(a) As used in this section, "legal assistance organization" means a firm, group, corporation, or other entity which recommends, furnishes, arranges, or pays for legal services for its own members or beneficiaries, whether or not for profit. (b) A legal assistance organization may not sell or offer its services for sale in Maryland except in accordance with this section. (c) A legal assistance organization annually shall file a report with the Division of its activities and its financial condition. (d) A legal assistance organization which sells or offers its legal services in the State is subject to the powers and duties of the Division within this subtitle. §13-301. IN EFFECT Unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practices include any: (1) False, falsely disparaging, or misleading oral or written statement, visual description, or other representation of any kind which has the capacity, tendency, or effect of deceiving or misleading consumers; (2) Representation that: (i) Consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services have a sponsorship, approval, accessory, characteristic, ingredient, use, benefit, or quantity which they do not have; (ii) A merchant has a sponsorship, approval, status, affiliation, or connection which he does not have; (iii) Deteriorated, altered, reconditioned, reclaimed, or secondhand consumer goods are original or new; or (iv) Consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services are of a particular standard, quality, grade, style, or model which they are not; (3) Failure to state a material fact if the failure deceives or tends to deceive; (4) Disparagement of the goods, realty, services, or business of another by a false or misleading representation of a material fact; (5) Advertisement or offer of consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services: (i) Without intent to sell, lease, or rent them as advertised or offered; or (ii) With intent not to supply reasonably expected public demand, unless the advertisement or offer discloses a limitation of quantity or other qualifying condition; (6) False or misleading representation of fact which concerns: (i) The reason for or the existence or amount of a price reduction; or (ii) A price in comparison to a price of a competitor or to one's own price at a past or future time; (7) Knowingly false statement that a service, replacement, or repair is needed; (8) False statement which concerns the reason for offering or supplying consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services at sale or discount prices; (9) Deception, fraud, false pretense, false premise, misrepresentation, or knowing concealment, suppression, or omission of any material fact with the intent that a consumer rely on the same in connection with: (i) The promotion or sale of any consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer service; (ii) A contract or other agreement for the evaluation, perfection, marketing, brokering or promotion of an invention; or (iii) The subsequent performance of a merchant with respect to an agreement of sale, lease, or rental; (10) Solicitations of sales or services over the telephone without first clearly, affirmatively, and expressly stating: (i) The solicitor's name and the trade name of a person represented by the solicitor; (ii) The purpose of the telephone conversation; and (iii) The kind of merchandise, real property, intangibles, or service solicited; (11) Use of any plan or scheme in soliciting sales or services over the telephone that misrepresents the solicitor's true status or mission; (12) Use of a contract related to a consumer transaction which contains a confessed judgment clause that waives the consumer's right to assert a legal defense to an action; (13) Use by a seller, who is in the business of selling consumer realty, of a contract related to the sale of single family residential consumer realty, including condominiums and town houses, that contains a clause limiting or precluding the buyer's right to obtain consequential damages as a result of the seller's breach or cancellation of the contract; (14) Violation of a provision of: (i) This title; (ii) An order of the Attorney General or agreement of a party relating to unit pricing under Title 14, Subtitle 1 of this article; (iii) Title 14, Subtitle 2 of this article, the Maryland Consumer Debt Collection Act; (iv) Title 14, Subtitle 3 of this article, the Maryland Door-to- Door Sales Act; (v) Title 14, Subtitle 9 of this article, Kosher Products; (vi) Title 14, Subtitle 10 of this article, Automotive Repair Facilities; (vii) Section 14-1302 of this article; (viii) Title 14, Subtitle 11 of this article, Maryland Layaway Sales Act; (ix) Section 22-415 of the Transportation Article; (x) Title 14, Subtitle 20 of this article; (xi) Title 14, Subtitle 15 of this article, the Automotive Warranty Enforcement Act; (xii) Title 14, Subtitle 21 of this article; (xiii) Section 18-107 of the Transportation Article; (xiv) Title 14, Subtitle 22 of this article, the Maryland Telephone Solicitations Act; (xv) Title 14, Subtitle 23 of this article, the Automotive Crash Parts Act; (xvi) Title 10, Subtitle 6 of the Real Property Article; (xvii) Title 14, Subtitle 25 of this article, the Hearing Aid Sales Act; (xviii) Title 14, Subtitle 26 of this article, the Maryland Door-to- Door Solicitations Act; (xix) Title 14, Subtitle 31 of this article, the Maryland Household Goods Movers Act; (xx) Title 14, Subtitle 32 of this article, the Maryland Telephone Consumer Protection Act; (xxi) Title 14, Subtitle 34 of this article, the Social Security Number Privacy Act; (xxii) Title 14, Subtitle 37 of this article, the Online Child Safety Act; (xxiii) Section 14-1319, § 14-1320, or § 14-1322 of this article; (xxiv) Section 7-304 or § 8-801 of the Criminal Law Article; (xxv) Title 7, Subtitle 3 of the Real Property Article, the Protection of Homeowners in Foreclosure Act; (xxvi) Title 6, Subtitle 13 of the Environment Article; (xxvii) Section 7-405(e)(2)(ii) of the Health Occupations Article; (xxviii) Title 12, Subtitle 10 of the Financial Institutions Article; (xxix) Title 19, Subtitle 7 of the Business Regulation Article; (xxx) Section 15-311.3 of the Transportation Article; (xxxi) Section 14-1324 of this article; (xxxii) Section 14-1326 of this article; (xxxiii) The federal Military Lending Act; (xxxiv) The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act; (xxxv) Section 11-210 of the Education Article; (xxxvi) Title 14, Subtitle 44 of this article; (xxxvii) Section 14-905 of the Real Property Article; (xxxviii) Section 14-1327 of this article; (xxxix) Title 14, Subtitle 13 of the Public Safety Article; (xl) Section 12-6C-09.1 of the Health Occupations Article; (xli) Title 14, Subtitle 45 of this article; (xlii) Title 14, Subtitle 46 of this article; (xliii) Title 14, Subtitle 47 of this article; (xliv) Title 14, Subtitle 48 of this article; (xlv) Title 14, Subtitle 49 of this article; (xlvi) Section 14-2904 of this article; (xlvii) Title 14, Subtitle 50 of this article; or (xlviii) Section 13-411.1(c)(2) of the Transportation Article; or (15) Act or omission that relates to a residential building and that is chargeable as a misdemeanor under or otherwise violates a provision of the Energy Conservation Building Standards Act, Title 7, Subtitle 4 of the Public Utilities Article. §13-301. ** TAKES EFFECT JUNE 1, 2026 PER CHAPTERS 204 AND 205 OF 2025 ** Unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practices include any: (1) False, falsely disparaging, or misleading oral or written statement, visual description, or other representation of any kind which has the capacity, tendency, or effect of deceiving or misleading consumers; (2) Representation that: (i) Consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services have a sponsorship, approval, accessory, characteristic, ingredient, use, benefit, or quantity which they do not have; (ii) A merchant has a sponsorship, approval, status, affiliation, or connection which he does not have; (iii) Deteriorated, altered, reconditioned, reclaimed, or secondhand consumer goods are original or new; or (iv) Consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services are of a particular standard, quality, grade, style, or model which they are not; (3) Failure to state a material fact if the failure deceives or tends to deceive; (4) Disparagement of the goods, realty, services, or business of another by a false or misleading representation of a material fact; (5) Advertisement or offer of consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services: (i) Without intent to sell, lease, or rent them as advertised or offered; or (ii) With intent not to supply reasonably expected public demand, unless the advertisement or offer discloses a limitation of quantity or other qualifying condition; (6) False or misleading representation of fact which concerns: (i) The reason for or the existence or amount of a price reduction; or (ii) A price in comparison to a price of a competitor or to one's own price at a past or future time; (7) Knowingly false statement that a service, replacement, or repair is needed; (8) False statement which concerns the reason for offering or supplying consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer services at sale or discount prices; (9) Deception, fraud, false pretense, false premise, misrepresentation, or knowing concealment, suppression, or omission of any material fact with the intent that a consumer rely on the same in connection with: (i) The promotion or sale of any consumer goods, consumer realty, or consumer service; (ii) A contract or other agreement for the evaluation, perfection, marketing, brokering or promotion of an invention; or (iii) The subsequent performance of a merchant with respect to an agreement of sale, lease, or rental; (10) Solicitations of sales or services over the telephone without first clearly, affirmatively, and expressly stating: (i) The solicitor's name and the trade name of a person represented by the solicitor; (ii) The purpose of the telephone conversation; and (iii) The kind of merchandise, real property, intangibles, or service solicited; (11) Use of any plan or scheme in soliciting sales or services over the telephone that misrepresents the solicitor's true status or mission; (12) Use of a contract related to a consumer transaction which contains a confessed judgment clause that waives the consumer's right to assert a legal defense to an action; (13) Use by a seller, who is in the business of selling consumer realty, of a contract related to the sale of single family residential consumer realty, including condominiums and town houses, that contains a clause limiting or precluding the buyer's right to obtain consequential damages as a result of the seller's breach or cancellation of the contract; (14) Violation of a provision of: (i) This title; (ii) An order of the Attorney General or agreement of a party relating to unit pricing under Title 14, Subtitle 1 of this article; (iii) Title 14, Subtitle 2 of this article, the Maryland Consumer Debt Collection Act; (iv) Title 14, Subtitle 3 of this article, the Maryland Door-to- Door Sales Act; (v) Title 14, Subtitle 9 of this article, Kosher Products; (vi) Title 14, Subtitle 10 of this article, Automotive Repair Facilities; (vii) Section 14-1302 of this article; (viii) Title 14, Subtitle 11 of this article, Maryland Layaway Sales Act; (ix) Section 22-415 of the Transportation Article; (x) Title 14, Subtitle 20 of this article; (xi) Title 14, Subtitle 15 of this article, the Automotive Warranty Enforcement Act; (xii) Title 14, Subtitle 21 of this article; (xiii) Section 18-107 of the Transportation Article; (xiv) Title 14, Subtitle 22 of this article, the Maryland Telephone Solicitations Act; (xv) Title 14, Subtitle 23 of this article, the Automotive Crash Parts Act; (xvi) Title 10, Subtitle 6 of the Real Property Article; (xvii) Title 14, Subtitle 25 of this article, the Hearing Aid Sales Act; (xviii) Title 14, Subtitle 26 of this article, the Maryland Door-to- Door Solicitations Act; (xix) Title 14, Subtitle 31 of this article, the Maryland Household Goods Movers Act; (xx) Title 14, Subtitle 32 of this article, the Maryland Telephone Consumer Protection Act; (xxi) Title 14, Subtitle 34 of this article, the Social Security Number Privacy Act; (xxii) Title 14, Subtitle 37 of this article, the Online Child Safety Act; (xxiii) Section 14-1319, § 14-1320, or § 14-1322 of this article; (xxiv) Section 7-304 or § 8-801 of the Criminal Law Article; (xxv) Title 7, Subtitle 3 of the Real Property Article, the Protection of Homeowners in Foreclosure Act; (xxvi) Title 6, Subtitle 13 of the Environment Article; (xxvii) Section 7-405(e)(2)(ii) of the Health Occupations Article; (xxviii) Title 12, Subtitle 10 of the Financial Institutions Article; (xxix) Title 19, Subtitle 7 of the Business Regulation Article; (xxx) Section 15-311.3 of the Transportation Article; (xxxi) Section 14-1324 of this article; (xxxii) Section 14-1326 of this article; (xxxiii) The federal Military Lending Act; (xxxiv) The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act; (xxxv) Section 11-210 of the Education Article; (xxxvi) Title 14, Subtitle 44 of this article; (xxxvii) Section 14-905 of the Real Property Article; (xxxviii) Section 14-1327 of this article; (xxxix) Title 14, Subtitle 13 of the Public Safety Article; (xl) Section 12-6C-09.1 of the Health Occupations Article; (xli) Title 14, Subtitle 45 of this article; (xlii) Title 14, Subtitle 46 of this article; (xliii) Title 14, Subtitle 47 of this article; (xliv) Title 14, Subtitle 48 of this article; (xlv) Title 14, Subtitle 49 of this article; (xlvi) Section 14-2904 of this article; (xlvii) Title 14, Subtitle 50 of this article; (xlviii) Section 13-411.1(c)(2) of the Transportation Article; or (xlix) Section 14-1329 of this article; or (15) Act or omission that relates to a residential building and that is chargeable as a misdemeanor under or otherwise violates a provision of the Energy Conservation Building Standards Act, Title 7, Subtitle 4 of the Public Utilities Article.
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