We hold a Maryland Collection Agency License, which authorizes us as a debt collector within the state of Maryland. Our NMLS ID is 2566265.
Clients can also verify our authorization by visiting the NMLS Consumer Access website (https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org/). You can find us under our parent company, Calhoun Properties Group, and our trade name, Maryland Evictions Online.
The Maryland Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) and the State Collection Agency Licensing Board (SCALB), which operates within OFR, are providing this guidance for persons who are collecting payments from tenants as part of providing “submetering” services to owners of multi-unit residential rental properties and to property managers. Generally, such businesses must be licensed in accordance with the Maryland Collection Agency Licensing Act, codified in Md. Code Ann., Business Regulation Article, Title 7.
Maryland Collection Agency Licensing Act
The Maryland Collection Agency Licensing Act (MCALA) defines a collection agency, in part, as “a person who engages directly or indirectly in the business of, collecting for, or soliciting from another, a consumer claim…” A consumer claim is defined as “a claim that: (1) is for money owed or said to be owed by a resident of the State; and (2) arises from a transaction in which, for a family, household, or personal purpose, the resident sought or got credit, money, personal property, real property, or services.” Of note, neither of these definitions incorporates the concept of delinquency; a consumer claim is not limited to a delinquent claim, and a collection agency is not limited to a person collecting a delinquent claim.