(a)

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 47-18-109

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Ascertainable loss: means an identifiable deprivation, detriment or injury arising from the identity theft or from any unfair, misleading or deceptive act or practice even when the precise amount of the loss is not known. See Tennessee Code 47-18-2102
  • Attorney general: means the attorney general and reporter, or the attorney general and reporter's designee. See Tennessee Code 47-18-103
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Consumer: means any natural person who seeks or acquires by purchase, rent, lease, assignment, award by chance, or other disposition, any goods, services, or property, tangible or intangible, real, personal or mixed, and any other article, commodity, or thing of value wherever situated or any person who purchases or to whom is offered for sale a franchise or distributorship agreement or any similar type of business opportunity. See Tennessee Code 47-18-103
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • knowing: means actual awareness of the falsity or deception, but actual awareness may be inferred where objective manifestations indicate that a reasonable person would have known or would have had reason to know of the falsity or deception. See Tennessee Code 47-18-103
  • Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
  • Person: means a natural person, individual, governmental agency, partnership, corporation, trust, estate, incorporated or unincorporated association, and any other legal or commercial entity however organized. See Tennessee Code 47-18-103
  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) Any person who suffers an ascertainable loss of money or property, real, personal, or mixed, or any other article, commodity, or thing of value wherever situated, as a result of the use or employment by another person of an unfair or deceptive act or practice described in § 47-18-104(b) and declared to be unlawful by this part, may bring an action individually to recover actual damages.
(2) The action may be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction in the county where the alleged unfair or deceptive act or practice took place, is taking place, or is about to take place, or in the county in which such person resides, has such person’s principal place of business, conducts, transacts, or has transacted business, or, if the person cannot be found in any of the foregoing locations, in the county in which such person can be found.
(3) If the court finds that the use or employment of the unfair or deceptive act or practice was a willful or knowing violation of this part, the court may award three (3) times the actual damages sustained and may provide such other relief as it considers necessary and proper, except that the court may not award exemplary or punitive damages for the same unfair or deceptive practice.
(4) In determining whether treble damages should be awarded, the trial court may consider, among other things:

(A) The competence of the consumer or other person;
(B) The nature of the deception or coercion practiced upon the consumer or other person;
(C) The damage to the consumer or other person; and
(D) The good faith of the person found to have violated this part.
(5) This subsection (a) does not apply with respect to alleged violations of the Tennessee Equal Consumer Credit Act of 1974, compiled in part 8 of this chapter.
(b) Without regard to any other remedy or relief to which a person is entitled, anyone affected by a violation of this part may bring an action to obtain a declaratory judgment that the act or practice violates this part and to enjoin the person who has violated, is violating, or who is otherwise likely to violate this part; provided, that such action shall not be filed once the attorney general has commenced a proceeding pursuant to § 47-18-107 or § 47-18-108.
(c)

(1) Any person who has been affected by an act or practice declared to be a violation of this part may accept any written reasonable offer of settlement made by the person or persons considered to have violated this part; provided, that the tender of acceptance of such a settlement offer shall not abate any proceeding commenced by the attorney general pursuant to § 47-18-107 or § 47-18-108.
(2) Such a settlement may be set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction at the request of the affected person or of the attorney general if such a request is made within one (1) year from the date of the settlement agreement and if the court finds the settlement to be unreasonable.
(3) In determining the reasonableness of a settlement, the court shall consider:

(A) The competence of the consumer or other person;
(B) The nature of the deception or coercion practiced upon the consumer or other person;
(C) The value of the consideration received; and
(D) The nature and extent of the legal advice received by the consumer or other person.

If the consumer or other person was not represented by legal counsel at the time of the offer of settlement, the person claiming the benefit of the settlement shall have the burden of establishing that it is reasonable.

(4) In any private action commenced under this section, the court may, upon the introduction of proof that the person against whom the action is filed has made a written, reasonable offer of settlement which has been communicated to the affected party, limit the amount of recovery to the terms of the offer of settlement.
(d) Any permanent injunction, judgment, or final court order made pursuant to § 47-18-108, or assurance of voluntary compliance entered into pursuant to § 47-18-107, which has not been complied with, shall be prima facie evidence of the violation of this part in any action brought pursuant to this section.
(e)

(1) Upon a finding by the court that a provision of this part has been violated, the court may award to the person bringing such action reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.
(2) In any private action commenced under this section, upon finding that the action is frivolous, without legal or factual merit, or brought for the purpose of harassment, the court may require the person instituting the action to indemnify the defendant for any damages incurred, including reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.
(3) This subsection (e) does not apply to an action initiated by the attorney general.
(f)

(1) Upon the commencement of any action brought under subsections (a) and (b), the clerk of the court shall mail a copy of the complaint or other initial pleading to the attorney general and, upon the entry of any judgment, order, or decree in the action, shall mail a copy of such judgment, order or decree to the attorney general.
(2) A copy of any notice of appeal shall be served by the appellant upon the attorney general, who in the public interest may intervene on appeal.
(g) No class action lawsuit may be brought to recover damages for an unfair or deceptive act or practice declared to be unlawful by this part.
(h) No private right of action shall be commenced under this section for any alleged unfair or deceptive act or practice involving the marketing or sale of a security as defined in the Tennessee Securities Act, § 48-1-102.
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