A. A lessor who fails to comply with the requirements of the Rental-Purchase Agreement Act is liable to the consumer damaged thereby in an amount equal to:

(1) the greater of the actual damages sustained by the consumer as a result of the lessor's failure to comply or twenty-five percent of the total of payments necessary to acquire ownership, but not less than one hundred dollars ($100) or more than one thousand dollars ($1,000); and

(2) the costs of the action and reasonable attorneys' fees as determined by the court.

B. A consumer may not take any action to offset the amount for which a lessor is potentially liable under Subsection A of this section against any amount owed by the consumer, unless the amount of the lessor's liability has been determined by judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction in an action in which the lessor was a party. This subsection does not bar a consumer then in default on an obligation from asserting a violation of the Rental-Purchase Agreement Act as an original action or as a defense or counterclaim to an action brought by a lessor against the consumer.

C. The remedies of a consumer, pursuant to the provisions of this section, are in addition to any other rights or remedies available to a consumer pursuant to applicable laws or regulations.

D. No action under this section may be brought in any court of competent jurisdiction more than one year after the date the consumer made his last rental payment or more than one year after the date of the occurrence of the violation that is the subject of the suit, whichever is later.

History: Laws 1995, ch. 38, § 11.