Virginia Law

Article 3.1. Motor Vehicle Transaction Recovery Fund.

A. All fees in this article shall be deposited in the Motor Vehicle Transaction Recovery Fund, referred to in this article as "the Fund." The Fund shall be a special fund in the state treasury to pay claims against the Fund and for no other purpose, provided that any such payment does not result in a negative balance of the Fund, except the Board may expend moneys for the administration of this article up to the maximum amount authorized for consumer assistance in the general appropriation act, provided the amount expended for administration does not result in a balance of the Fund of less than $250,000. The Fund shall be used to satisfy unpaid judgments, as provided for in § 46.2-1527.3. Any interest income shall accrue to the Fund. The Board shall maintain an accurate record of all transactions involving the Fund. The Board may levy a special assessment on all dealers participating in the Fund to pay claims against the Fund and to maintain a minimum Fund balance that is in its judgment adequate. The Board may choose to await a positive balance in the Fund to pay claims ready for payment in chronological order, provided such claims do not go unpaid for more than 60 days.

B. Every applicant renewing a motor vehicle dealer's license shall pay, in addition to other license fees, an annual Fund fee of $100, and every applicant for a motor vehicle salesperson's license shall pay, in addition to other license fees, an annual Fund fee of $10, prior to license issue. However, annual Fund renewal fees from salespersons shall not exceed $100 per year from an individual dealer. These fees shall be deposited in the Motor Vehicle Transaction Recovery Fund. Any salesperson licensed by the Department and having never paid such a fee prior to July 1, 2015, shall be exempt from this subsection.

C. Applicants for an original motor vehicle dealer's license shall pay an annual Fund fee of $350 each year for three consecutive years. During this period, the $350 Fund fee will take the place of the annual $100 Fund fee.

D. In addition to the $350 annual fee, applicants for an original dealer's license shall have a $50,000 bond pursuant to § 46.2-1527.2 for three consecutive years. Only those renewing licensees who have not been the subject of a claim against their bond or against the Fund for three consecutive years shall pay the annual $100 fee and will no longer be required to pay the $350 annual fee or hold the $50,000 bond. Any salesperson licensed by the Department and having never paid such fee prior to July 1, 2015, shall be exempt from this subsection.

E. In addition to other license fees, applicants for an original Certificate of Dealer Registration or its renewal shall pay a Fund fee of $60.

F. The Board may suspend or reinstate collection of Fund fees.

G. The provisions of this section shall not apply to manufactured home dealers or nonprofit organizations issued certificates pursuant to subsection B of § 46.2-1508.1.

H. The provisions of this section shall not apply to applicants for the renewal of a motor vehicle dealer's license where such applicants have not been the subject of a claim against a bond issued pursuant to § 46.2-1527.2 or against the Fund for three years and such applicants elect to maintain continuous bonding pursuant to Article 3.2 (§ 46.2-1527.9 et seq.). Such applicants shall not participate in the Fund and shall be exempt from the payment of any Fund fees.

I. The provisions of this article shall not apply to any recreational vehicle, trailer, or motorcycle dealer licensed by the Department prior to July 1, 2015.

1994, cc. 478, 671; 1995, cc. 767, 816; 1998, c. 325; 2000, c. 180; 2003, c. 331; 2006, c. 172; 2011, c. 407; 2012, cc. 10, 119; 2014, c. 695; 2015, c. 615.

Before the Board shall issue to an applicant an original license, the applicant shall obtain and file with the Board a bond in the amount of $50,000. The bond shall come from a corporate surety licensed to do business in the Commonwealth and approved by the Attorney General. The bond shall be conditioned on a statement by the applicant that the applicant will not practice fraud, make any fraudulent representation, or violate any provision of this chapter in the conduct of the applicant's business. The Board may, without holding a hearing, suspend the dealer's license during the period that the dealer does not have a sufficient bond on file.

If a person suffers any of the following: (i) loss or damage in connection with the purchase or lease of a motor vehicle by reason of fraud practiced on him or fraudulent representation made to him by a licensed motor vehicle dealer or one of the dealer's salespersons acting within his scope of employment, (ii) loss or damage by reason of the violation by a dealer or salesperson of any provision of this chapter in connection with the purchase or lease of a motor vehicle, or (iii) loss or damage resulting from a breach of an extended service contract as defined by § 59.1-435 entered into on or after April 8, 1994, that person shall have a claim against the dealer and the dealer's bond, and may recover such damages as may be awarded to such person by final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction against the dealer as a proximate result of such loss or damage up to but not exceeding $25,000, from such surety, who shall be subrogated to the rights of such person against the dealer or salesperson. The liability of such surety shall be limited to actual damages and attorney fees and shall not include any punitive damages assessed against the dealer or salesperson. On January 1 of each year, the amount that may be awarded against such bond to any person as a result of loss or damage to that person as provided in this section shall be increased by the percentage increase over the most recently available unadjusted 12-month period in the Consumer Price Index for used motor vehicles, as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any successor index. In the event that this index decreases over any such 12-month period, there shall be no change in the amount that may be awarded.

In those cases in which a dealer's surety shall be liable pursuant to this section, the surety shall be liable only for the first $50,000 in claims against the dealer. Thereafter, the Fund shall be liable for amounts in excess of the bond up to the amount that may be paid out of the Fund, less the amount of the bond, in those cases in which the Fund itself may be liable. The aggregate liability of the dealer's surety to any and all persons, regardless of the number of claims made against the bond or the number of years the bond remains in force, shall in no event exceed $50,000.

The dealer's surety shall notify the Board when a claim is made against a dealer's bond, when a claim is paid and when the bond is cancelled. Such notification shall include the amount of a claim and the circumstances surrounding the claim. Notification of cancellation shall include the effective date and reason for cancellation. The bond may be cancelled as to future liability by the dealer's surety upon 30 days' notice to the Board.

1994, c. 478; 1995, cc. 767, 816; 1998, c. 325; 2001, c. 194; 2006, c. 172; 2011, c. 407; 2012, cc. 10, 119; 2015, c. 615.

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, whenever any person is awarded a final judgment in a court of competent jurisdiction in the Commonwealth for (i) any loss or damage in connection with the purchase or lease of a motor vehicle by reason of any fraud practiced on him or fraudulent representation made to him by a licensed or registered motor vehicle dealer participating in the Motor Vehicle Transaction Recovery Fund or one of a dealer's salespersons acting for the dealer or within the scope of his employment or (ii) any loss or damage by reason of the violation by a dealer or salesperson participating in the Motor Vehicle Transaction Recovery Fund of any of the provisions of this chapter, the judgment creditor may file a verified claim with the Board, requesting payment from the Fund of the amount unpaid on the judgment subject to the following conditions:

1. The claim shall be filed with the Board no sooner than 30 days and no later than 12 months after the judgment becomes final along with the evidence of compliance with subdivision 3 below.

2. The Board shall consider for payment claims submitted by retail purchasers of motor vehicles, and for purchases of motor vehicles by licensed or registered motor vehicle dealers who contribute to the Fund. The Board shall also consider for payment claims submitted by lessees of motor vehicles leased from licensed or registered motor vehicle dealers who contribute to the Fund.

3. If the final judgment from a court of competent jurisdiction includes, as part of the judgment, an award of attorney fees and court costs, the Fund may include those in its payment of the claim if (i) the claimant had previously submitted to the trial court a detailed and itemized affidavit by counsel for the judgment creditor seeking such fees and costs, including a breakdown of the hours worked and the subject matter of those hours; (ii) said itemized affidavit formed the basis of the court's award of such fees; and (iii) a copy of such affidavit is provided to the Board with the judgment creditor's claim. If the award of attorney fees and costs by the trial court was not based on a detailed and itemized affidavit from counsel for the judgment creditor with a breakdown of the hours worked, then the Board may review and limit any claim for attorney fees to those attorney fees directly attributable to that portion of the final judgment that is determined to be a compensable claim by the Board against the Fund, and the Board may require a detailed itemization from counsel before considering such claim for attorney fees.

1994, c. 478; 1995, cc. 767, 816; 1998, c. 325; 2003, c. 331; 2007, c. 826; 2015, c. 615.

Any action instituted by a person against a licensed or registered dealer or a salesperson, which may become a claim against the Fund, shall be served to the Board in the manner prescribed by law. All subsequent pleadings and documents shall also be served to the Board. Included in such service shall be an affidavit stating all acts constituting fraud or violations of this chapter. Upon service of process, the Board, or duly authorized representative, shall have the right to request leave of the court to intervene. The person shall submit such pleadings or documents to the Board by certified mail or the equivalent.

1994, c. 478; 1995, cc. 767, 816.

The maximum claim of one judgment creditor against the Fund based on an unpaid final judgment arising out of any loss or damage by reason of a claim submitted under § 46.2-1527.2 or 46.2-1527.3 involving a single transaction shall be limited to $25,000, including any amount paid from the dealer's surety bond, regardless of the amount of the unpaid final judgment of one judgment creditor. On January 1 of each year, the amount that may be awarded to any person as a result of loss or damage to that person as provided in this section shall be increased by the percentage increase over the most recently available unadjusted 12-month period in the Consumer Price Index for used motor vehicles, as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any successor index. In the event that this index decreases over any such 12-month period, there shall be no change in the amount which may be awarded.

The aggregate of claims against the Fund based on unpaid final judgments arising out of any loss or damage by reason of a claim submitted under § 46.2-1527.3 involving more than one transaction shall be limited to four times the amount that may be awarded to a single judgment creditor, regardless of the total amounts of the unpaid final judgments of judgment creditors.

However, aggregate claims against the Fund under § 46.2-1527.2 shall be limited to the amount that may be paid out of the Fund under the preceding paragraph less the amount of the dealer's bond and then only after the dealer's bond has been exhausted.

If a claim has been made against the Fund, and the Board has reason to believe that there may be additional claims against the Fund from other transactions involving the same licensee or registrant, the Board may withhold any payment from the Fund involving the licensee or registrant for a period not to exceed the end of the relevant license or registration period. After this period, if the aggregate of claims against the licensee or registrant exceeds the aggregate amount that may be paid from the Fund under this section, then such amount shall be prorated among the claimants and paid from the Fund in proportion to the amounts of their unpaid final judgments against the licensee or registrant.

However, claims against motor vehicle dealers and salespersons participating in the Motor Vehicle Transaction Recovery Fund pursuant to § 46.2-1527.2 shall be prorated when the aggregate exceeds $50,000. Claims shall be prorated only after the dealer's $50,000 bond has been exhausted.

On receipt of a verified claim filed against the Fund, the Board shall forthwith notify the licensee or registrant who is the subject of the unpaid judgment that a verified claim has been filed and that the licensee or registrant should satisfy the judgment debt. If the judgment debt is not fully satisfied 30 days following the date of the notification by the Board, the Board shall make payment from the Fund subject to the other limitations contained in this article.

Excluded from the amount of any unpaid final judgment on which a claim against the Fund is based shall be any sums representing interest and punitive damages. Awards from the Fund shall be limited to reimbursement of costs paid to the dealer for all charges related to the vehicle including without limitation, the sales price, taxes, insurance, and repairs; other out of pocket costs related to the purchase, insuring and registration of the vehicle, and to the loss of use of the vehicle by the purchaser.

If at any time the Fund is insufficient to fully satisfy any claims or claim filed with the Board and authorized by this article, the Board shall pay such claims, claim, or portion thereof to the claimants in the order that the claims were filed with the Board. However, claims by retail purchasers shall take precedence over other claims.

1994, c. 478; 1995, cc. 767, 816; 1998, c. 325; 2001, c. 194; 2003, c. 331; 2006, c. 172; 2007, c. 826; 2011, c. 407; 2012, c. 119; 2015, cc. 615, 710.

Subject to the provisions of this article and on the claimant's execution and delivery to the Board of an assignment to the Board of his rights against the licensee or registrant, to the extent he received satisfaction from the Fund, the Board shall pay the claimant from the Fund the amount of the unpaid final judgment.

1994, c. 478; 1995, cc. 767, 816.

On payment by the Board to a claimant from the Fund as provided in this article, the Board shall immediately notify the licensee or registrant in writing of the Board's payment to the claimant and request full reimbursement be made to the Board within thirty days of the notification. Failure to reimburse the Board in full within the specified period shall cause the Board to immediately revoke the license or certificate of the dealer or the license of a salesperson whose fraud, fraudulent representation, or violation of this chapter resulted in this payment. Any person whose license or certificate is revoked shall not be eligible to apply for a license or certificate as a motor vehicle dealer or a license as a salesperson until the person has repaid in full the amount paid from the Fund on his account, plus interest at the rate of eight percent per year from the date of payment.

1994, c. 478; 1995, cc. 767, 816.

Nothing contained in this article shall limit the authority of the Board to take disciplinary action against any licensee or registrant for any violation of this chapter or any regulation promulgated thereunder, nor shall full repayment of the amount paid from the Fund on a licensee's or registrant's account nullify or modify the effect of any disciplinary action against that licensee or registrant for any violation.

1994, c. 478; 1995, cc. 767, 816.