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Debt Collection Law News

February 23, 2012

CFPB Takes Aim at Debt Collectors, Credit Reporting Agencies

A new proposed rule would bring debt collectors and consumer reporting firms under federal supervision

A controversial government regulator set up after the 2008 financial collapse is taking aim at debt collectors and credit reporting agencies, proposing a rule that would bring the industry's largest players under federal supervision for the first time ever.. More...

February 21, 2012

League City resident sues to recover security deposit

GALVESTON - League City resident John McCollum has filed suit against Brooks Calavan and the Calavan Family Partnership in an effort to recoup a security deposit, recent court documents state. More...

February 17, 2012

The Limits on Direct and Vicarious Liability Under the FDCPA

Consumers and their attorneys are constantly seeking to expand the pool of potential FDCPA defendants using principles of vicarious liability. Debt buyers are being sued based on the conduct of their agencies and law firms. Lawyers and agency owners are being sued based on the conduct of their clients and their collectors. Even original creditors, who are not subject to the FDCPA, are being drawn into FDCPA litigation under various theories of recovery. What are the limits of vicarious liability under the FDCPA? How can debt collectors avoid liability for the conduct of others? More...

February 15, 2012

Consumers Complain about Santander Consumer USA

DALLAS - Dozens of harassing phone calls, unauthorized bank drafts and questionable repossessions – those are just some of the accusations leveled against an enormous local auto financer. More...

February 13, 2012

PROTECTION OF CONSUMERS OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, DEBT COLLECTION

FINANCE CODE

TITLE 5. PROTECTION OF CONSUMERS OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

CHAPTER 392. DEBT COLLECTION

SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 392.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Consumer" means an individual who has a consumer debt. More...

February 10, 2012

Hollywood Video collection complaints return

PORTLAND – Like a sequel of a bad movie, Hollywood Video is again trying to collect money for what the company calls late movie rental fees or for movies never returned. More...

February 8, 2012

Toyota Motor Credit sues over $33K past due account

Toyota Motor Credit Corp. has filed suit against Beaumont resident Iketha Saunders, alleging she has possession of collateral on a past due account of more than $33,000. More...

February 5, 2012

Have old debts? The collector might be too late.

What would you do if you received a court summons indicating that you were being sued for thousands of dollars in debt on a credit card you had no recollection ever applying for or using? More...

February 2, 2012

ANDERSON v. BAXTER, SCHWARTZ & SHAPIRO LLP

DAVID H. ANDERSON, Appellant,
v.
BAXTER, SCHWARTZ & SHAPIRO LLP, Appellee.

No. 14-11-00021-CV.
Court of Appeals of Texas, Fourteenth District, Houston. More...

January 26, 2012

Consumer watchdog targets payday loans

Payday lending is now a $7 billion a year industry in the United States. Millions of Americans with limited income and no savings see this as their only way to get quick cash to pay for an unexpected expense. The market is so lucrative some traditional banks now offer their version of the payday loan, called a deposit advance. More...

January 25, 2012

Give consumers their day in court

A string of Supreme Court rulings in favor of companies that force wronged consumers into arbitration instead of allowing them to pursue lawsuits shows change is needed. A Senate bill aims to do that.

The Supreme Court once again gave its backing this week to the notion that businesses can deny consumers the right to file lawsuits and can instead require any disputes to be mediated by an arbitrator. More...

January 24, 2012

ZAPPOS CUSTOMER DATA-LAWSUIT

LAS VEGAS Online retailers Amazon.com and Zappos.com are being sued in Kentucky by a Texas woman alleging that she and millions of other customers were harmed by the release of personal account information. Officials representing Zappos in Nevada and parent company Amazon in Seattle declined comment Wednesday on the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Louisville. The lawsuit was filed Monday after Zappos chief executive Tony Hsieh alerted employees and customers by email Sunday that names, phone numbers and email addresses of the shoe retailer's customers may have been accessed in a hacker attack. The company said customers' credit card and payment information weren't stolen. More...

January 23, 2012

Debt Collection

It can happen to anyone: you suffer a financial set-back like the loss of a job, and you are unable to make timely payments on a debt. What can you do?

It helps to act quickly. A consumer having difficulty paying a debt can contact the creditor, explain the circumstances, and offer to work out a payment plan. Sometimes the creditor will refinance or otherwise modify the agreement to give you a chance to catch up. More...

January 22, 2012

Debt Collection Practices

The OCCC frequently receives questions and complaints from consumers about the negative debt collection practices they experience. Examples of unlawful creditor behavior includes excessive amount of telephone calls to debtors, misrepresentation of the facts to third parties, threats of arrest, and illegal repossession.

If you have complaints about the collection practices of an OCCC licensed lender, please call the Consumer Assistance Hotline at 800.538.1579 or fill out a complaint form and send it to this agency (mailing address, e-mail address, and fax number provided on the form). More...

 


Debt Calls Attorneys Weston & Associates, PLLC, also serves other areas in the Houston area including:

Houston, Pasadena, Baytown, La Porte, Channelview, Deer Park, Katy, Cypress, Tomball, Sugar Land, Pearland, The Woodlands, Galveston, Clear Lake, Kemah, Dickinson, Richmond, and Hempstead