Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 31-5.4 - Consumer Enforcement of Used Motor Vehicle Warranties

• Consumer: means the purchaser, other than for purposes of resale, of a used motor vehicle normally used for personal, family, or household purposes and subject to a warranty, and the spouse or child of the purchaser if the motor vehicle is transferred to the spouse or child during the duration of any warranty applicable to the motor vehicle, and any other person entitled by the terms of such warranty to enforce the obligations of the warranty;

  (2)  "Dealer" means any person or business which sells or offers for sale a used vehicle after selling or offering for sale three (3) or more used vehicles in the previous twelve (12) month period, but does not include a bank or financial institution, a business selling a used vehicle to an employee of that business, a lessor selling a leased vehicle to that vehicle's lessee, a family member of the lessee, or an employee of the lessee, or the state, its agencies, bureaus, boards, commissions, and authorities, and all of the political subdivisions of the state, including the agencies and authorities of any subdivision;

  (3)  "Repair insurance" means a contract in writing for any period of time or any specific mileage to refund, repair, replace, maintain, or take other action with respect to a used motor vehicle and which is regulated by the department of business regulation;

  (4)  "Service contract" means a contract in writing for any period of time or any specific mileage to refund, repair, replace, maintain, or take other action with respect to a used motor vehicle and provided at an extra charge beyond the price of the used motor vehicle;

  (5)  "Used motor vehicle" means a passenger motor vehicle, excluding motorcycles, motor homes, and off-road vehicles, which has been driven more than the limited use necessary in moving or road-testing a new vehicle prior to delivery;

  (6)  "Warranty" means any undertaking in connection with the sale by a dealer of a used motor vehicle to refund, repair, replace, maintain, or take other action with respect to the used motor vehicle and provided at no extra charge beyond the price of the used motor vehicle. See Rhode Island General Laws 31-5.4-1

• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• 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.
• in writing: include printing, engraving, lithographing, and photo-lithographing, and all other representations of words in letters of the usual form. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Motor vehicle: means any vehicle driven or drawn by mechanical power for use on the public streets, roads, and highways;

  (2)  "Odometer" means an instrument for measuring and recording the actual distance a motor vehicle travels while in operation;

  (3)  "Person" means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or business trust including, but not limited to, private individuals and motor vehicle dealers, both wholesale and retail, whether the private individual or dealer is a dealer in the ordinary course of business or not;

  (4)  "Repair and replacement" means to restore to a sound working condition by replacing the instrument or any part thereof or by correcting what is inoperative;

  (5)  "Transfer" means to acquire ownership by purchase, gift, bequest, or any other means. See Rhode Island General Laws 31-23.2-2

• 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.
• person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.