The Florida Senate

559.9232  Definitions; exclusion of rental-purchase agreements from certain regulations.--

(1)  As used in this act, the term:

(a)  "Cash price" means the price at which the lessor, in the ordinary course of business, would offer to sell for cash the property or service that is the subject of the rental-purchase agreement. The term "cash price" may include the price of accessories, services related to the agreement, and taxes.

(b)  "Lessee" means a natural person who rents personal property pursuant to a rental-purchase agreement.

(c)  "Lessor" means a person or corporation who, in the ordinary course of business, regularly offers to rent personal property, or arranges for personal property to be rented, pursuant to a rental-purchase agreement.

(d)  "Personal property" means any property that is not real property under the laws of the state where it is located and which is offered or made available for lease under a rental-purchase agreement.

(e)  "Rental-purchase agreement" means an agreement for the use of personal property by a natural person primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, for an initial period of 4 months or less, that is automatically renewed with each rental payment after the initial period and that permits the lessee to acquire ownership of the property.

(f)  "Services" means work, labor, or other personal services furnished pursuant to a rental-purchase agreement, including, but not limited to, the delivery, installation, servicing, repair, or improvement of rental property and excluding the provision of such property and associated services to the lessee.

(2)  A rental-purchase agreement that complies with this act shall not be construed to be, nor be governed by, any of the following:

(a)  A lease or agreement that constitutes a credit sale as defined in 12 C.F.R. s. 226.2(a)(16) and s. 1602(g) of the federal Truth in Lending Act, 15 U.S.C. ss. 1601 et seq.;

(b)  A lease that constitutes a "consumer lease" as defined in 12 C.F.R. s. 213.2(a)(6);

(c)  Any lease for agricultural, business, or commercial purposes;

(d)  Any lease made to an organization;

(e)  A lease or agreement that constitutes a "retail installment contract" or "retail installment transaction" as those terms are defined in s. 520.31; or

(f)  A security interest as defined in s. 671.201(35).

History.--s. 2, ch. 88-69; s. 51, ch. 95-144; s. 20, ch. 99-164; s. 685, ch. 2003-261; s. 52, ch. 2006-213; s. 20, ch. 2007-134.