De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc. (“DLL”) Litigation:

De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc. (commonly called “DLL”) is a company based in Wayne, Chester County, Pennsylvania. De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc. is in the business of “lease financing.” What this means is that a Lessee leases a piece of equipment, and the lease transaction is “financed” by De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc. Typically, the Lessee of the equipment is a small business or non-profit organization, and the equipment involved is either office equipment such as a multi-function copier, or a piece of medical equipment.

Normally, when finding and leasing the equipment, the Lessee will negotiate with a local vendor who will show them the equipment and tell the Lessee about the equipment’s features. After the Lessee has decided that they want to lease the equipment, the vendor will then use the Lessee’s credit score and credit rating to obtain “financing” from De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc. What this means is that De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc. actually buys the equipment, and then almost immediately leases it to the Lessee. In many instances, the Lessee will not understand that they are signing a lease with De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc., and they will believe that they are dealing solely with the vendor. Depending on the vendor, the equipment involved, and the specific lease utilized to consummate the transaction, it is possible that DLL’s name does not appear anywhere on the paperwork signed by the Lessee. For example, in their practice of lease financing, DLL will frequently use the assumed “trade name” of a different financing company which has a name very similar to that of the vendor. While the practice may appear deceptive to the Lessee, it is actually a very common way that lease financing companies structure their leases.

Many of the companies and non-profit entities sued by De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc. are not based in the State of Pennsylvania. Moreover, many of these companies have never done business in Pennsylvania, never sent documents to Pennsylvania, and have never transacted with an entity in Pennsylvania. While it may seem odd that De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc. is able to sue out-of-state entities so frequently in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas, the reason that they are able to file the suits is because of a “floating jurisdiction clause” which customarily appears in the Lease. While these clauses have been routinely upheld by the Judges of the Chester County Court of Common Pleas, this does not mean that all hope is lost. Not every lease is the same, and depending on your particular lease, there may be ways to have the case dismissed from the Pennsylvania Courts.

De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc. files many lawsuits in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. These lawsuits will usually raise a theory of Breach of Contract, Conversion, Replevin, and other various claims. If you have been sued by De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc. in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas, then it is imperative that you speak with an attorney who is experienced in defending these suits. While the leases used by De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc. are typically structured so that DLL is in a favorable position, there are still potential defenses to these lawsuits, and many times a viable claim can be had against the vendor who helped structure the transaction.

If you are facing a lawsuit in Chester County, Pennsylvania brought by De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc., then I urge you to contact my office, at (610) 696-8344. I would be happy to discuss the facts and circumstances of your matter so that you can prepare a defense to the claims that you face.