| Volume 69 Number 9 |
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See you in 2012!
The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Do you have a complaint against the company DirectBuy? The Texas Office of the Attorney General has opened an investigation into DirectBuy's business practices and wants to hear from you. If you have purchased a DirectBuy membership and feel like you didn't get what you paid for, fill out at complaint form here. Click here for more.
Texas AG Files Suit Against Debt Collector
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has filed a lawsuit against Houston debt collection company First Integral Recovery, LLC for unlawfully claiming association with law enforcement agencies while collecting debts. According to the charge, First Integral Recovery is a third-party debt collector engaged in the business of collecting outstanding, short-term payday loans. First Integral Recovery has also been charged with intimidating debtors and using profanity during phone calls. Has First Integral Recovery every called you about an outstanding debt? Click here for more.
House: Trouble for Payroll Tax Cut
Initially, it looked like a two month extension of the payroll tax cut was a certainty. Not so fast. According to House Speaker John Boehner, House Republicans plan to block the extension, effectively increasing the payroll tax starting January 2012. According to reports, the House of Representatives will vote on the issue next Tuesday. Many employers are already preparing to withhold additional taxes, with some committing to taking the additional taxes out and refunding the difference only if an extension is passed between now and the beginning of the year. What will your paycheck look like next month? Click here for more.
Your Money
Should you buy a new or used car? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Potential identity theft victims do not have standing to sue. The Third Circuit held that employees at a firm whose payroll was processed by a company that had been infiltrated by a hacker could not sue for the increased risk of identity theft. The court concluded that the plaintiffs’ allegations of hypothetical, future injury did not establish standing under Article III of the Constitution. Click here for more.