Going to Court on a D.C. Lemon Law Claim

D.C. lemon-law claims start at the Board of Consumer Claims Arbitration, but court still matters — to enforce or follow up on a Board decision, and to bring the CPPA and Magnuson-Moss claims that add real damages.

Where you file

• Superior Court of the District of Columbia — the local trial court, for lemon-law follow-up and CPPA claims.
• U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (D.D.C.) — for Magnuson-Moss claims.

What you plead

A typical D.C. court action pairs:

1. D.C. Lemon Law (§ 50-501) — refund or replacement; the 12,000-mile-free-band offset.
2. CPPA (§ 28-3905(k)) — treble damages or $1,500 per violation, whichever is greater, plus attorney fees and punitive damages.
3. Magnuson-Moss (§ 2310(d)(2)) — federal fee hook.
4. UCC breach of warranty — D.C. Code § 28:2-725 (four-year window).

The CPPA carries the damages

Because the lemon law itself yields a refund/replacement, the CPPA is where the multiplied damages come from: treble-or-$1,500/violation, punitive damages, and fees (§ 28-3905(k)) — one of the strongest consumer remedies in the country, and powerful leverage where a dealer or manufacturer was deceptive. See CPPA damages.

The four-year window

Any lemon-law action must be commenced within four years of original delivery (§ 50-507). Factor in the mandatory arbitration step so it doesn’t crowd the deadline. See statute of limitations.

What you can recover

• Refund or replacement (your election) with the 12,000-mile-free-band offset.
• Treble-or-$1,500/violation damages, punitive damages, and fees under the CPPA.
• Attorney fees under Magnuson-Moss and the lemon-law arbitration. See attorney fees.

Bottom line

After arbitration, court is where D.C. claims gain their teeth — the CPPA’s treble-or-$1,500 damages, punitive damages, and fees, plus Magnuson-Moss, all within four years of delivery. Get a free case review.

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