People Come First At Our Consumer Rights Law Firm
As a consumer either gainfully employed, looking for new employment or entering the working world, you must be aware of the information contained in your credit report and other background reports about you because your current or potential employer can use it as part of your employment background check. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) employers are allowed to…
As we have turned over another calendar year, just about all of us have made out our list of new years resolutions for the coming year. In our attempts to make ourselves better we have set out our goals and hope we can take steps toward accomplishing these goals before we forget all about them, and make them anew next…
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) requires employers to adhere to the adverse action procedures when notifying applicants that they have been denied employment when using background checks to make hiring decisions. In simple language, what this means, is that if you apply for a job and are not hired based on information obtained in your background check, the employer…
Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) a collector has a duty to provide a clear and meaningful disclosure of its identity and purpose of the communication, whether verbal or in written. The collector must state its name and the company it works for, that the communication is an attempt to collect a debt and that any information obtained…
Often times, when attempting to collect a debt, collectors contact friends and/or family members of the person who allegedly owes the debt, more formally referred to as “third party contact”. “Third party contact” can be done within the guidelines of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”). However, there are limits to these contacts, and a debt collector needs to be…
In a post earlier this week, I blogged about the inception and purpose of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”). When creating this agency the federal government required the submission of an annual report on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) explaining the agency’s progress on supervising the entire collection industry. In an effort to better achieve its consumer…
Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”), a consumer is afforded rights which protect them from unfair and/or deceptive collection practices. The FDCPA protects a consumer from the conduct of a collection agency but not from the conduct of an original creditor, the entity to which the debt was initially owed. Often times, consumers ask what they can do…
After the financial pressure of the holiday season its time to start worrying about all of your unpaid bills. Often times, after a bill goes unpaid for an extended period of time and the creditor’s collection efforts were unsuccessful, it will enlist the help of a collection agency to do its dirty work. Once an agency begins calling, you may…
Discussing debt is a huge source of stress for almost every individual. Using credit cards or store charges, financing an automobile, taking out a personal loan and or a home mortgage makes you a debtor and entitles you to the protection of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (the “FDPCA”). The FDPCA governs the conduct of collection agencies and ensures…
Can a debt collector leave a message on your answering machine or voice mail? The answer really depends on a few factors. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) limits the conduct of debt collectors and their collection efforts, how the collector can contact you and what is said when trying to collect the debt. The FDCPA does not specifically…