2023 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations › Chapter 429 - Motor vehicle consumer leases. › 429.208 - Assessment of excess wear and damage.

429.208
Assessment of excess wear and damage.
(1)
(a)
Except as provided in par. (b), a holder shall, upon return of a leased vehicle, conduct an inspection to determine excess wear and damage to the leased vehicle for which the lessee may be held liable. A holder may not prohibit the lessee from being present at such inspection.
(b)
If a lessee exercises an option to purchase in the consumer lease, the holder may not demand, collect or receive a charge for excess wear and damage to the leased vehicle and is not required to conduct the inspection under par. (a).
(2)
For any inspection at or after the return of a leased vehicle, a holder shall do all of the following not later than 50 days after return of the vehicle:
(b)
Provide to the lessee an itemized bill meeting the requirements under sub. (3).
(c)
Provide to the lessee a statement in substantially the following language: “You are being asked to pay this amount for excess wear and damage to the leased vehicle. If you do not agree with this amount and wish to preserve valuable rights, you must obtain and deliver to us, within 7 days after hand delivery or 9 days after mailing of this bill, an itemized inspection report and estimate of the cost of repairing such excess wear and damage from an appraiser agreed to by us and, if your lease has ended, payment of any charges due under the inspection you obtained. If you properly obtain and deliver such appraisal and tender any amounts due, such appraisal shall be binding on the holder. If you fail to do so, the holder's inspection shall be conclusive."
(d)
For the purpose of obtaining a counter-inspection under sub. (5), allow the lessee access to the motor vehicle, at a reasonable time and place designated by the holder, for the applicable time period specified in the statement under par. (c). A holder is not required to deliver the motor vehicle to, or produce the motor vehicle at, a place designated by the lessee for the purpose of the counter-inspection.
(3)
(a)
The itemized bill specified in sub. (2) (b) shall be based on the inspection for excess wear and damage to the leased vehicle, and shall consist of a listing of items of excess wear and damage, together with a charge for each item. The itemized bill may be comprised of separate documents delivered or mailed separately, and may include identified charges for other amounts due under the consumer lease, such as excess mileage charges. Acknowledgement of receipt of an itemized bill by a lessee is not an admission by the lessee of the existence, nature, obligation to pay or amount of any item of excess wear and damage specified in an itemized bill.
(b)
A holder is not required to provide to the lessee an itemized bill under sub. (2) with respect to a counter-inspection under sub. (5).
(4)
(a)
If a lessee is required under the consumer lease, or given the option by the lessor, to have a pretermination inspection by the holder of the leased vehicle for excess wear and damage, the holder shall provide at least 15 days' notice of such inspection to the lessee. A pretermination inspection under this paragraph may not be earlier than 15 days before the termination date set forth in the consumer lease. The notice under this paragraph shall specify that the holder's inspection after the termination of the lease shall be conclusive unless the lessee obtains a counter-inspection under sub. (5).
(b)
A pretermination inspection under par. (a) shall be reasonable as to time and place. In addition to the statement under sub. (2) (c), any itemized bill of excess wear and damage prepared under par. (a) shall include a statement in substantially the following language: “If this inspection report was prepared prior to the termination date of the consumer lease, you may avoid any excess wear and damage charges by having such items satisfactorily repaired prior to the return of the vehicle. The holder may inspect the vehicle at or after its return and may seek additional charges for excess wear and damage only by written notice to you, and only for excess wear and damage incurred after the date of that inspection. Any charges for excess wear and damage under this inspection or your own inspection shall be due when the lease terminates."
(5)
(a)
A lessee may, at his or her own expense, obtain a counter-inspection for excess wear and damage to the leased vehicle, within the applicable time period specified in the statement under sub. (2) (c). A counter-inspection is not valid under this section unless it satisfies all of the following requirements:
1.
Is conducted by an inspector agreed to by the holder, with such agreement not to be unreasonably withheld by the holder.
2.
Is in writing in a form provided by, or acceptable to, the holder, listing any items of excess wear and damage to the leased vehicle and, according to standards set forth in the consumer lease, the estimated cost of repair of such items.
3.
Is delivered to the holder within the applicable time period.
4.
If conducted after the leased vehicle is returned to the lessee, is accompanied by payment of the amount of such excess wear and damage charges listed on the counter-inspection.
(b)
Absent a mathematical mistake or other obvious error, a holder shall accept the counter-inspection as conclusive of the lessee's excess wear and damage obligations under the consumer lease.
(c)
The total amount of the excess wear and damage charges specified in a counter-inspection under par. (a) may not be increased at or after the termination of the lease, except to increase the lessee's excess wear and damage obligation to the extent that any excess wear and damage was obscured or concealed or is reasonably believed by the holder to have occurred after such inspection. Any increase under this paragraph is not valid unless the holder gives the lessee another itemized bill and statement meeting the requirements of subs. (2) and (3).
(6)
A lessee shall not be in default on the consumer lease for failing to obtain a pretermination inspection or counter-inspection under this section, notwithstanding any contrary provision of the consumer lease. If a lessee does not obtain a pretermination inspection or counter-inspection, the itemized bill with respect to the inspection under sub. (1) shall be conclusive.
(7)
(a)
A holder may not demand, receive or collect a charge for excess wear and damage to the leased vehicle unless the holder substantially complies with this section. The exclusive penalty for failure to substantially comply with this section is a waiver of the right to collect all contested excess wear and damage charges from the lessee.
(b)
A holder is not required to send any notice under this section if the holder does not wish to demand, receive or collect any excess wear and damage charges.
(c)
Nothing in this section shall limit a lessee's obligation for excess mileage charges or prohibit any agreement between the lessee and the holder relating to excess wear and damage, if the agreement does not conflict with any of the lessee's rights under this section, or limit a lessee's liability to the holder for odometer tampering or for obscured or concealed structural or safety-related damage discovered by the holder after the return of the motor vehicle or the receipt of an itemized bill by the lessee.
(8)
Except for sub. (1) (b), this section applies only to leased vehicles that are returned to an authorized representative, who is located in this state, of the holder.
History:  1995 a. 329.