Oregon Legal Research Blog
We often hear about the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) in the arena of civil court cases such as divorce, evictions, foreclosures, and default judgments. However, the SCRA offers other consumer protections to deployed and disabled veterans. The Oregon Department of Justice’s Veteran Resources website offers information on consumer protections offered by the SCRA in Oregon including:
- reinstatement of existing insurance policies after returning from active duty
- reduced interest rates on existing financial obligations
- termination of real estate leases
- termination of automobile leases
The 2013 Oregon Legislature has a proposed bill (due for its final vote on June 11th) that will increase consumer protection benefits for active duty personnel. Under House Bill 2083, an active duty service member can terminate or suspend the following services upon written notice to the service providers:
- telecommunications services
- internet services
- health spa services
- exercise or athletic activities offered by a health club
- television services
Service members with consumer protection complaints can contact the Oregon Attorney General’s Consumer Hotline at 1-877-877-9392.
The Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs has more information on SCRA its benefits. See our previous posts on the SCRA and other legal resources for military personnel here.