Maryland § 7-102

§ 7-102.

    (a)    (1)    In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

        (2)    “Common ownership” means direct or indirect ownership of more than 50% of a person.

        (3)    “Principal business” means a business activity of a person that comprises more than 50% of the total business activities of the person.

    (b)    This title does not apply to:

        (1)    a bank;

        (2)    a federal or State credit union;

        (3)    a mortgage lender;

        (4)    a person acting under an order of a court of competent jurisdiction;

        (5)    a licensed real estate broker, or an individual acting on behalf of the real estate broker, in the collection of rent or allied charges for property;

        (6)    a savings and loan association;

        (7)    a title company as to its escrow business;

        (8)    a trust company;

        (9)    a lawyer who is collecting a debt for a client, unless the lawyer has an employee who:

            (i)    is not a lawyer; and

            (ii)    is engaged primarily to solicit debts for collection or primarily makes contact with a debtor to collect or adjust a debt through a procedure identified with the operation of a collection agency; or

        (10)    a person who is collecting a debt for another person if:

            (i)    both persons are related by common ownership;

            (ii)    the person who is collecting a debt does so only for those persons to whom it is related by common ownership;

            (iii)    the principal business of the person who is collecting a debt is not the collection of debts; and

            (iv)    before collecting a debt, the person files with the Board:

                1.    the correct name of the person;

                2.    an address and telephone number of a contact person; and

                3.    the name of the person’s resident agent.