Bill Text: NJ A3632 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires disclosure of water damage prior to vehicle sales.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-3)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-07 - Combined with A3610 (ACS) [A3632 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A3632-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CHRIS A. BROWN
District 2 (Atlantic)
Assemblyman PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.
District 18 (Middlesex)
Assemblyman PAUL D. MORIARTY
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Rumpf, Amodeo, Singleton, Albano and Milam
SYNOPSIS
Requires disclosure of water damage prior to vehicle sales.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the disclosure of water damage prior to vehicle sales and supplementing chapter 10 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. No person shall sell or exchange a motor vehicle that has incurred damage caused by water, whether that damage occurred while that person had possession of the vehicle or prior to his possession, without disclosing that damage in writing to the buyer or other person who would take over possession of the vehicle, prior to such sale or exchange.
b. A person who violates subsection a. of this section shall be fined $2,500.
c. Any person who shall be injured by reason of a violation of the provisions of this act may sue therefor and shall recover threefold the damages sustained by him, together with reasonable attorneys' fees, filing fees, and reasonable costs of suit. Reasonable costs of suit may include, but shall not be limited to, the expenses of discovery and document reproduction.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill would require a person to disclose if a motor vehicle has been damaged by water prior to its sale or exchange. Under the bill, a person wishing to sell or exchange a vehicle that has incurred water damage would have to disclose that damage in writing prior to the vehicle's sale. The disclosure would be required even if the damage occurred prior to when the person took possession of the vehicle.
Violations of the bill's provisions would be punishable by a fine of $2,500. In addition, any person injured by a violation may sue for treble damages.
