Short title; definitions.

(a) The provisions of this act may be cited as the "Uniform Arbitration Act" [44-7A-1 NMSA 1978]. (b) As used in the Uniform Arbitration Act: (1) "arbitration organization" means an association, agency, board, commission or other entity that is neutral and initiates, sponsors or administers an arbitration proceeding or is involved in the appointment of an arbitrator; (2) "arbitrator" means an individual appointed to render an award, alone or with others, in a controversy that is subject to an agreement to arbitrate; (3) "court" means a court of competent jurisdiction in this state; (4) "disabling civil dispute clause" means a provision modifying or limiting procedural rights necessary or useful to a consumer, borrower, tenant or employee in the enforcement of substantive rights against a party drafting a standard form contract or lease, such as, by way of example, a clause requiring the consumer, tenant or employee to: (a) assert a claim against the party who prepared the form in a forum that is less convenient, more costly or more dilatory than a judicial forum established in this state for resolution of the dispute; (b) assume a risk of liability for the legal fees of the party preparing the contract, but a seller, lessor or lender may exact for a buyer, tenant or borrower an obligation to reimburse the seller, lessor or lender for a reasonable fee paid to secure enforcement of a promise to pay money; (c) forego access to the discovery of evidence as provided in the rules of procedure of a convenient judicial forum available to hear and decide a dispute between the parties; (d) present evidence to a purported neutral person who may reasonably be expected to regard the party preparing the contract as more likely to be a future employer of the neutral person; (e) forego recourse to appeal from a decision not based on substantial evidence or disregarding the legal rights of the consumer, tenant or employee; (f) decline to participate in a class action; or (g) forego an award of attorney fees, civil penalties or multiple damages otherwise available in a judicial proceeding; (5) "knowledge" means actual knowledge; (6) "person" means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, governmental agency, governmental instrumentality, public corporation or any other legal or commercial entity; (7) "record" means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form; and (8) "standard form contract or lease" means a written instrument prepared by a party for whom its use is routine in business transactions with consumers of goods or services, borrowers, tenants or employees.