As the education sector continues to respond to the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic, on March 30, United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced several initiatives designed to bring “meaningful relief” to students and families.
First, all federal student borrowers can ask their loan servicers to temporarily postpone their payments.
Additionally, if a borrower is more
In Dressler v. Equifax, Inc., et al., before entering final judgment in favor of all but one defendant, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida gave pro se plaintiff Sandra K. Dressler three attempts to amend her complaint, which alleged violations of various consumer protection statutes by student loan servicer
In response to economic concerns due to widespread closures caused by the coronavirus (“COVID-19”), on Sunday, March 15, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued an executive order putting a moratorium on evictions. Following Mayor Garcetti’s lead, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a statewide executive order stopping evictions and foreclosures for people affected by the disease
In his press conference on March 23, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced sweeping new restrictions on public gatherings and business operations as part of the ongoing effort to combat the coronavirus (“COVID-19”). The new restrictions go into effect at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23, and remain in place for 30 days. The press release
In light of the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) and its impact on business operations, it is important to be aware that Telephone Consumer Protection Act restrictions on calling or texting consumers for a commercial purpose still apply. These national restrictions include rules governing consent to contact cellular telephones and rules regarding revocation of consent. Moreover, certain
The United States District Court for the District of Utah recently ruled that a debt buyer, First Financial Investment Fund V, LLC, must register as a collection office and post a bond with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code pursuant to Section 12-1-1 of the Utah Collection Agency Act.
First Financial, as a
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development has issued a partial waiver of 24 CFR 203.604, the provision that requires mortgagees to establish face-to-face contact with borrowers during default and loss mitigation intervention. This suspension, which is stated to last for one year, was issued in response to public concerns over the spread
In the wake of many cities issuing tighter restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus (“COVID-19”), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (“CISA”) has issued guidance on the identification of “essential critical infrastructure workers.” It is important to ensure continuity of functions that are critical to public health and safety, as well as economic
On March 18, the Court of Appeals of Maryland has stayed all residential foreclosures and evictions during the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic. The Court determined that the “[e]scalation of the emergency has required comprehensive measures to protect the health, safety, and well-being of Maryland residents and judiciary personnel.” The Court further ruled that all “[f]oreclosures of
Like most industries today, Consumer Financial Services businesses are being significantly impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Troutman Sanders and Pepper Hamilton have developed a dedicated COVID-19 Resource Center to guide clients through this unprecedented global health challenge. We regularly update this site with COVID-19 news and developments, recommendations from leading health organizations, and tools