Seychelles
Hire Purchase and Credit Sale Act, 2013
Act 21 of 2013
- Published on 6 January 2013
- Commenced on 1 March 2014
- [This is the version of this document at 31 December 2015.]
Part I – Preliminary
1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Hire Purchase and Credit Sale Act, 2013.2. Interpretation
In this Act—"ancillary agreement" means an option given by the dealer to the hirer in a hire purchase agreement or to the buyer in a credit sale agreement, to purchase other goods, which are ancillary to the goods specified in the First Schedule and includes a credit protection plan or an extended warranty;"annual percentage rate" means the annual percentage rate prescribed by the Minister under section 12(2);"Authority" means the Financial Services Authority established under the Financial Services Authority Act, 2013;"bailment" means an agreement, other than a leasing contract, under which goods are rented to a bailee on a temporary basis in consideration for a monthly rental and property in the goods remains with the bailor;"bailor" means a person who rents goods to a bailee under a bailment;"buyer" means a purchaser of goods under a credit sale agreement;"cash price" means the price at which goods are sold on a cash sale basis, where such price, after deduction of any discount, is paid at the time of the purchase;"chargeable price" means the amount on which charges are imposed and which is equal to the difference between the cash price and the down payment;"charges" means an amount, not exceeding the annual percentage rate of the monthly flat rate, on the chargeable price as may be prescribed by the Minister under section 12(2);"Code" means the Civil Code of Seychelles Act;"contract of suretyship" in relation to a hire purchase or a credit sale agreement means, a contract made at the request, express or implied of the hirer or buyer, to guarantee the performance of the hirer's or buyer's obligations under the agreement and the expression "surety" shall be construed accordingly;"Court" means the Supreme Court of Seychelles;"credit price" means the total sum, not being in excess of the sum of the cash price and charges accrued, payable by the buyer under a credit sale agreement in order to complete the purchase of goods to which the agreement relates;"credit sale agreement" means an agreement for the sale of goods on credit under which the dealership in the goods passes to the buyer upon sale;"dealer"—(a)means a person(i)who lets or has let goods to a hirer under a hire purchase agreement;(ii)who sells or has sold goods to a buyer under a credit sale agreement;(iii)to whom the dealer's rights and liabilities under a hire purchase or credit sale agreement have passed by assignment or by operation of law;(b)does not include a bailor;"down payment" means an amount referred to in section 11(2)(a) and (3)(a);"goods"—(a)means, subject to paragraph (b), the goods and services specified in the First Schedule;(b)does not include, with respect to hire purchase agreement, an air ticket;"hire purchase agreement" means an agreement—(a)for the sale of goods under which the property in the goods shall pass to the hirer upon payment by installments of the whole amount due;(b)within the maximum repayment period of 48 months; and(c)includes an ancillary agreement;"hire purchase price" means the total sum payable by the hirer under a hire purchase agreement in order to complete the purchase of goods to which the agreement relates exclusive of any sum payable as a penalty or as compensation or damages for a breach of the agreement, and not exceeding the sum of the cash price and charges accrued;"hirer" means the person who takes or has taken goods from a dealer under a hire purchase agreement and includes a person to whom the hirer's right and liabilities under the agreement have passed by assignment or by operation of law;"leasing contract" means a financial leasing contract entered into by a company licenced under the Financial Leasing Act to provide financial leasing business;"Minister" means the Minister responsible for finance;"monthly flat rate" means the monthly flat rate prescribed by the Minister under section 12(2);"prescribed" means prescribed by regulations made under this Act;"repayment period" means a period determined under a hire purchase agreement or credit sale agreement for the payment of the balance remaining due after the down payment has been effected, which shall not exceed the maximum period as may be prescribed by the Minister;"surcharge" means an amount payable for the late payment of an installment and which shall not exceed such rates as may be prescribed by the Minister under section 12(2).3. Application of this Act
Part II – Licensing of hire purchase or credit sale business
4. Requirement of a licence
5. Application of a licence
6. Grant of licence
7. Issue of licence
8. Appeal
Where any person is dissatisfied with the decision of the Authority, an appeal shall lie in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Services Authority Act, 2013.9. Licence to be displayed
The holder of a licence shall display in a conspicuous place—Part III – Formation and contents of hire purchase or credit sale agreement
10. Prior arrangement
11. Requirement of hire purchase or credit sale agreement
12. Stipulations
13. Advertisement
Part IV – Protection of hirer and buyer
14. Conditions and warranties implied in an agreement
Part V – Rights of hirers
15. Duty of dealer to inform
16. Duty of hirer to inform
17. Appropriation of payments
Part VI – Termination and completion of agreement
18. Right of hirer to determine agreement
19. Right of buyer to determine agreement
Part VII – Recovery of possession by suit
20. Right to recover possession and claim payment
21. Payment of installments under credit sales agreement
22. Provision for suit instituted by dealer
23. Postponement of order for delivery
24. Variation of conditions
The Court may at any time during postponement of the operation of such an order—25. Postponed orders
26. Powers of Court to deal with payment
Part VIII – Miscellaneous
27. Successive hire purchase agreement
Where under a hire purchase agreement one half of the hire purchase price has been paid, and the dealer makes a further hire purchase agreement with the hirer comprising those goods, that further agreement shall be binding under this Act.28. Hirers refusal to surrender goods
Where a right by the dealer to recover possession of goods from a hirer is subject to any restriction, and the hirer refuses to give up possession of the goods to the dealer, the hirer shall not, upon the refusal, be liable to the dealer for the retention of the goods to the extent that the restriction is in accordance with this Act.29. Regulations
30. Exemptions from registration
Notwithstanding any other enactment, a hire purchase agreement or a credit sales agreement under this Act shall be exempt from registration under the Mortgage and Registration Act.31. False information
32. Consequential amendment
Article 1583(2) of the Code is amended by repealing the words "a credit sale," and the words "or a hire purchase".History of this document
Subsidiary legislation
Title | Numbered title |
---|---|
Hire Purchase and Credit Sale (Charges) Regulations, 2018 | Statutory Instrument 15 of 2018 |
Hire Purchase and Credit Sale (Fees) Regulations, 2018 | Statutory Instrument 13 of 2018 |