Maryland Statutes
Subtitle 1 - Definitions; General Provisions
Section 7-102 - Scope of Title

(a)    (1)    In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.
        (2)    “Common ownership” means direct or indirect ownership of more than 50% of a person.
        (3)    “Principal business” means a business activity of a person that comprises more than 50% of the total business activities of the person.
    (b)    This title does not apply to:
        (1)    a bank;
        (2)    a federal or State credit union;
        (3)    a mortgage lender;
        (4)    a person acting under an order of a court of competent jurisdiction;
        (5)    a licensed real estate broker, or an individual acting on behalf of the real estate broker, in the collection of rent or allied charges for property;
        (6)    a savings and loan association;
        (7)    a title company as to its escrow business;
        (8)    a trust company;
        (9)    a lawyer who is collecting a debt for a client, unless the lawyer has an employee who:
            (i)    is not a lawyer; and
            (ii)    is engaged primarily to solicit debts for collection or primarily makes contact with a debtor to collect or adjust a debt through a procedure identified with the operation of a collection agency; or
        (10)    a person who is collecting a debt for another person if:
            (i)    both persons are related by common ownership;
            (ii)    the person who is collecting a debt does so only for those persons to whom it is related by common ownership;
            (iii)    the principal business of the person who is collecting a debt is not the collection of debts; and
            (iv)    before collecting a debt, the person files with the Board:
                1.    the correct name of the person;
                2.    an address and telephone number of a contact person; and
                3.    the name of the person’s resident agent.