| Volume 41 Number 12 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
We all know it's important to check our credit reports regularly, but have you ever heard of a CLUE report? Your CLUE report is just as important in determining your insurance rates, but unfortunately, most consumers don't even know it exists. Take advantage of the law and get a free report every year. Click here for more.
Changes to Bankruptcy Law Could Help Students
Last week, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing to examine the need to allow Americans to discharge their private student loans in bankruptcy. Under bankruptcy legislation enacted during the Bush Administration, consumers are severely limited in their ability to discharge private college loans. College loan debts are unique. Although consumers can discharge credit card debt, car loans, mortgage, and utility bills in bankruptcy, they're stuck with their student loans. To read about proposed changes to bankruptcy law, Click here for more.
H1N1 Vaccine - First in Line
The H1N1 "Swine Flu" vaccine is on the way. The first shipment of the vaccination is expected to reach Texas and most other states within the next week. However, according to early estimates, the bulk of the vaccine still won't reach health providers until mid- to late- October. Who will be first to receive the vaccine? Are there any alternatives to the traditional vaccine? Click here for more.
Neighborhood Stabilization Program Hits Major Hurdle
Last year, Congress passed the $3.9 billion Neighborhood Stabilization Program to give states the ability to acquire and rehabilitate abandoned properties. States and localities, however, are having problems acquiring the properties. When the housing market hit bottom, private investors and home-buyers purchased many of the properties at significant discounts. Additionally, a significant number of homes are in the hands of banks that don't want to let go of the properties. Can the Neighborhood Stabilization Program still work? Click here for more.
Your Money
Is your home's value greater than your mortgage loan? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Lawyer may be liable for client's bankruptcy losses. The Massachusetts Court of Appeals held a lawyer may be liable for damages flowing from his failure to file a bankruptcy petition on behalf of a client. The court affirmed a $17,000 malpractice verdict, noting that, " evidence of [the plaintiff’s] employment status and earnings gave the jury a basis to infer that she no longer was ‘judgment proof’ and that collection efforts would in fact cause her harm, at least as to the amount of the debt she owed. Click here for more.