Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protects active-duty families Published Oct. 28, 2014 By 341st Legal Office MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- The following information is a general description of the law. It is not intended to apply the law to any particular set of facts, and is not a substitute for legal advice from an attorney. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 2003 (SCRA) is federal law that grants many protections to active-duty military members and their dependents. Most service members on active duty are familiar with at least some of the protections SCRA provides, such as the ability to "break" a lease on rental property under some circumstances, due to permanent change of station orders. SCRA protections reach much farther than that, however, and every service member should be familiar with them. As mentioned, SCRA generally allows a service member to terminate a lease on real estate when that member receives PCS orders, or orders to deploy for at least 90 days. The member must also comply with certain other requirements, like providing written notice to their landlord. Less known, however, is the fact that SCRA also allows service members to terminate cell phone and automobile lease contracts under certain circumstances. As with real estate leases, the ability to terminate cell phone and automobile leases under SCRA generally relates to particular conditions of a member's service, either PCS or deployment, substantially interfering with their ability to use the leased phone or vehicle. SCRA also allows service members to reduce interest rates on certain loans to no greater than six percent. This reduced interest rate can only apply to loans the service member obtained before entering active duty, however. For most loans, the reduced interest rate generally only lasts as long as the member remains on active duty. Similarly, SCRA is the law that, generally, prevents service members and their spouses from losing legal residence in a state when their absence from that state is due to military service. Were it not for SCRA, most service members would likely have to change their state of legal residence each time they permanently changed stations to a different state. SCRA affords active duty service members these protections and many more, such as restrictions on eviction and foreclosures and delay of civil court proceedings. Individuals wanting to know more about service members' protections under SCRA, can call the Malmstrom AFB Legal Office at 406-731-2878 to schedule an appointment to speak with an attorney.