Minnesota Senator Al Franken recently announced that he plans on introducing additional protections for consumers under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Franken’s actions were prompted by a newspaper’s investigative reporting which uncovered some of debt collectors’ shadier tactics, including…
Posts Categorized In: FDCPA
California Debt Blog: Former Debt Collector Ran Collection Business from Prison
If you believe that most professional debt collectors are honest, hardworking, salt of the earth type people, this story may change your mind. Lamont Cooper, age 38 and from New York, owned a business called Legal Action Recovery, which was…
California Debt Blog: Pressure to Pay Others’ Debts a Growing Problem
A new problem with debt collectors has been emerging in recent years – debt collectors who pursue the wrong people in order to collect a debt owed by someone else. Some collectors even know that they are pursuing the wrong…
California Debt Blog: Debtors Fighting Back Against Collectors in Court
Recently, I wrote about the flood of lawsuits from creditors seeking payment on debts, often with little or no proof that the debt is even owed. The other side of the coin, highlighted by this article, shows that debtors are…
California Debt Blog: Courts Overwhelmed by Number of Automated Debt Collection Lawsuits
Since the recession began, increasing numbers of Americans are becoming unable to pay their debts. As a result, debt collection lawsuits are now overwhelming the court system. As the New York Times reported, many debt collection law firms are now…
California Debt Blog: Student Loan Debt Collectors Guide Pulled from Federal Website
Recently, the U.S. Department of Education pulled a manual for debt collectors who are attempting to collect student loan debts off of its website. The Private Collection Agencies Procedures Manual was removed because a blog operated by the U.S. News…
California Debt Blog: Harassed Debtor Wins $1.5 Million Verdict Against Debt Collectors
Allen Jones, from Lewisville, Texas, won a large verdict earlier this month against a collections agency that violated Texas debt collection laws. Jones, 26, claims he owed an $81 credit card debt, which was actually paid off at the time…
California Debt Blog: Debt Collectors’ Claims Beginning to Cause Doubt Among New York Judges
According to this New York Times article, during the current recession, debt collectors in New York have begun to file suits against debtors in record numbers – and often, this occurs without sufficient evidence that the collectors have the right…
California Debt Blog: FAQ: What is a debt collector forbidden from doing?
Question: I think my debt collector is harassing me. What is the debt collector legally forbidden from doing to collect the debt? Answer: The Federal Trade Commission publishes a guide for consumers that details exactly what debt collectors can and…
California Debt Blog: Supreme Court Ruling Helps Protect Consumers from Debt Collectors
On April 21 the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in favor of debtors who are subject to abuses at the hands of debt collectors. In Jerman v. Carlisle, the Court ruled that if a debt collector makes an incorrect…