United States Code
USC most recently checked for updates: Jun 09, 2025
§ 1701.
Definitions
For the purposes of this chapter, the term—
(1)
“Director” means the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection;
(2)
“person” means an individual, or an unincorporated organization, partnership, association, corporation, trust, or estate;
(3)
“subdivision” means any land which is located in any State or in a foreign country and is divided or is proposed to be divided into lots, whether contiguous or not, for the purpose of sale or lease as part of a common promotional plan;
(4)
“common promotional plan” means a plan, undertaken by a single developer or a group of developers acting in concert, to offer lots for sale or lease; where such land is offered for sale by such a developer or group of developers acting in concert, and such land is contiguous or is known, designated, or advertised as a common unit or by a common name, such land shall be presumed, without regard to the number of lots covered by each individual offering
(5)
“developer” means any person who, directly or indirectly, sells or leases, or offers to sell or lease, or advertises for sale or lease any lots in a subdivision;
(6)
“agent” means any person who represents, or acts for or on behalf of, a developer in selling or leasing, or offering to sell or lease, any lot or lots in a subdivision; but shall not include an attorney at law whose representation of another person consists solely of rendering legal services;
(7)
“blanket encumbrance” means a trust deed, mortgage, judgment, or any other lien or encumbrance, including an option or contract to sell or a trust agreement, affecting a subdivision or affecting more than one lot offered within a subdivision except that such term shall not include any lien or other encumbrance arising as the result of the imposition of any tax assessment by any public authority;
(8)
“interstate commerce” means trade or commerce among the several States or between any foreign country and any State;
(9)
“State” includes the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territories and possessions of the United States;
(10)
“purchaser” means an actual or prospective purchaser or lessee of any lot in a subdivision;
(11)
“offer” includes any inducement, solicitation, or attempt to encourage a person to acquire a lot in a subdivision; and
(12)
“Bureau” means the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.
(Pub. L. 90–448, title XIV, § 1402, Aug. 1, 1968 , 82 Stat. 590; Pub. L. 93–383, title VIII, § 812(a), Aug. 22, 1974 , 88 Stat. 736; Pub. L. 96–153, title IV, § 401, Dec. 21, 1979 , 93 Stat. 1122; Pub. L. 100–628, title X, § 1089(a), Nov. 7, 1988 , 102 Stat. 3283; Pub. L. 111–203, title X, § 1098A(4), July 21, 2010 , 124 Stat. 2105.)
cite as: 15 USC 1701