| Volume 142 Number 45 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
It’s a staggering number. More than 42 million Americans owe a total of nearly $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. It’s no wonder people look for help. But not all help is legit. Scammers are targeting borrowers with student loan debt relief schemes that can actually make things worse. Click here for more.
AT&T to offer automatic robocall blocking feature at no extra charge
AT&T announced on Tuesday that it will soon be enabling a feature that blocks robocalls by default. The feature, which is slated to roll out in the coming months, will first be activated on new lines before being applied to existing accounts. Back in June, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to allow phone carriers to automatically block robocalls. Under the order, carriers must give consumers who prefer not to have the feature activated the ability to opt out. Click here for more.
Your Money
There is no single time that is best when it comes to buying a home. Rather, your individual circumstances help determine when the time is right. Most crucially, having your credit in order is the best way to get a great home loan that will make a home purchase affordable. The vast majority of homebuyers require a mortgage. A 2018 report from the National Association of Realtors found that 88% of recent homebuyers financed their purchase. Here's what you should do to make yourself a more attractive borrower: Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
“Assignee” does not identify creditor as required by FDCPA. The Third Circuit held that a collection letter from the firm failed to spell out the identity of the creditor. The consumer received a letter from Lyons Doughty, which said the firm represented Capital One Bank (USA), N.A., and identified that company as the "assignee" of three other entities. The court found the term "assignee" is "a 'legal term that would not necessarily help the least sophisticated consumer understand the relationships between the parties listed.” The court noted that while the letter identifies Capital One Bank as Lyons Doughty's client and conveys that the firm has been retained to collect a debt, "the least sophisticated debtor could still think that any one or more of the listed entities was owed the debt." "Thus, the letter's reference to three other entities, as well as its 'assignee' language, 'overshadowed' the creditor's identity." Glenn D. Gross v. Lyons Doughty & Veldhuis PC, case number 19-1031, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Click here for more.