Every contract for health club services shall provide that such contract may be cancelled within three business days after the date of receipt by the buyer of a copy of the contract, by written notice delivered by certified or registered United States mail to the seller or the seller’s agent at an address which shall be specified in the contract. After receipt of such cancellation, the health club may request the return of contract forms, membership cards and any and all other documents and evidence of membership previously delivered to the buyer. Cancellation shall be without liability on the part of the buyer, except for the fair market value of services actually received and the buyer shall be entitled to a refund of the entire consideration paid for the contract, if any, less the fair market value of the services or use of facilities already actually received. Such right of cancellation shall not be affected by the terms of the contract and may not be waived or otherwise surrendered. Such contract for health club services shall also contain a clause providing that if the person receiving the benefits of such contract relocates further than twenty-five miles from a health club facility operated by the seller or a substantially similar health club facility which would accept the seller’s obligation under the contract, or dies during the membership term following the date of such contract, or if the health club ceases operation at the location where the buyer entered into the contract, the buyer or his estate shall be relieved of any further obligation for payment under the contract not then due and owing. The contract shall also provide that if the buyer becomes disabled during the membership term, the buyer shall have the option of (1) being relieved of liability for payment on that portion of the contract term for which he is disabled, or (2) extending the duration of the original contract at no cost to the buyer for a period equal to the duration of the disability. The health club shall have the right to require and verify reasonable evidence of relocation, disability or death. In the case of disability, the health club may require that a certificate signed by a licensed physician, a licensed physician assistant or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse be submitted as verification and may also require in such contract that the buyer submit to a physical examination by a licensed physician, a licensed physician assistant or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse agreeable to the buyer and the health club, the cost of which examination shall be borne by the health club.

Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 21a-217

  • Buyer: means a person who enters into, or receives the benefit of, a health club contract. See Connecticut General Statutes 21a-216
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
  • Health club: means any corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other business enterprise offering facilities for the preservation, maintenance, encouragement or development of physical fitness or well-being in return for the payment of a fee entitling the buyer to the use of such facilities. See Connecticut General Statutes 21a-216
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Services actually received: includes any period during which the facilities of the health club are available to the buyer pursuant to the health club contract whether or not the buyer makes use of the facilities, except when the consideration paid for the health club contract is determined by the number of times the buyer makes use of the health club facilities. See Connecticut General Statutes 21a-216