2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 13 | Commercial Transactions › Chapter 1345 | Consumer Sales Practices › Section 1345.09 | Private Causes of Action.

Effective:
July 3, 2012
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 275 - 129th General Assembly
For a violation of Chapter 1345. of the Revised Code, a consumer has a cause of action and is entitled to relief as follows:
(A) Where the violation was an act prohibited by section 1345.02, 1345.03, or 1345.031 of the Revised Code, the consumer may, in an individual action, rescind the transaction or recover the consumer's actual economic damages plus an amount not exceeding five thousand dollars in noneconomic damages.
(B) Where the violation was an act or practice declared to be deceptive or unconscionable by rule adopted under division (B)(2) of section 1345.05 of the Revised Code before the consumer transaction on which the action is based, or an act or practice determined by a court of this state to violate section 1345.02, 1345.03, or 1345.031 of the Revised Code and committed after the decision containing the determination has been made available for public inspection under division (A)(3) of section 1345.05 of the Revised Code, the consumer may rescind the transaction or recover, but not in a class action, three times the amount of the consumer's actual economic damages or two hundred dollars, whichever is greater, plus an amount not exceeding five thousand dollars in noneconomic damages or recover damages or other appropriate relief in a class action under Civil Rule 23, as amended.
(C)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(2) of this section, in any action for rescission, revocation of the consumer transaction must occur within a reasonable time after the consumer discovers or should have discovered the ground for it and before any substantial change in condition of the subject of the consumer transaction.
(2) If a consumer transaction between a loan officer, mortgage broker, or nonbank mortgage lender and a customer is in connection with a residential mortgage, revocation of the consumer transaction in an action for rescission is only available to a consumer in an individual action, and shall occur for no reason other than one or more of the reasons set forth in the "Truth in Lending Act," 82 Stat. 146 (1968), 15 U.S.C. 1635, not later than the time limit within which the right of rescission under section 125(f) of the "Truth in Lending Act" expires.
(D) Any consumer may seek a declaratory judgment, an injunction, or other appropriate relief against an act or practice that violates this chapter.
(E) When a consumer commences an individual action for a declaratory judgment or an injunction or a class action under this section, the clerk of court shall immediately mail a copy of the complaint to the attorney general. Upon timely application, the attorney general may be permitted to intervene in any private action or appeal pending under this section. When a judgment under this section becomes final, the clerk of court shall mail a copy of the judgment including supporting opinions to the attorney general for inclusion in the public file maintained under division (A)(3) of section 1345.05 of the Revised Code.
(F) The court may award to the prevailing party a reasonable attorney's fee limited to the work reasonably performed and limited pursuant to section 1345.092 of the Revised Code, if either of the following apply:
(1) The consumer complaining of the act or practice that violated this chapter has brought or maintained an action that is groundless, and the consumer filed or maintained the action in bad faith;
(2) The supplier has knowingly committed an act or practice that violates this chapter.
(G) As used in this section, "actual economic damages" means damages for direct, incidental, or consequential pecuniary losses resulting from a violation of Chapter 1345. of the Revised Code and does not include damages for noneconomic loss as defined in section 2315.18 of the Revised Code.
(H) Nothing in this section shall preclude a consumer from also proceeding with a cause of action under any other theory of law.