| Volume 141 Number 80 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Are you buying a used car? Before you do, visit the online government database to check its title. Click here for more.
Trump Taking Steps to Send Out IRS Refunds in Spite of Government Shutdown
The federal government shutdown is in its third week and if you aren’t a government employee, maybe you haven’t been affected that much. But now we’re getting into tax season and consumers expecting a big refund might be getting a little worried. How will an extended shutdown affect refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)? The Trump administration has anticipated that question. Shutdown or no shutdown, consumers should expect their refunds, officials say. Click here for more.
Your Money
Among the one-third of Americans making 2019 financial New Year's resolutions, 48 percent plan to save more, according to a Fidelity Investments survey. If you're among those aspiring savers, read on for concrete ways to reach your savings goals. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Court affirms dismissal of FDCPA suit based on incorrect reference to location of Debt Validation Disclosure. In affirming the dismissal, the Seventh Circuit expressly rejected consumer’s attempts to read into the FDCPA disclosure requirements that are in fact not a part of the statute. Specifically, the court noted: “Here is what the FDCPA does not say. The FDCPA does not say a debt collector must put the validation notice on the ?rst page of a letter. Nor does the FDCPA say the ?rst page of a debt-collection letter must point to the validation notice if it is not on the ?rst page. Nor does the FDCPA say a debt collector must tell a consumer the validation notice is important. Nor does the FDCPA say a debt collector may not tell a consumer that other information is important.” Rather, the court noted, the statute merely “requires a debt collector to give the consumer the required validation notice” and “forbids a debt collector from overshadowing the disclosure and from engaging in communication inconsistent with the disclosure.” Here, the validation notice appeared in clear, legible typeface near the top of the front of the second page. O’Boyle v. Real Time Resolutions, Inc. Click here for more.