specified in the application or otherwise delivers the credit device in a manner specified in the application or agreement signed by each applicant.
This paragraph does not apply to a creditor who does not issue a credit card or other credit device in order to obtain credit under the creditor’s open-end credit plan.
(d) Unless the persons are married to each other, a lessor under a lease shall deliver to each person who does not in fact receive the vehicle which is the subject of the lease contract, prior to that person becoming liable on the lease contract, the following notice in English and Spanish in at least 10-point type in lieu of the notice required by subdivision (a):
NOTICE TO COSIGNER (Traducción en Inglés Se Requiere Por La Ley)
You are being asked to guarantee this lease. Think carefully before you do. If the lessee doesn’t pay, you will have to. Be sure you can afford to pay if you have to, and that you want to accept this responsibility.
You may have to pay up to the full amount owed on the lease if the lessee does not pay. You may also have to pay late fees or other collection costs, which increase this amount.
The lessor can collect on the lease from you without first trying to collect from the lessee. The lessor can use the same collection methods against you that can be used against the lessee, such as suing you, garnishing your wages, etc. If this lease is ever in default, that fact may become part of your credit record.
This notice is not the contract that makes you liable for the lease obligation.
AVISO PARA EL FIADOR (Spanish Translation Required By Law)
Se le está piediendo que garantice este arrendamiento. Piénselo con cuidado antes de ponerse de acuerdo. Si el arrendatario no paga, usted tendrá que pagar. Esté seguro de que usted podrá pagar si sea obligado a pagar y de que usted desea aceptar la responsabilidad.
Si el arrendatario no paga, es posible que usted tenga que pagar la suma total debida en el contrato de arrendamiento, más los cargos por tardarse en el pago o el costo de cobranza, los cuales aumentan el total de esta suma.
La compañía arrendadora puede cobrarle a usted por la suma debida en el arrendamiento, sin, primeramente, tratar de cobrarle al arrendatario. Los mismos métodos de cobranza que pueden usarse contra el arrendatario, podrán usarse contra usted, tales como presentar una demanda en corte, quitar parte de su sueldo, etc. Si alguna vez no se cumpla con la obligación del arrendamiento, se puede incluir esa información en la historia de credito de usted.
Este aviso no es el contrato mismo en que se le echa a usted la responsabilidad del arrendamiento.
(e) “Regulation Z” has the meaning set forth in Section 1802.18.
(f) The word “your” in the last sentence of the third paragraph of the notice in English set forth in subdivisions (a) and (d) shall be italicized.
(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 800, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1998.)