Section 10-1-31. Definitions; construction

   (a) As used in this article, the term:

   (1) "Cash sale price" means the price stated in a retail installment contract for which the seller would have sold to the buyer and the buyer would have bought from the seller the motor vehicle which is the subject matter of the retail installment contract if such sale had been a sale for cash instead of a retail installment transaction. The cash sale price may include any taxes; registration, certificate of title, license, and other fees; and charges for accessories and their installation and for delivery, servicing, repairing, or improving the motor vehicle. The cash sale price may also include any amount paid to the buyer or to a third party on behalf of the buyer to satisfy a lease on or a lien on or a security interest in a motor vehicle used as a trade-in on the motor vehicle which is the subject of a retail installment transaction under this article.

   (2) "Finance charge" means the amount agreed upon between the buyer and the seller, as limited in this article, to be added to the cash sale price, the amount, if any, included for insurance and other benefits, if a separate charge is made therefor, and official fees, in determining the time sale price.

   (3) "Holder" of a retail installment contract means the retail seller of the motor vehicle under the contract or, if the contract is purchased by a sales finance company or another assignee, the sales finance company or other assignee at the time of the determination.

   (4) "Motor vehicle" means any device or vehicle including automobiles, motorcycles, motor trucks, trailers, and all other vehicles operated over the public highways and streets of this state and propelled by power other than muscular power but does not include traction engines, road rollers, implements of husbandry and other agricultural equipment, and such vehicles as run only upon a track.

   (5) "Official fees" means the fees prescribed by law for filing, recording, or otherwise perfecting and releasing or satisfying a retained title or a lien created by a retail installment contract.

   (6) "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, or any other group however organized.

   (7) "Purchase price" means the time balance shown in the contract plus the down payment.

   (8) "Retail buyer" or "buyer" means a person who buys a motor vehicle from a retail seller not principally for the purpose of resale and who executes a retail installment contract in connection therewith or a person who succeeds to the rights and obligations of such person.

   (9) "Retail installment contract" or "contract" means an instrument or instruments creating a purchase money security interest.

   (10) "Retail installment seller" or "seller" means a person engaged in the business of selling motor vehicles to retail buyers in retail installment transactions.

   (11) "Retail installment transaction" means any transaction evidenced by a retail installment contract.

   (12) "Sales finance company" means a person engaged in the business of purchasing retail installment contracts from one or more retail sellers. The term includes but is not limited to a bank, trust company, or industrial loan company, if so engaged. The term does not include the pledge of an aggregate number of such contracts to secure a bona fide loan thereon.

   (13) "Time sale price" means the cash sale price of a motor vehicle, the amount included for insurance and other benefits if a separate charge is made therefor, official fees, and finance charges. The time sale price may also include, if it has not been included in the cash sale price, any amount paid to the buyer or to a third party on behalf of the buyer to satisfy a lease on or a lien on or a security interest in a motor vehicle used as a trade-in on the motor vehicle which is the subject of a retail installment transaction under this article.

(b) The rules of statutory construction contained in Chapter 3 of Title 1 shall apply to this article.

Ga. L. 1967, p. 674, § 2; Ga. L. 1999, p. 1229, § 1.