In a new decision slated for publication, the Sixth Circuit weighed in on an issue under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA): whether a “benign language” exception exists to a flat prohibition of substantive information appearing on an envelope containing a letter from a debt collector. The Sixth Circuit took a strict reading of
Troutman Pepper represented the defendant/appellee in Wanda Daughtry, et al v. Jeffrey Nadel, a case in which the appellants argued that a foreclosure action filed six years after the borrowers defaulted was time-barred. The case concerned whether Maryland’s default three-year statute of limitations for “actions at law” applied to a foreclosure action. The Court
In Paul v. Enhanced Recovery Company, the plaintiff received two letters from a debt collector concerning the same debt, about 40 days apart. The letters were identical, except for the dates and the amount of the settlement offers – the first contained an offer of $1,375.42, while the second offer was $1,277.17.
In addition
If you have ever leased an apartment, house, or storefront, you have probably agreed to a background check or asked the applicant to do so. What you may not know is that the process of looking into someone’s background is regulated by state, local, and federal law. Here are five points any landlord, tenant, or
Recently, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed an Amicus Curiae brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit addressing whether a debt collector violates the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by accurately stating that it is seeking to collect $0.00 in interest and collection fees, including when interest and collection fees
Plaintiff Joseph Degroot defaulted on a credit card debt, which was subsequently placed with a collection agency. The agency sent the plaintiff a collection letter stating that “interest and fees are no longer being added to your account,” which the plaintiff took to mean that the account had been charged off. The debt was then
A recently filed lawsuit places renewed scrutiny on the constitutionality of the nationwide residential eviction freeze put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) in response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. On September 18, an Amended Complaint was filed under Richard Lee Brown et al. v. Alex Azar et al. in
In 2011 and 2013, Peri Domante’s personal information was stolen and fraudulently used to open two accounts with Dish Networks, LLC (“Dish”), a provider of television services. After being alerted to the fraud, Domante sued Dish for violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”). The parties settled the lawsuit. As part of the agreement,
A recent decision out of the Eastern District of Wisconsin provides an important reminder to loan servicers that a statement in a debt collection letter could be considered misleading under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”), 15 U.S.C. § 1692 et seq., even if the letter is “literally correct.”
The case is Reitz v.
The plaintiff incurred a debt to a medical provider who placed the debt with a debt collector. The collection letter from the debt collector included a request for repayment of principal and interest. The plaintiff filed a lawsuit alleging that the debt collector violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) because it was not