In March, a district court in the Eastern District of California followed other courts holding that an undated, model form debt validation notice does not violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Specifically, the court found that the plaintiff’s barebones allegations about purported financial, reputational, and emotional harm did not confer Article III standing.
Virginia Bell Flynn
Virginia is a partner in the firm’s Consumer Financial Services practice and specifically within the Financial Services Litigation practice. She represents clients in federal and state court, both at the trial and appellate level in the areas of complex litigation and business disputes, health care litigation, including ERISA and out-of-network issues, and consumer litigation in over 21 states nationwide. As a result of new legal developments, she increasingly counsels clients to ensure they comply with the myriad of growing laws in the consumer law with a particular emphasis on the intersection of TCPA and HIPAA.
California Attorney General Sponsors Bill Banning Credit Reporting of Medical Debt
On April 2, the California Senate Judicial Committee passed Senate Bill 1061. The bill seeks to prevent health care providers and contracted collection agencies from providing information about patients’ medical debt to credit reporting agencies. The bill would also prevent credit reporting agencies from accepting, storing, or sharing information related to medical debt.
New York Federal District Court Holds the Reasonableness of Investigation Into Alleged Identity Theft is a Factual Question under the FCRA
A U.S. district court in the Eastern District of New York recently denied a motion for summary judgment filed by a credit card issuer because the plaintiff alleged identity theft and a reasonable factfinder could determine the issuer’s investigation was willfully unreasonable under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
New TCPA Rules: Revoking Consent to Robocalls and Robotexts
On February 15, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved amendments to the rules and regulations implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The adopted Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking implemented new rules regarding revocation of consent to robocalls and robotexts — clarifying rulings from 2012 and 2015. The FCC’s goal was to “strengthen consumers’ ability to revoke consent so that it is simple and easy.”
CFPB Reports on Student Borrowers’ Experiences During Return to Loan Repayment
As federal student loan repayments resume after a three-year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published an Issue Spotlight on student borrowers’ experiences, using consumer complaints to identify emerging problems.
Pennsylvania District Court Finds No Personal Liability Under the TCPA
In Perrong v. Chase Data Corp., et al., a court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania recently ruled that no personal liability attaches to the owner of a company for Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) violations.
FCC Rules AI-Generated Voices Fall Under TCPA Restrictions
Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a unanimous ruling that the Telephone Consumer Protection Act’s (TCPA) restrictions on the use of “artificial or prerecorded voices” apply to AI technology that generate such voices.
Troutman Pepper Publishes 2023 Consumer Financial Services Year in Review and A Look Ahead
We are pleased to share our annual review of regulatory and legal developments in the consumer financial services industry. With active federal and state legislatures, consumer financial services providers faced a challenging 2023. Courts across the country issued rulings that will have immediate and lasting impacts on the industry. Our team of more than 140 professionals has prepared this concise, yet thorough analysis of the most important issues and trends throughout our industry. We not only examined what happened in 2023, but also what to expect — and how to prepare — for the months ahead.
Magistrate Judge Recommends No FCRA Liability for Accurately Reporting a Publicly Available Conviction that was Expunged
A magistrate judge in the Northern District of Georgia recently recommended granting summary judgment in a Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) case in favor of a background reporting company on the grounds that a report given only to the consumer is not a consumer report and including a valid conviction on a report does not violate the FCRA as long as its expungement is also included.
In the Ninth Circuit Precision is Required in an Offer of Judgment
A U.S. District Court in the Southern District of California recently held that a Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 68 offer of judgment must clearly state that attorneys’ fees and costs are limited or waived, as Arvest Central Mortgage Company (Arvest) learned to its detriment. The plaintiff had a mortgage with Arvest, entered into a forbearance agreement, and made the payments on the property, but claimed Arvest inaccurately reported that he was late on his October 2020 payment. The plaintiff sued Arvest and nine other defendants for violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and California’s Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act, ultimately resolving his claims against all defendants except Arvest.