Spring 2004
Legal protections for military personnel when dealing with creditors and landlords are being strengthened. It’s an update of the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Rights Act of 1940, which covers legal protections for armed services members.
The new law authorizes a 90-day automatic hold on legal proceedings when a service member's military obligations make him or her unable to appear in court. It also revisits the interest rate cap for active duty military personnel by forgiving any interest rate amounts in excess of six percent. Finally, the new law postpones the eviction of active duty military personnel for three months while also allowing active duty personnel to break rental leases if they are ordered to a "permanent change of station" or a deployment of 90 days or more.