| Volume 71 Number 8 |
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Your Guide to Small Claims Court
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
You can sue in small claims court for as much as $10,000. But you cannot just "take less" to get into court. If you are owed $11,000, you can't sue in small claims court for only $10,000. Click here for more.
Finding Your Car's Total Cost of Ownership
Owning a car can be much more expensive than the price you pay to take it home. Insurance and maintenance costs can add a great deal to the true cost of a vehicle. So how much will your next car really cost? Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book offer free services to help consumers estimate the true cost of ownership. How can you access these free services? Which cars have the lowest cost of ownership? Click here for more.
CFPB Targets Debt Collectors
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed new regulations that would allow it to supervise credit bureaus and debt collection companies. The proposal calls for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to have the authority to examine the books of debt collectors and credit bureaus in an effort to identify predatory practices. If implemented, it would be the first time such businesses would come under federal supervision. How could the proposals help you? Click here for more.
Scam: Identity Theft & Tax Fraud
Tax season is upon us and scammers are already out in full force. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been grappling with a group of scammers who use web-based resources to take advantage of consumers. According to the IRS, over 400,000 people have been victimized by identity theft since 2009. The scam works when consumers enter personal information for their tax returns into online forms. The scammers then take that information to create fake tax returns using the consumers' information. Although the IRS has identified the fraud and prevented nearly $1.5 billion in refunds from going to criminals, it is still a big concern, especially as more consumers go to the Internet to file their returns. How can you avoid tax fraud? Click here for more.
Your Money
In the event of an emergency, how much money will you need? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Health club employee not bound by arbitration clause. The Fifth Circuit held that a health club employee suing for unpaid overtime was not bound by an arbitration clause in his employee handbook. The court decided that the defendant’s arbitration clause was illusory and unenforceable because the employer retained the unilateral right to modify or terminate the arbitration provision at any time. Click here for more.