| Volume 143 Number 25 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
As the Coronavirus takes a growing toll on people’s pocketbooks, there are reports that the government will soon be sending money by check or direct deposit to each of us. The details are still being worked out, but there are a few really important things to know, no matter what this looks like. Click here for more.
Treasury Department extends deadline for consumers who need to pay back taxes by 90 days
Individuals and businesses who owe additional income tax for 2019 got a reprieve on Tuesday. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin moved the deadline to pay from April 15 to Tuesday, July 14, 2020. However, the date on filing tax returns did not change. Those are still due on April 15. Filers should also keep in mind that this change is for Federal taxes only. Click here for more.
Your Money
Disasters such as the global coronavirus outbreak not only can threaten your health and safety but also destroy your credit. When you're in a state of emergency, monthly loan and credit card payments can easily get bumped off your priority list. But your credit score plays a key role in whether you can obtain a loan, get a credit card, rent an apartment or finance a phone. That means you have to stay on top of your finances, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you do that and keep in touch with creditors as needed, your credit score can weather the storm. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Ninth Circuit defines debt collector under FDCPA. Reversing the district court’s dismissal of an action under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and remanding, the Ninth Circuit held that a business that bought and profited from consumer debts, but outsourced direct collection activities, qualified as a “debt collector” subject to the requirements of the Act. The panel held that an entity that otherwise meets the “principal purpose” definition of debt collector under 15 U.S.C. § 1692(a)(6) (defining debt collector as “any business the principal purpose of which is the collection of any debts”) cannot avoid liability under the FDCPA merely by hiring a third party to perform its debt collection activities. Judge Bea, dissenting, wrote that the complaint failed to allege that defendant acted directly in any way to violate plaintiff’s rights under the FDCPA; plaintiff did not adequately allege that defendant’s “principal purpose” was the “collection of any debts;” and the word “collection” must, in context, describe the action of collecting. McAdory v. DNF Associates Click here for more.