California Financial Code 4978 – (a) A person who fails to comply with the provisions of this …
(a) A person who fails to comply with the provisions of this division is civilly liable to the consumer in an amount equal to any actual damages suffered by the consumer, plus attorneys fees and costs. For a willful and knowing violation of this division, the person shall be liable to the consumer in the amount of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) or the consumers actual damages, whichever is greater, plus attorneys fees and costs.
(b) (1) If a provision in a contract in a covered loan violates subdivision (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), or (i) of Section 4973, Section 4979.6, or Section 4979.7, that provision is unenforceable. A court in which any action is brought by, or on behalf of, an aggrieved consumer for relief may issue an order or injunction to reform the terms of the covered loan to conform to the provisions of this division.
Terms Used In California Financial Code 4978
- Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
- Person: includes any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company, limited liability company, syndicate, estate, trust, business trust, or organization of any kind. See California Financial Code 18
(2) A court may, in addition to any other remedy, award punitive damages to the consumer upon a finding that such damages are warranted pursuant to § 3294 of the Civil Code.
(c) Nothing in this section is intended, nor shall be construed, to abrogate existing common law provisions prohibiting double recovery of damages.
(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 733, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2002. Applicable, by Sec. 10 of Ch. 733, only to covered loans applied for on or after July 1, 2002.)