2020 West Virginia Code
Chapter 46A. West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act
Article 6. General Consumer Protection
§46A-6-106. Private Causes of Action

(a) Subject to subsections (b) and (c) of this section, any person who purchases or leases goods or services and thereby suffers an ascertainable loss of money or property, real or personal, as a result of the use or employment by another person of a method, act or practice prohibited or declared to be unlawful by the provisions of this article may bring an action in the circuit court of the county in which the seller or lessor resides or has his or her principal place of business or is doing business, or as provided for in sections one and two, article one, chapter fifty-six of this code, to recover actual damages or $200, whichever is greater. The court may, in its discretion, provide such equitable relief it considers necessary or proper. Any party to an action for damages under this subsection has the right to demand a jury trial.

(b) No award of damages in an action pursuant to subsection (a) may be made without proof that the person seeking damages suffered an actual out-of-pocket loss that was proximately caused by a violation of this article. If a person seeking to recover damages for a violation of this article alleges that an affirmative misrepresentation is the basis for his or her claim then he or she must prove that the deceptive act or practice caused him or her to enter into the transaction that resulted in his or her damages. If a person seeking to recover damages for a violation of this article alleges that the concealment or omission of information is the basis for his or her claim, then he or she must prove that the person's loss was proximately caused by the concealment or omission.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, no action, counterclaim, cross-claim or third-party claim may be brought pursuant to the provisions of this section until the person has informed the seller or lessor in writing and by certified mail, return receipt requested, of the alleged violation and provided the seller or lessor twenty days from receipt of the notice of violation but ten days in the case a cause of action has already been filed to make a cure offer: Provided, That the person shall have ten days from receipt of the cure offer to accept the cure offer or it is deemed refused and withdrawn.

(d) If a cure offer is accepted, the seller or lessor has ten days to begin effectuating the agreed upon cure and the cure must be completed within a reasonable time.

(e) Any applicable statute of limitations is tolled for the twenty-day period set forth in subsection (c) of this section or for the period the effectuation of the cure offer is being performed, whichever is longer.

(f) Nothing in this section prevents a person that has accepted a cure offer from bringing a civil action against a seller or lessor for failing to timely effect the cure offer.

(g) Any permanent injunction, judgment or order of the court under section one hundred eight, article seven of this chapter for a violation of section one hundred four of this article is prima facie evidence in an action brought pursuant to the provisions of this section that the respondent used or employed a method, act or practice declared unlawful by section one hundred four of this article.

(h) Where an action is brought pursuant to the provisions of this section, it is a complete defense that a cure offer was made, accepted and the agreed upon cure was performed. If the finder of fact determines that the cure offer was accepted and the agreed upon cure performed, the seller or lessor is entitled to reasonable attorney's fees and costs attendant to defending the action.

(i) No cure offer is admissible in any proceeding initiated pursuant to the provisions of this article unless the cure offer is delivered by a seller or lessor to the person claiming loss or to any attorney representing such person prior to the filing of the seller or lessee's initial responsive pleading in such proceeding. If the cure offer is timely delivered by the seller or lessor, then the seller or lessee may introduce the cure offer into evidence at trial. The seller or lessor is not liable for the person's attorney's fees and court costs incurred following delivery of the cure offer unless the actual damages found to have been sustained and awarded, without consideration of attorney's fees and court costs, exceed the value of the cure offer.