| Volume 121 Number 8 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
I was once contacted by a finance company about a debt that was not mine. It turned out that someone with the same name had failed to pay off their car loan. It took some doing, but I convinced them that, notwithstanding the name, they had the wrong person. This link has tips on what to do when someone tries to collect a debt from you that isn't yours. Click here for more.
Legislation for Driverless Cars is Nearing
Chris Urmson, head of Google’s self-driving car project, thinks national policies need to be in place for autonomous vehicles. In state capitals and on Capitol Hill, officials are scrambling to get ready for one of the biggest changes on American roadways since President Dwight D. Eisenhower oversaw the birth of the interstate highway system 60 years ago this summer. The Obama administration has also promised to release a set of national guidelines on automated cars by July. Click here for more.
Your Money
Given that one-third of U.S. households own at least one type of individual retirement arrangement (IRA), odds are high that you might inherit one someday. You should consider your options first before taking the funds out of the deceased's IRA to avoid common and costly mistakes. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Foreclosure is "debt collection" covered under the FDCPA. The Alaska Supreme Court held last week that foreclosure counts as "debt collection" and therefore firms in the business of foreclosing on homeowners are "debt collectors" subject to the restrictions of the FDCPA. As the court explained, "foreclosing on property, selling it, and applying the proceeds to the underlying indebtedness constitute one way of collecting a debt.” Alaska trustee v. Abridge Click here for more.