Cell-phone, gym, apartment and auto lease contracts and how to break them

With the new decade in its infancy, who wouldn’t want to start afresh?

But if out with the old means terminating a cell-phone contract, car lease or gym membership early, be prepared to pay. Depending on the contract holder, it can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to pull out of a deal.

Most consumers associate leases with automobile or apartment contracts. But the gym membership you signed up for or the contract you negotiated with a cell-phone company is a lease agreement, and breaking it is a breach of contract. In most cases, the law favors the person or company providing the lease.

Full story: Cell-phone, gym, apartment and auto lease contracts and how to break them – chicagotribune.com