Sec. 42-427. Limitations on private remedies. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 42-427. Limitations on private remedies. (a) A holder is not liable for statutory damages under subsection (d) of section 42-424 if, within sixty days after discovering a violation of sections 42-270 to 42-271a, inclusive, and 42-390 to 42-434, inclusive, and before commencement of an action under section 42-424 or the receipt of written notice of the violation from the lessee, the holder notifies the lessee concerned and corrects the violation, including refund, restitution or crediting of any charges improperly disclosed or imposed.

      (b) A holder is not liable for statutory damages under subsection (d) of section 42-424 if the holder proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the violation was unintentional and resulted from an error in good faith notwithstanding the maintenance of procedures reasonably adapted to avoid the error. For purposes of this subsection, errors in good faith include clerical errors, calculation errors, computer malfunctions and programming errors, but an error of legal judgment with respect to a holder's obligations under sections 42-270 to 42-271a, inclusive, and 42-390 to 42-434, inclusive, is not a good faith error.

      (c) There may be no more than one recovery of statutory damages under subsection (d) of section 42-424 for a violation of sections 42-425 to 42-431, inclusive, regardless of the number of lessees in the consumer lease.

      (d) Liability does not arise under sections 42-424 to 42-431, inclusive, with respect to an act or omission in good faith conforming to:

      (1) A rule or interpretation of sections 42-270 to 42-271a, inclusive, and 42-390 to 42-434, inclusive, or to an approval by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, even if after the act or omission occurred, the rule, interpretation or approval is amended, rescinded or determined by judicial or other authority to be invalid; or

      (2) With respect to requirements based on the federal Consumer Leasing Act, a rule, regulation or interpretation of said act by the Federal Reserve Board, even if after the act or omission occurred, the rule, regulation or interpretation is amended, rescinded or determined by judicial or other authority to be invalid.

      (e) Regardless of the number of violations resulting from a holder's multiple failures to comply with the provisions enumerated in subsection (d) of section 42-424 with respect to a single consumer lease, the lessee is entitled to a single recovery of statutory damages under sections 42-424 to 42-431, inclusive, but continued failure to comply after a recovery has been granted gives rise to rights to additional recoveries.

      (P.A. 02-81, S. 38; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(c); P.A. 04-189, S. 1.)

      History: P.A. 02-81 effective July 1, 2003; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Consumer Protection with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004.