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. (a) This division does not apply to a franchise loan made by
a franchisor to a franchisee or a subfranchisor or by a
subfranchisor to a franchisee.
(b) For purposes of this section:
(1) "Franchise" means "franchise," as defined in Section 31005 of
the Corporations Code.
(2) "Franchisee" means "franchisee," as defined in Section 31006
of the Corporations Code.
(3) "Franchisor" means "franchisor," as defined in Section 31007
of the Corporations Code.
(4) "Area franchise" means "area franchise," as defined in Section
31008 of the Corporations Code.
(5) "Subfranchise" means "subfranchise," as defined in Section
31008.5 of the Corporations Code.
(6) "Subfranchisor" means "subfranchisor," as defined in Section
31009 of the Corporations Code.
(7) "Franchised business" means a business operated pursuant to a
franchise or area franchise by a franchisee or pursuant to a
franchise, area franchise or subfranchise by a subfranchisor.
(8) "Franchise loan" means a commercial loan, as defined in
Section 22502, made by a franchisor to a current or prospective
franchisee or subfranchisor or a commercial loan by a subfranchisor
to a current or prospective franchisee for the acquisition,
construction, operation, development, equipping, expansion,
contraction, consolidation, merger, recapitalization, reorganization,
or termination of a franchised business provided that the following
conditions are satisfied:
(A) The franchisor or subfranchisor making the franchise loan
shall comply with all applicable federal and state franchise
disclosure and registration laws, regulations, rules and orders,
including, but not limited to, the California Franchise Investment
Law (Division 5 (commencing with Section 31000) of Title 4 of the
Corporations Code) and the Federal Trade Commission Franchise Rule:
Disclosure Requirements and Prohibitions Concerning Franchising and
Business Opportunity Ventures (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 16,
Chapter 1, Subchapter D, Part 436 (16 CFR 436), as amended) in
connection with the offer or sale of any franchise, area franchise,
or subfranchise to which the franchise loan relates.
(B) The proceeds of the franchise loan are intended by the
borrowing franchisee or subfranchisor for use primarily for other
than personal, family, or household purposes.
(C) The loan, if secured, is secured solely by the assets of the
franchised business to which the franchise loan relates. Property
used by the borrower primarily for personal, family, or household
purposes, including the borrower's personal residence, shall not be
taken as security for the loan.
(D) The loan is subject to the implied covenant of good faith and
fair dealing under Section 1655 of the Civil Code.
(E) The lender shall fully and clearly disclose to the borrower,
at or before the time the loan is made, the rates of interest,
charges, and costs of the loan.
(c) For purposes of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (8) of
subdivision (b), a lending franchisor or subfranchisor may rely on
any written statement of intended purposes by the borrowing
franchisee or subfranchisor. The statement may be a separate
statement signed by the borrowing franchisee or subfranchisor or may
be contained in another document signed by the borrowing franchisee
or subfranchisor. The lending franchisor or subfranchisor may not be
required to ascertain that the proceeds of a franchise loan are used
in accordance with the statement of intended purposes.
(d) Nothing in this section is intended to abrogate or diminish
the application of any other laws that are designed to protect
borrowers, including, but not limited to, laws pertaining to
licensing, unfair competition, usury and conflicts of interest.