Debts, Disasters, and Delinquencies: The Case for a Mandatory Force Majeure Provision in Consumer Credit Agreements, and for a Consumer Credit Insurance Fund
New York University Review of Law and Social Change, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 1-56, 2010
57 Pages Posted: 6 Mar 2010 Last revised: 28 Apr 2013
Date Written: March 5, 2010
Abstract
This article addresses inequities in the apportionment of losses which arise when traditional consumer finance rules are applied to enforce consumer payment obligations which accrue during and after catastrophes. Disasters lead inevitably to job losses, to property destruction, and to inhibited access to homes and workplaces. In the wake of devastation, consumer fees and interest charges mount, and payment defaults increase. It is argued here that the resulting individual hardships and social distress could be mitigated by mandating the inclusion of force majeure provisions in consumer finance agreements and by creating a national consumer credit insurance fund.
Keywords: Consumer Movement, Mortgage Lender, Credit Card Issuer, Eviction, Hurricane
JEL Classification: D10, D11, D18, D19, G20, G21, G28, G29, H31, I31
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?
