The West Virginia legislature is considering bills to amend the Consumer Credit and Protection Act (“WVCCPA”) and they can affect how lenders, creditors, collectors, and others interact with consumers in financial transactions.

The WVCCPA is the primary statute in West Virginia that regulates how lenders, creditors, collectors, and others deal with consumers in financial transactions. It allows consumers to bring lawsuits under its provisions, and its penalty provisions are more severe than those in the corresponding federal law. As a consequence, consumers regularly sue under the WVCCPA and forego any claims under any other law.

The legislature currently is considering the following bills that would amend the WVCCPA and related statutes:

1. SB241 – Addressing warranties that apply to used motor vehicle sales.
2. SB368 – Prohibiting automatic purchase renewals without consumers’ express consent.
3. HB2146 – Allowing home improvement transactions without a written contract.
4. HB2371 – Addressing warranties that apply to new manufactured home sales.
5. HB2464 – Addressing exclusions of warranties in consumer transactions for goods.
6. HB2768 – Modifying the penalties a consumer may recover under the WVCCPA.
7. HB2907 – Addressing purchase options in real property lease agreements.
8. HB4045 – Prohibiting telemarketers from misrepresenting information on caller ID.
9. HB4150 – Prohibiting telecommunications services from displaying consumers’ names.
10. HB4418 – Applying the WVCCPA to fees landlords charge their tenants.

We are watching these bills as they progress through the legislative process. Check back to our blog. Later this week, we’ll start examining each of these bills in detail and provide updates on their progress.