(Mandatory Binding Arbitration and Class Action Waiver)

Read this arbitration agreement carefully as it will have a substantial impact on how legal claims you and we have against each other are resolved.
You have the right to reject this arbitration agreement as described below. If you do not reject this Arbitration Agreement and a Claim is arbitrated, neither you nor we will have the right to: (1) have a court or a jury decide the Claim; (2) engage in information-gathering (discovery) to the same extent as in court; (3) participate in a class action, private attorney general or other representative action in court or in arbitration; or (4) join or consolidate a Claim with claims of any other person. The right to appeal is more limited in arbitration than in court and other rights in court may be unavailable or limited in arbitration.
This Arbitration Agreement describes when and how a Claim (as defined below) arising under or related to the Terms and Privacy Policy between you and us may be arbitrated. Arbitration is a method of resolving disputes in front of one or more neutral persons, instead of having a trial in court in front of a judge and/or jury. If a claim is arbitrated, each party waives its, his or her respective rights to a trial before a jury in connection with the Claim. It can be a quicker and simpler way to resolve disputes. As solely used in this Arbitration Agreement, the terms “we,” “us” and “our” mean “us” as defined above, our parent companies, wholly or majority owned subsidiaries, affiliates, commonly-owned companies, management companies, successors, assigns and any of their employees, officers and directors. For purposes of this Arbitration Agreement, these terms also mean any third party providing any goods or services in connection with the Terms and Privacy Policy, if such third party is named as a party by you in any lawsuit between you and us.

A. Your Right to Reject Arbitration: You may reject this Agreement by mailing a rejection notice to: 3200 N University Dr. Coral Springs, Florida 33065, Attn. Terms and Privacy Policy Arbitration Rejection, within thirty (30) days after you agree to these Terms. Any rejection notice must include your name, address and telephone number; the date you agreed to the Terms that your rejection notice applies to; and your signature. Your rejection notice will apply only to this Agreement in the Terms and Privacy Policy, but will not affect any term of any other contract between you and us (including without limitation any prior or subsequent agreement), nor will it change your obligation to arbitrate claims or matters covered by any prior or subsequent agreement to arbitrate, including each agreement to arbitrate that arises pursuant to the Terms on the Company’s website which is not the subject of a valid rejection notice.

B. What Claims Are Covered: “Claim” means any claim, dispute or controversy between you and us, whether preexisting, present or future, that in any way arises from or relates to the Terms or Privacy Policy (including their formation, performance and breach), your use of this website, your Application, any transaction in your Account, the events leading up to the Terms or Privacy Policy (for example, any disclosures, advertisements, promotions or oral or written statements, warranties or representations made by us), communications between you and us and the manner of communicating, any product or service provided by us or third parties in connection with the Terms or Privacy Policy, the collection of amounts due and the manner of collection, enforcement of any and all of the obligations a party hereto may have to another party, compliance with applicable laws and/or regulations (including but not limited to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act), or the relationships resulting from any of the foregoing. “Claim” has the broadest possible meaning, and includes initial claims, counterclaims, cross-claims and third-party claims and federal, state, local and administrative claims and claims which arose before the effective date of this Arbitration Agreement. It includes disputes based upon contract, tort, consumer rights, fraud and other intentional torts, constitution, statute, regulation, ordinance, common law and equity and claims for money damages and injunctive or declaratory relief.

However, “Claim” does not include: (i) any dispute or controversy about the validity, enforceability, coverage or scope of this Arbitration Agreement or any part thereof (including, without limitation, the Class Action Waiver set forth below, subparts (A) and (B) of the part (k) set forth below titled “Rules of Interpretation” and/or this sentence); all such disputes or controversies are for a court and not an arbitrator to decide; but disputes about the validity or enforceability of the Terms or Privacy Policy as a whole are for the arbitrator and not a court to decide; (ii) seeking and obtaining from a court of competent jurisdiction (notwithstanding ongoing arbitration and without waiver of rights under this Arbitration Agreement) provisional or ancillary remedies including but not limited to injunctive relief, temporary restraining orders, property preservation orders, foreclosure, sequestration, eviction, attachment, replevin, garnishment, and/or the appointment of a receiver; (iii) the exercising of any self-help or non-judicial remedies by you or us; (iv) any individual action in court by one party that is limited to preventing the other party from using a self-help remedy and that does not involve a request for damages or monetary relief of any kind; or (v) any individual action brought by you against us in small claims court or your state’s equivalent court, if any. But if that action is transferred, removed or appealed to a different court, we then have the right to choose arbitration. Moreover, this Arbitration Agreement will not apply to any Claims that are the subject of a class action filed in court that is pending as of the effective date of this Arbitration Agreement in which you are alleged to be a member of the putative or certified class.

C. Arbitration; Starting an Arbitration Proceeding: All claims arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be finally settled by binding arbitration pursuant to this Arbitration Provision and administered by Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (“JAMS”) in accordance with the JAMS Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures (the “Code”), excluding any rules or procedures governing or permitting class actions. Each party will have the right to use legal counsel in connection with arbitration at its own expense. The parties shall select a single neutral arbitrator in accordance with the JAMS Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures. The arbitrator, and not any federal, state or local court or agency, shall have exclusive authority to resolve all disputes arising out of or relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability or formation of the Agreement, including, but not limited to, any claim that all or any part of the Agreement is void or voidable. The arbitrator shall be empowered to grant whatever relief would be available in a court under law or in equity. The arbitrator’s award shall be final and in writing and provide a statement of the essential findings and conclusions, shall be binding on the parties and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction. The interpretation and enforcement of the Agreement shall be subject to the Federal Arbitration Act. The JAMS rules governing the arbitration may be accessed at https://www.jamsadr.com/adr-rules-procedures or by calling 1-800-352-5267.

In all cases, the arbitrator(s) must be a lawyer with more than 10 years of experience or a retired judge. Arbitration of a Claim must comply with this Arbitration Agreement and, to the extent not inconsistent or in conflict with this Arbitration Agreement, the applicable JAMS rules.

The parties understand that, absent this mandatory provision, they would have the right to sue in court and have a jury trial. Unless you elect to opt out in accordance herein, neither you nor we will have the right to litigate that claim in court or have a jury trial on that claim, or to engage in discovery except as provided for in the code. Further, you will not have the right to participate in a representative capacity or as a member of any class of claimants pertaining to any claim subject to arbitration; the arbitrator shall not conduct a class arbitration or a joint arbitration. Except as set forth below, the arbitrator’s decision will be final and binding. Note that other rights that you would have if you went to court also may not be available in arbitration.

E. Class Action Waiver: Notwithstanding any other provision of the Terms or Privacy Policy, neither you nor we will have the right: (a) to participate in a class action, private attorney general action or other representative action in court or in arbitration, either as a class representative or class member; or (b) to join or consolidate Claims with claims of any other persons. No arbitrator shall have authority to conduct any arbitration in violation of this provision or to issue any relief that applies to any person or entity other than you and/or us individually. (Provided, however, that the Class Action Waiver does not apply to any lawsuit or administrative proceeding filed against us by a state or federal government agency even when such agency is seeking relief on behalf of a class of borrowers including you. This means that we will not have the right to compel arbitration of any claim brought by such an agency).

F. Location of Arbitration: Any arbitration hearing that you attend must take place at a location reasonably convenient to your residence.

G. Cost of Arbitration: If you initiate arbitration, to the extent the filing fee for the arbitration exceeds Two Hundred and Fifty U.S. Dollars ($250.00), we will pay the additional cost. If we are required to pay the additional cost of the filing fees, you should submit a request for payment of fees to JAMS along with your form for initiating the arbitration, and we will make arrangements to pay all necessary fees directly to JAMS. We will also be responsible for paying all other arbitration costs arising in connection with the arbitration, other than costs incurred by you for legal counsel, travel and other out-of-pocket costs and expenses not constituting fees or amounts payable to JAMS. You will not be required to pay fees and costs incurred by us if you do not prevail in arbitration. We will also pay JAMS to reimburse you for any portion of the $250 filing fee that is more than what you would otherwise have to pay to file suit in a court of law. You understand that, in some instances, the costs of arbitration could exceed the costs of litigation.

H. Governing Law: The Terms or Privacy Policy evidences a transaction involving interstate commerce and, therefore, this Arbitration Agreement is governed by the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §§ 1 et seq. (the “FAA”), and not by any state arbitration law. The arbitrator will not be bound by judicial rules of procedure and evidence that would apply in a court, or by state or local laws that relate to arbitration proceedings. The arbitrator will apply the same statutes of limitation and privileges that a court would apply if the matter were pending in court. The arbitrator will have the authority to hear and rule on appropriate dispositive motions for judgment on the pleadings, for failure to state a claim, or for full or partial summary judgment. In determining liability or awarding damages or other relief, the arbitrator will follow the applicable substantive law, consistent with the FAA that would apply if the matter had been brought in court. The arbitrator may award any damages or other relief or remedies that would apply under applicable law to an individual action brought in court, including, without limitation, punitive damages (which shall be governed by the Constitutional standards employed by the courts) and injunctive, equitable and declaratory relief (but only in favor of the individual party seeking relief and only to the extent necessary to provide relief warranted by that party’s individual claim). The arbitrator will have the authority to award fees and costs of attorneys, witnesses and experts to the extent permitted by the Terms or Privacy Policy, the Administrator’s rules or applicable law. However, with respect to Claim(s) asserted by you in an individual arbitration, we will pay your reasonable attorney, witness and expert fees and costs if and to the extent you prevail, if applicable law requires us to or if we must bear such fees and costs in order for this Arbitration Agreement to be enforced. We will not ask you to pay or reimburse us for any fees we pay the Administrator or the arbitrator or for our attorneys’ fees and costs unless (1) the arbitrator finds that you have acted in bad faith (as measured by the standards set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b)), and (2) this power does not make this Arbitration Agreement invalid. At the timely request of either party, the arbitrator must provide a brief written explanation of the basis for the award.

I. Arbitration Result and Right of Appeal: Judgment upon the award given by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. The arbitrator’s decision is final and binding. The arbitrator’s authority shall be limited to deciding the case submitted by the parties to the arbitration. Therefore, no decision by any arbitrator shall serve as precedent in other arbitrations except in a dispute between the same parties, in which case it could be used to preclude the same claim from being re-arbitrated.

K. Rules of Interpretation: This Arbitration Agreement shall survive the termination, cancellation or suspension of the Terms or Privacy Policy, any legal proceeding, and any bankruptcy by you, to the extent consistent with applicable bankruptcy law. In the event of a conflict or inconsistency between this Arbitration Agreement, on the one hand, and the applicable arbitration rules or the other provisions of the Terms or Privacy Policy, on the other hand, this Arbitration Agreement shall govern. If any portion of this Arbitration Agreement is deemed invalid or unenforceable, it shall not invalidate the Terms or Privacy Policy or the remaining portions of this Arbitration Agreement, except that:

The parties acknowledge that the Class Action Waiver is material and essential to the arbitration of any disputes between them and is non-severable from this Arbitration Agreement. If the Class Action Waiver is limited, voided or found unenforceable, then this Arbitration Agreement (except for this sentence) shall be null and void with respect to such proceeding, subject to the right to appeal the limitation or invalidation of the Class Action Waiver. The parties acknowledge and agree that under no circumstances will a class action be arbitrated; and

L. Notice of Claim; Right to Resolve; Special Payment: Prior to initiating, joining or participating in any arbitration proceeding regarding any Claim, the Claimant (the party who asserts or seeks to assert a Claim in a lawsuit or arbitration proceeding) shall give the other party written notice of the Claim (a “Claim Notice”) and a reasonable opportunity, not less than 30 days, to resolve the Claim. Any Claim Notice you send must include your name, address, telephone number and Application or account number. Any Claim Notice must explain the nature of the Claim and the relief that is demanded. You may only submit a Claim Notice on your own behalf and not on behalf of any other party. The Claimant must reasonably cooperate in providing any information about the Claim that the other party reasonably requests. If: (i) you submit a Claim Notice in accordance with this paragraph on your own behalf (and not on behalf of any other party); (ii) we refuse to provide the relief you request before an arbitrator is appointed; and (iii) an arbitrator subsequently determines that you were entitled to such relief (or greater relief), the arbitrator shall award you at least $7,500 (not including any arbitration fees and attorneys’ fees and costs to which you may be entitled under this Arbitration Agreement or applicable law). We encourage you to address all Claims you have in a single Claim Notice and/or a single arbitration. Accordingly, this $7,500 minimum award is a single award that applies to all Claims you have asserted or could have asserted in the arbitration, and multiple awards of $7,500 are not contemplated by this Section.