| Volume 50 Number 10 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Time to end your lease? Trying to avoid losing your security deposit so you tell the landlord to keep it for the last month’s rent? Bad idea. Under the law, you could owe your landlord three times the deposit plus $100 if you do that. A better idea—pay your rent, give proper notice and a forwarding address and take advantage of the Texas Security Deposit Law, which lets you get three times the deposit plus $100 if it is not properly returned. Click here for more.
Senate Passes Wall Street Reform
After a financial meltdown devastated the economy, most Americans blamed Wall Street's risky behavior. During the months of recovery, the Government sought to limit the potential for future economic disasters by adding new regulations to the volatile financial markets. Now, both chambers of Congress have passed Wall Street reform legislation and will begin consolidation efforts during the week of June 7. Although the two bills have a lot in common, there are several key points that will require negotiations. What can you expect from the new regulations? Click here for more.
Recall: GE Digital Coffee Maker
After receiving nearly one hundred complaints nationwide, the Consumer Safety Commission has announced the recall of the GE 12-cup digital coffee maker. The coffee maker, sold exclusively at Walmart, has been blamed for burning consumers after cooking too hot. To watch a video demonstrating the problem,
Click here for more.
Privacy: Protect Your Facebook Page
Facebook has been hammered by members over the past few weeks after several media outlets started to criticize the site's lack of privacy. Facebook has started to link member information to other sites, regularly change its membership agreement, and frequently expose sensitive user information even when a member actively protects that information. Despite having over fifty privacy options, it is still possible to protect your personal information while connecting with friends and family. To find out how to put your Facebook page on lockdown, Click here for more.
Your Money
Calculate and compare the cost of living between towns. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Web Software Service Is Liable For Scammers' Creation of Unverified Checks. The Ninth Circuit held that a company that operated an unverified check creation software service, and knew that over half of its users' transactions were fraudulent, independently caused consumer injury and is liable under Section 5 of the FTC Act. The court noted that, “The FTC has broad authority to prevent businesses from engaging in unfair and deceptive trade practices in or affecting commerce. Trade practices are ‘unfair’ if they cause or are likely to cause substantial injury to consumers that is not reasonably avoidable by consumers, and which is not outweighed by countervailing consumer or competitive benefits.” Click here for more.