Section 2982.3.

(a) The holder of a conditional sale contract may, upon agreement with the buyer, extend the scheduled due date or defer the scheduled payment of all or of any part of any installment or installments payable thereunder. No charge shall be made for any such extension or deferment unless the agreement for such extension or deferment is in writing and signed by the parties thereto. However, the seller or holder may, as an adjunct to or to assist in efforts to collect one or more delinquent installments on the contract, advise one or more obligors on the contract, either in writing or orally, that the due date for one or more installments under the contract shall be extended, with no charge being made for such extension other than any applicable late charge provided for in the contract.

(b) Where the contract includes a finance charge determined on the precomputed basis, the holder may charge and contract for the payment of an extension or deferral agreement charge by the buyer and collect and receive the same, but such charge may not exceed an amount equal to 1 percent per month simple interest on the amount of the installment or installments, or part thereof, extended or deferred for the period of extension or deferral. Such period shall not exceed the period from the date when such extended or deferred installment or installments, or part thereof, would have been payable in the absence of such extension or deferral to the date when such installment or installments, or part thereof, are made payable under the agreement of extension or deferment; except that a minimum charge of one dollar ($1) for the period of extension or deferral may be made in any case where the extension or deferral agreement charge, when computed at such rate, amounts to less than one dollar ($1).

(c) Where the contract includes a finance charge determined on the simple-interest basis, the holder may charge and contract for the payment of an extension or deferral agreement charge by the buyer and collect and receive the same, but the charge for the extension or deferral agreement may not exceed the lesser of twenty-five dollars ($25) or 10 percent of the then outstanding principal balance of the contract. Such charge shall be in addition to any finance charges which accrue because such extended or deferred payments are received at a time other than as originally scheduled.

(Amended by Stats. 1987, Ch. 448, Sec. 2.)