56:12-8. Opinions on compliance of consumer contracts; review by attorney general; certification; fee

a. A creditor, seller, insurer, lessor or any person in the business of preparing and selling forms of consumer contracts may request an opinion from the Attorney General, or the Commissioner of Insurance, in regard to contracts of insurance provided for in subsection c. of section 1 of this act (C. 56:12-1c.), as to whether a consumer contract complies with this act.

The Attorney General or the Commissioner of Insurance, as the case may be, shall furnish the opinion within a reasonable period of time.

b. After reviewing the contract the Attorney General or the Commissioner of Insurance, as the case may be, shall: (1) certify that the contract complies with this act; (2) decline to certify that the contract complies with this act and note his objections to the contractual language; (3) decline to review the contract and refer the party submitting the contract to other previously certified contracts of the same type; (4) decline to review the contract because the contract's compliance with this act is the subject of pending litigation; or (5) decline to review the contract because the contract is not subject to this act.

c. Actions of the Attorney General or the Commissioner of Insurance, as the case may be, pursuant to this section are not appealable.

d. Any consumer contract certified pursuant to this section is deemed to comply with this act. Certification of a consumer contract pursuant to this section is not otherwise an approval of the contract's legality or legal effect.

e. Failure to submit a contract to the Attorney General or the Commissioner of Insurance, as the case may be, for review pursuant to this section does not show a lack of good faith nor does it raise a presumption that the contract violates this act. If pursuant to this section the Attorney General or the Commissioner of Insurance, as the case may be, refers a party to a previously certified contract, that the party chooses not to use the contract does not show a lack of good faith nor does it raise a presumption that a contract used by that party violated this act.

f. The Attorney General or the Commissioner of Insurance, as the case may be, may charge a fee, not to exceed $50.00, for the costs of reviewing a consumer contract pursuant to this section.

L.1980, c. 125, s. 8, eff. Oct. 16, 1980. Amended by L.1981, c. 464, s. 6; L.1982, c. 88, s. 3, eff. July 23, 1982.