On November 10, a group of Democratic senators sent a letter to Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Rohit Chopra, requesting that the CFPB take a proactive stance in its regulation of consumer reporting agencies (CRAs). The group, led by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and which includes Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH),
On November 8, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law the Consumer Credit Fairness Act (Act) (Legislation S.153/A.2382). The Act amends provisions of New York’s Civil Practice Law and Rules, commonly referred to as the CPLR, and the Judiciary Law to require original creditors and third-party debt collectors to include certain information and documents
In a report released on November 2, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) found that credit report disputes more commonly occur among consumers in majority Black and Hispanic neighborhoods than consumers in majority white neighborhoods. New CFPB Director Rohit Chopra attributed this disparity to alleged “[e]rror-ridden credit reports” that “are far too prevalent and may
In McKinney-Drobnis v. Oreshack, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the district court’s determination that vouchers awarded to class members were not “coupons” under the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA), and it admonished the district court’s failure to apply heightened scrutiny to a pre-certification class settlement. No. 20-15539, 2021 U.S. App. LEXIS 31524
In Robinson v. Nat’l Student Clearinghouse, — F.4th — (1st Cir. 2021), a First Circuit panel unanimously affirmed the district court’s Final Approval Order, approving the class settlement in an action brought under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Plaintiff James Robinson filed the class action lawsuit against National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), alleging NSC
A U.S. district judge in Illinois recently denied a motion to dismiss in a class action involving an alleged violation of the Illinois’ Right of Publicity Act (IRPA). The court determined that the defendant’s arguments were more suitable for an affirmative defense and was unpersuaded by any of the arguments.
In Krause v. RocketReach LLC
In Blackmon v. Ad Astra Recovery Services, an individual claiming to be Brittney Blackmon obtained a payday loan in her name and then never made a payment. The debt was subsequently assigned to defendant collection firm Ad Astra Recovery Services, Inc. (AARC). Years later, Blackmon contacted AARC by telephone to dispute the debt. Blackmon
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) provides federal immunity to website platforms from claims based on third-party content hosted on the website. 47 U.S.C. § 230(c)(1). Specifically, the statute provides that the provider of an “interactive computer service” cannot be treated as the publisher or speaker of information provided by “another information content
In Burns v. Keybridge Med. Revenue Care, No. 2:20-cv-12732 (E.D. Mich. July 22, 2021), the Eastern District of Michigan granted summary judgment in favor of a debt collector, holding that it did not violate the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) by failing to report that the plaintiff disputed the debt at issue.
The
On March 18, the West Virginia legislature passed Senate Bill 5, amending the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act (WVCCPA). The amendments will apply to all causes of action filed on or after June 16, 2021, the effective date of the amendments.
The amendments signal a continuing trend in West Virginia toward equalizing
