(a) The holder of any contract or lease entered into on or after October 1, 1979, the subject of which is money, property or services intended to be used primarily for personal, family or household purposes and which contains a provision for payment of attorney's fees of a creditor, seller or lessor, shall not receive, claim or collect any payment for attorney's fees (1) for an attorney who is a salaried employee of such holder or (2) prior to the commencement of a lawsuit.
(b) If a lawsuit in which money damages are claimed is commenced by an attorney who is not a salaried employee of the holder of a contract or lease subject to the provisions of this section, such holder may receive or collect attorney's fees, if not otherwise prohibited by law, of not more than fifteen per cent of the amount of any judgment which is entered.
(P.A. 79-452, S. 1, 2; P.A. 82-274, S. 2.)
History: P.A. 82-274 amended Subsec. (b) by specifying that the lawsuit be one in which money damages are claimed.
Cited. 186 C. 275; 232 C. 666; 240 C. 58.
Cited. 14 CA 161; 18 CA 329; 31 CA 455.
Subsec. (b):
In action to foreclose mechanic's lien, plaintiff is not entitled to duplicate attorney's fees under this section and Sec. 52-249 but rather may collect under this section for contract aspects of action and under Sec. 52-249 for equitable relief. 86 CA 767.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes