| Volume 101 Number 1 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Before you sign a lease, read it and consider changes or additions. A lease is a binding contract and will determine your rights against the landlord. For example, if you might have to leave early because you lose your job, are transferred, or get married, be sure to include a clause permitting you to terminate the lease. Without such a provision, you will not have the right to get out of the lease.
For more general information about the law, check out my website.
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How Often to Wash Your Everything
How often do you clean your sheets? What about your jeans? Do you ever clean your bed mattress?
Most people wash their sheets once every two weeks. According to cleaning experts, that's not enough.
According to AllYou.com, sheets should be washed once a week at 130 to 150 degrees and dried on the hot cycle to kill all the germs that can quickly collect in the fabric. That bed mattress should be cleaned every six months with an upholstery vacuum attachment.
So what about your jeans? The experts say you can clean them every four to five wears. However, should you go running through a puddle of mud on the first wear, it might not be a good idea to wait four more wears to toss them in the wash.
How often should you clean your clothing, hair, windows, car, and oven? Get the answer for these things and more!
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Look Out for Free Vacation Scam
There's a new vacation scam making the rounds. If you receive a letter in the mail that starts with the headline "Fly With Any US Airline," toss it in the garbage. The company convinces recipients to call in to retrieve an "award of (2) round-trip airline tickets ... and (2) nights at any one of over 1000 Marriott Hotel locations."
Consumer Reports investigated and found that recipients must attend a 90-minute presentation by PPB Travel. A follow-up Google search revealed many complaints about the "$1,398 free vacation scam."
Don't get sucked in! If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
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Your Money
Calculate the true cost of your student loan debt after consolidation and extra payments.
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For the Lawyers
Debt collectors letter does not violate FDCPA.
The Eleventh Circuit found that although a collector’s letter was an “initial communication,” it did not violate the Act. The court found that the alleged error, using the term creditor instead of debt collector in the validation notice in the letter, was not misleading. The court found this error would not mislead the sophisticated consumer.
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