Usura criminal en Colorado: límites y defensas

Explicación Simple

Si prestas dinero y cobras más del 45% de interés al año, eso es ilegal. Es como si alguien te prestara $100 y te pidiera $145 de regreso al año. Eso se llama usura criminal.

Es como si compraras un coche y el vendedor te dijera que el precio es de $10,000, pero después te cobra $14,500. Eso es injusto y no se permite.

Ejemplo Práctico

Imagina que Juan le presta a su amigo Carlos $200 y le cobra $100 de interés al año. Si el interés resulta ser más del 45%, Juan podría enfrentar problemas legales por usura criminal, aunque no lo supiera.

Penalidades

Es un delito de clase 6, lo que puede implicar penas de prisión y multas.

Texto Original del Estatuto (Inglés)

C.R.S. 18-15-104 – Engaging in criminal usury (1) Any person who knowingly charges, takes, or receives any money or other property as a loan finance charge where the charge exceeds an annual percentage rate of forty-five percent or the equivalent for a longer or shorter period commits the crime of criminal usury, which is a class 6 felony. (2) It is an affirmative defense to criminal usury for a person, or his agent or assignee, who charges, takes, or receives money or property as a loan finance charge in excess of an annual percentage rate of forty-five percent in either of the following circumstances: (a) That at the time of making the loan finance charge it could not have been determined by a mathematical computation that the annual percentage rate would exceed an annual percentage rate of forty-five percent; (b) That the loan finance charge was not in excess of an annual percentage rate of forty-five percent when the rate of the finance charge was calculated on the unpaid balance of the debt on the assumption that the debt is to be paid according to its terms and is not paid before the end of the agreed term. (3) The affirmative defenses referred to in subsection (2) of this section shall only apply when the provisions relating to the loan finance charge are set forth in a written agreement signed by all the parties and such written agreement is submitted to the court and the district attorney at least ten days prior to trial.