Virginia Law

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Board" means the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services or his designee.

"Home service contract" means a contract or agreement for a separately stated consideration for any duration to perform the service, repair, replacement, or maintenance of property or to indemnify for the costs of service, repair, replacement, or maintenance, for the operational failure of any property due to a defect in materials, workmanship, inherent defect, or normal wear and tear, with or without additional provisions for incidental payment of indemnity under limited circumstances. Home service contracts may provide for the service, repair, replacement, or maintenance of property for damage resulting from power surges or interruption and for accidental damage from handling. Home service contracts may provide roof leak coverage.

"Property" means any component, part, appliance, or household system of a residential property that is covered by a contract, whether such component, part, appliance, or household system is personal property or is affixed as real property to the covered residential property.

"Provider" means a person that is contractually obligated to the purchaser under the terms of the home service contract.

"Purchaser" means a person who enters into a home service contract with a provider.

2017, c. 727.

A. It shall be unlawful for any provider to offer, advertise, or execute or cause to be executed by the purchaser any home service contract for property in the Commonwealth unless the provider at the time of the solicitation, offer, advertisement, sale, or execution of a contract has been properly registered with the Commissioner. The registration application and renewal shall be on a form provided by the Commissioner and shall (i) disclose the address, ownership, and nature of business of the provider; (ii) be renewed annually on July 1; (iii) be accompanied by a fee of $300 per registration and annual renewal; and (iv) be accompanied by an audited financial statement per registration and annual renewal that is prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or statutory accounting principles, at the election of the provider. A registration application or registration renewal shall not be considered filed until all required information and fees are received by the Commissioner and taxes are paid pursuant to Article 10 (§ 58.1-400 et seq.) of Chapter 3 of Title 58.1. Notwithstanding § 58.1-3 or any other provision of law, the Department of Taxation and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services may exchange information regarding providers for purposes of enforcing the provisions of this chapter. A provider shall not be required by this chapter to file with the Commissioner or any other entity or agency copies of the provider's home service contract forms or information regarding the rates or charges under the provider's home service contracts. Any provider that fails to register prior to the sale of a home service contract shall pay a late filing fee of $100 for each 30-day period, or portion thereof, that the registration is late. A provider that fails to timely renew its registration shall pay a late fee of $50 for each 30-day period, or portion thereof, that the annual renewal filing is late. The late fees authorized by this subsection shall be in addition to all other penalties authorized by law.

B. All fees shall be remitted to the State Treasurer and shall be placed to the credit and in the special fund of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to be used in the administration of this chapter.

2017, c. 727.

A. Every provider shall maintain a funded reserve account for its obligations under its home service contracts issued and outstanding in the Commonwealth. The reserves shall not be less than 40 percent of gross consideration received, less claims paid, on the sale of the home service contract for all in-force home service contracts sold in the Commonwealth.

B. Each provider, before it is registered under § 59.1-434.2, shall file and maintain with the Commissioner, in form and substance satisfactory to him, a bond with corporate surety, from a company authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth or a letter of credit from a bank insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, in the amount of $10,000. Additional bond or letter of credit amounts shall be similarly filed with the Commissioner and shall be adjusted from time to time, in accordance with the following schedule:

The total amount of unexpired home service contracts shall be the total consideration paid by all purchasers to the provider for all home service contracts currently in effect. The bond or letter of credit required by this subsection shall be in favor of the Commonwealth for the benefit of purchasers of home service contracts for property in the event that the provider does not fulfill its obligations under such home service contracts for any reason, including insolvency or bankruptcy.

C. The aggregate liability of the bond or letter of credit to all persons for all breaches of the conditions of the bond or letter of credit shall in no event exceed the amount of the bond or letter of credit. The bond or letter of credit shall not be cancelled or terminated except with the consent of the Commissioner.

D. In lieu of compliance with subsections A and B, a provider may demonstrate financial responsibility by filing with the Commissioner a copy of a liability insurance policy issued by an insurer authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth and that covers 100 percent of the provider's home service contract liabilities, including the administration of claims and the cost for such administration. Reimbursement insurance policies filed pursuant to this section may not be canceled by either the provider or the issuing insurer without providing 60 days' notice to the Commissioner.

2017, c. 727.

A. The Board is authorized to adopt reasonable regulations in order to implement provisions in this chapter relating to home service contracts. These regulations shall be adopted, amended, or repealed in accordance with the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.).

B. Without limiting the authority of the Board under subsection A, the Board is authorized to adopt reasonable regulations that designate services, in addition to those enumerated in the definition of home service contract in § 59.1-434.1, that may be provided under a home service contract, provided that the designation of the additional services is not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter.

2017, c. 727.

A. The Commissioner may, with respect to home service contracts:

1. Make necessary public and private investigations within or without the Commonwealth to determine whether any person has violated the provisions of this chapter or any rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant to this chapter;

2. Require or permit any person to file a statement in writing, under oath or otherwise as the Commissioner determines, as to all facts and circumstances concerning the matter under investigation; and

3. Administer oaths or affirmations, and upon motion or upon request of any party, may subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance, take evidence, and require the production of any matter that is relevant to the investigation, including the existence, description, nature, custody, condition, and location of any books, documents, or other tangible things and the identity and location of persons having knowledge of relevant facts, or any other matter reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of material evidence.

B. Any proceeding or hearing of the Commissioner pursuant to this chapter, in which witnesses are subpoenaed and their attendance required for evidence to be taken, or any matter produced to ascertain material evidence, shall take place within the City of Richmond.

C. If any person fails to obey the subpoena or to answer questions propounded by the Commissioner and upon reasonable notice to all persons affected thereby, the Commissioner may apply to the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond for an order compelling compliance.

2017, c. 727.

Every provider, upon written request of the Commissioner, shall make available to the Commissioner its home service contract records for inspection and copying to enable the Commissioner to reasonably determine compliance with this chapter. Every provider shall maintain a true copy of each contract executed between the provider and a purchaser, and each contract shall be maintained for its term.

2017, c. 727.

A. Home service contracts are (i) not contracts of insurance in the Commonwealth and (ii) not subject to regulation under Title 38.2.

B. Any provider that has a net worth, on a stand-alone basis or together with a parent company, calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or statutory accounting principles at the election of the provider, in excess of $100 million shall be subject to neither (i) the provisions of this chapter nor (ii) the provisions of Title 38.2.

C. Any matter subject to the insurance regulatory authority of the State Corporation Commission pursuant to Title 38.2 shall not be subject to the provisions of this chapter.

D. Providers that comply with this chapter shall not be subject to the provisions of Title 38.2.

E. Employees of providers that comply with this chapter and licensed real estate agents or other contractors operating under a written agreement with such providers that market, sell, or offer to sell home service contracts on behalf of the registered provider shall be subject to neither (i) the provisions of this chapter nor (ii) the provisions of Title 38.2.

F. The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to:

1. Any extended service contract providers offering extended service contracts on consumer products, as those terms are defined in § 59.1-435, that are registered and regulated pursuant to Chapter 34 (§ 59.1-435 et seq.); or

2. Any maintenance and service agreement (i) pertaining to a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, or cooling system entered into between a seller of petroleum heating oil, propane, or natural gas and the seller's customer if the seller does not engage in selling home service contracts for property other than heating, ventilation, air conditioning, or cooling systems or (ii) entered into by a person who provides telecommunications services in the Commonwealth to which the service contract, guarantee or warranty relates.

2017, c. 727.

A. Any provider that knowingly and willfully violates any provision of this chapter is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.

B. Any violation of the provisions of this chapter shall constitute a prohibited practice pursuant to the provisions of § 59.1-200 and shall be subject to any and all of the enforcement provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act (§ 59.1-196 et seq.).

2017, c. 727.