The People's Lawyer Consumer News Alert
Center for Consumer Law
  Volume 142 Number 1

Subscribe to the Newsletter
Forward this news alert to your family and friends

Helpful Links

Texas Consumer Complaint Center

Your Rights as a Tenant

Credit Reports and Identity Theft

Your Guide to Small Claims Court

Common Q & A’s

Scam Alert

Back Issues

Contact Us

http://www.peopleslawyer.net

1-713-743-2168

Unsubscribe

The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day

Did you know you can buy contact lenses from someone other than your eye doctor? You will need to provide a copy of the prescription to fill your order right away. To find out more about your prescription rights, check out this publication from the FTC. Click here for more.


Hyundai and Kia recall 500,000 cars that could randomly catch fire

Hyundai and Kia are recalling 534,000 SUVs due to an engine problem that can cause fires, the automakers announced on Friday. The recall includes 379,000 Kia Soul vehicles from model years 2012-2016, as well as the Hyundai Tucson (2011-2013), the Kia Sportage (2011-2012), and the Kia Sedona (2015-2018). In 2016, people began coming forward with stories about driving under normal conditions when they suddenly noticed that their car was on fire, with some drivers having to jump out shortly before the car exploded. One death has been blamed on a Kia that suddenly caught fire while the driver was trapped inside. Click here for more.


Your Money

One of the most important retirement decisions you will make is when to apply for Social Security. Several retirement calculators have been developed to help you determine the optimal retirement age to start Social Security payments. But these calculators often produce varying results for the same scenario due to slightly different underlying assumptions. Here are six Social Security calculators worth trying: Click here for more.


For the Lawyers

Arbitration clause in vehicle retail installment contract applies to buyers' defamation claim against salesperson. A Florida appellate court addressed the scope of claims covered by an arbitration clause in a retail installment contract between a dealership and Florida buyers and held that the clause applied to a defamation claim the buyers filed against one of the dealership's salespeople. The contract contained an arbitration clause that covered, among other things, any claim or dispute in tort that "arises out of or relates to" the credit application, purchase, or condition of the vehicle. The court found that there was a significant relationship between the buyer’s tort claim and the contract. The buyer alleged that the defamation was based on statements allegedly made by the salesperson within the scope of his employment. The appellate court found that those statements related to the buyer’s purchase of the vehicle and their ability to afford it, which in turn related to the credit application and the contract that controlled the purchase. Countyline Auto Center, Inc. v. Kulinsky, 2018 Fla. App. LEXIS 16684 (Fla. App. November 21, 2018). Click here for more.

 

To stop receiving email news alerts from the Center for Consumer Law, please click here.