Justice Department Issues Fact Sheets on Ending Leases for Servicemembers and Their Families
The Justice Department announced that it has issued two fact sheets to help servicemembers and their dependents avoid unnecessary rent payments and costly fees when they receive eligible military orders. The first explains how servicemembers and their dependents can end a residential or business lease, and the second explains how they can end certain vehicle leases.
“The Civil Rights Division is deeply committed, on Veterans Day and every other day, to ensuring that our military families are not saddled with excessive fees and payments as they heroically serve our country,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jesus A. Osete of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. He said the fact sheets remind the military community, vehicle lenders and landlords that servicemembers and their families have a legal right to end certain leases early when they transition to veteran status or are called to move on military orders.
Military families are often required to relocate through Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves, and servicemembers frequently end up in leases that need to be terminated early. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) allows servicemembers to cancel those leases so they are not stuck paying for a residence or vehicle they can no longer use solely because they are moving in service to the country.
The department issued the fact sheets near Veterans Day to draw attention to an important part of the lease termination right: retirement and separation orders are eligible military orders for lease termination. When servicemembers transition into veteran status, they receive a retirement or separation order showing they are leaving military service. Lease holders and landlords may not recognize those orders as covered by the SCRA, since they are not typical PCS orders, but military families often relocate at retirement or separation, and not recognizing the orders would leave them paying for a residence or vehicle they may no longer need.
The Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative, housed in the Civil Rights Division, works to ensure that the rights of servicemembers and veterans are safeguarded from discrimination and unfair treatment. The department's enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division's Housing and Civil Enforcement Section in partnership with U.S. Attorneys' Offices across the country. Since 2011, the department has obtained over $490 million in monetary relief for over 153,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA.
Servicemembers, veterans and their dependents who believe their rights under the SCRA have been violated can contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program office for help.
(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国司法部大楼。GSM 固定图库。 / Photo: The U.S. Department of Justice headquarters. GSM asset library.
