2492 ARTICLE 58A

or for any such loan, use or sale of credit, makes a pretended purchase of
property from any person and permits the owner or pledger to retain the
possession thereof, or who, by any device or pretense of charging for his
services, or otherwise, seeks to obtain a greater compensation than is
authorized by this Article.

(b) Any person, and the several officers and employees of any corpora-
tion, who shall violate the foregoing prohibition shall be guilty of a mis-
demeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punishable by a fine of
not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00), or by imprisonment of not
more than six (6) months, or by both fine and imprisonment, in the discre-
tion of the Court.

(c) Any licensee and any officer or employee of a licensee or any person,
who shall violate any of the provisions of Sections one (1), fifteen (15)
or seventeen (17) of this Article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and
upon conviction thereof shall be punishable by a fine of not more than five
hundred dollars ($500), or by imprisonment of not more than six (6)
months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the
Court.

(d) No loan for which a greater rate of interest or charge than is allowed
by this Article has been contracted for or received, wherever made, shall
be enforced in this State, and any person in any wise participating therein
in this State shall be subject to the provisions of this Article.
See art. 49.

An. Code, 1924, sec. 19. 1918, ch. 88, sec. 19. 1929, ch. 564. 1939, ch. 560.

21. This Article shall not apply to any person, copartnership or cor-
poration doing business under any law of this State, or of the United
States, relating to banks, trust companies or building and loan associa-
tions, or to companies or corporations making loans at a rate of interest
not exceeding 6% per annum, on the principal amount of the loan, in
advance, charging an investigation fee not exceeding four (4%) per cent
of the amount of the loan, on loans of Three Hundred Dollars ($300) or
less and charging a fee of not exceeding 2% on amount above Three Hun-
dred Dollars ($300) which companies, persons or corporations may require
the borrower to give as security for such loan, mortgage on real or personal
property, or to purchase Certificates of Investment or choses in action
equal in amount to the sum borrowed and to pay therefor in equal weekly
or monthly installments covering approximately the period of the loan,
provided that the proceeds of said Certificates of Investment or choses in
action shall, at the option of the borrower, be received at maturity in
payment of said loan.

An. Code, 1924, sec. 20. 1912, sec. 20. 1918, ch. 88, sec. 20.

22. This Article may be cited as the Uniform Small Loan Law.

(a) This Article shall be so interpreted and construed as to effectuate its
general remedial purpose and to make uniform the laws of those States
which enact it.¹

This article referred to in upholding constitutionality of sec. 129, art. 23—see notes
thereto. Carozza v. Federal Finance Co., 149 Md. 246.

¹ Act of 1918, ch. 88, repeals all acts inconsistent with said act.