Tap any paragraph to write a margin note. Your notes collect in the Desk below the text and file under cases with @. The side-by-side margin rail opens on a larger screen.

Code · U.S. Code · Title 50 - WAR AND NATIONAL DEFENSE · CHAPTER 50— SERVICEMEMBERS CIVIL RELIEF · SUBCHAPTER III— RENT, INSTALLMENT CONTRACTS, MORTGAGES, LIENS, ASSIGNMENT, LEASES, COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE CONTRACTS · § 3952

§ 3952. Protection under installment contracts for purchase or lease

453 words·~2 min read·/usc/title-50/section-3952

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

(a)Protection upon breach of contract
(1)Protection after entering military service After a servicemember enters military service, a contract by the servicemember for—
(A)the purchase of real or personal property (including a motor vehicle); or
(B)the lease or bailment of such property,
may not be rescinded or terminated for a breach of terms of the contract occurring before or during that person’s military service, nor may the property be repossessed for such breach without a court order.
(2)Applicability This section applies only to a contract for which a deposit or installment has been paid by the servicemember before the servicemember enters military service.
(b)Misdemeanor A person who knowingly resumes possession of property in violation of subsection (a), or in violation of section 3918 of this title, or who knowingly attempts to do so, shall be fined as provided in title 18, or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.
(c)Authority of court In a hearing based on this section, the court—
(1)may order repayment to the servicemember of all or part of the prior installments or deposits as a condition of terminating the contract and resuming possession of the property;
(2)may, on its own motion, and shall on application by a servicemember when the servicemember’s ability to comply with the contract is materially affected by military service, stay the proceedings for a period of time as, in the opinion of the court, justice and equity require; or
(3)may make other disposition as is equitable to preserve the interests of all parties.
(Oct. 17, 1940, ch. 888, title III, § 302, as added Pub. L. 108–189, § 1, Dec. 19, 2003, 117 Stat. 2846; amended Pub. L. 111–275, title III, § 303(b)(3), Oct. 13, 2010, 124 Stat. 2878.)
Connections8 cite this · traces to 3
16 references not yet in our index
  • Oct. 17, 1940, ch. 888
  • Pub. L. 108–189, § 1
  • 117 Stat. 2846
  • Pub. L. 111–275, title III, § 303(b)(3)
  • 124 Stat. 2878
  • act Oct. 17, 1940, ch. 888
  • 54 Stat. 1182
  • Oct. 6, 1942, ch. 581
  • 56 Stat. 771
  • June 23, 1952, ch. 450
  • 66 Stat. 151
  • Pub. L. 102–12, § 9(9)
  • 105 Stat. 40
  • Pub. L. 108–189
  • Pub. L. 111–275
  • section 3 of Pub. L. 108–189
Citation graph
cites case law
§ 3952
Protection under installment contracts for purchase or lease
Fed. Reg.×3
Bills×2
Stat. Comp.×2
U.S.C.×1
ActOct. 17, 1940, ch. 888
Pub. L.Pub. L. 108–189, § 1
Stat.117 Stat. 2846
Pub. L.Pub. L. 111–275, title III, § 303(b)(3)
Stat.124 Stat. 2878
Cites 19 · showing 8Cited by 8 across 4 sources
★   the supreme law of the land   ★
Don't Tread on Me
E Pluribus Unum — out of many, one

"If you don't know your rights, you don't have any."

Marginalia · a citizen's law index
A research desk, not legal advice. Always read the cited source before relying on a summary.
Questions or an issue? support@self-law.org
disclaimerMarginalia is a research index, not a law firm. Nothing on this site is legal, tax, or financial advice and no attorney–client relationship is formed by using it. Statutes, regulations, and case law change; summaries, search results, AI output, and member posts may be incomplete, out of date, or wrong. Any interpretation drawn from material on this site should be validated by a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before you act on it.