🚗 TILA Auto Financing & Cuello Damages — No Actual Harm | Bengal Motor v. Cuello | 3DCA 11-1336

Florida 3rd DCA Oral Argument | Bengal Motor Co. v. Cuello | Case No. 3DCA 11-1336 Can a consumer recover Cuello damages for a car dealer's technical TILA violations when no actual harm was suffered? This Florida appellate oral argument tackles the intersection of the federal Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Florida's Motor Vehicle Retail Sales Finance Act (Chapter 520, Fla. Stat.). The court holds that while TILA's penalty provisions allow recovery for technical violations without actual damages, Chapter 520 does not contain such a penalty provision — meaning Cuello-style damages were improperly awarded. The 3rd DCA reverses the trial court's damages award, drawing a critical distinction between federal TILA claims and their state-law counterparts under Florida's Chapter 520. Key arguments include whether TILA's willfulness standard applies to technical disclosure violations, whether Chapter 520 independently supports penalty damages without actual harm, and the proper scope of Cuello damages under Florida consumer protection law. 📋 STATUTES & RULES CITED: • Truth in Lending Act (TILA), 15 U.S.C. §1601 et seq. — Federal consumer credit disclosure law • Florida Chapter 520 — Motor Vehicle Retail Sales Finance Act: https://www.floridarules.net/ • Regulation Z, 12 C.F.R. Part 226 — Federal Reserve TILA implementation ⚖️ CASE REFERENCES: • Bengal Motor Company Ltd. v. Michelle Cuello, Case No. 3DCA 11-1336 (Fla. 3d DCA) • Full opinion: http://www.3dca.flcourts.org/opinions... 🔑 KEY LEGAL ISSUES: • TILA damages vs. Florida Chapter 520 damages for auto financing disclosures • Willfulness standard under TILA for penalty damages • Cuello damages in Florida consumer protection law • Appellate reversal of damages award This oral argument is from the Florida Third District Court of Appeal, presented by Weidner Law — Florida appellate attorneys representing clients in state and federal courts. 🔔 Subscribe for more Florida appellate court oral arguments and legal analysis. Weidner Law | St. Petersburg, Florida | 727-954-8752 | http://mattweidnerlaw.com