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Student Loan Repayment Rights: Consumer Debt Advice from NCLC

This article details rights to cancel, reduce, and delay federal student loan payments, how to get out of default short of making back-due payments, as well as the methods the government has to enforce payment. Student options concerning private student loans are also examined.

Student Loan Servicers Now Subject to Borrowers’ State Law Claims

Recent circuit and district court decisions find federal preemption inapplicable to many state law deception claims against student loan servicers. The article lists common servicer abuses, explains how the new cases reject the Department of Education’s preemption claims, and analyzes which state law claims will be most effective in seeking remedies from student loan servicers.

Sup. Ct.: Bankruptcy Stay Relief Determination Is a Final, Appealable Order

A new January Supreme Court decision affects the automatic stay a consumer receives upon filing bankruptcy. As discussed in this article, creditors now must file any appeal to a denial of stay relief within fourteen days. In other bankruptcy news, a new option for chapter 11 small business and individual filers became effective February 20.

Supreme Court Affirms Class Certification Based on Representative and Statistical Evidence

On March 22, the Supreme Court ruled, despite differences among class members, that representative and statistical evidence could be the basis for a class certification ruling. The case is described more fully in this article.

Supreme Court Applies TCPA to Text Messages, Affirms FCC’s Vicarious Liability Principles

On Tuesday, January 20, 2016, in Campbell-Ewald Co. v. Gomez, ___ U.S. ___, 2016 WL 228345 (Jan. 20, 2016), the Supreme Court held that an unaccepted Rule 68 offer did not moot a TCPA class action. (A separate article will discuss the Rule 68 holding.) The decision includes several important TCPA holdings as well. Chapter 6 of NCLC’s Federal Deception Law (2d ed.

Supreme Court Clarifies FDCPA Statute of Limitations

The Supreme Court this December clarified when the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act’s one-year statute of limitations begins to run. This article explains the practical import of the Court’s decision and considers other issues concerning the FDCPA’s limitations period, as well as alternative approaches where the period has run.

Supreme Court Enters Fray of Nursing Home Arbitration Wars

A May 15 Supreme Court decision is just one of the recent developments concerning arbitration clauses in nursing home contracts. This article explains the decision and other challenges to arbitration requirements in nursing home agreements.

Supreme Court Issues Important Decision Supporting Class Actions

The Supreme Court’s January 20 Gomez decision holds that an unaccepted settlement offer or offer of judgment making the class representative whole does not moot out a class action. This important decision for consumer class actions is discussed here.

Supreme Court May 13 Ruling Underscores Advantages of False Claims Act Litigation

A recent Supreme Court decision in Cochise Consultancy is favorable for private litigation under the federal False Claims Act (FCA). This article explains how the decision also underscores that FCA litigation has a number of advantages to challenge consumer abuses compared with class actions under traditional consumer causes of action.

Supreme Court Rejects Lien Strip Off in Chapter 7 Cases

The Supreme Court on June 1 has just held in Bank of America, N. A. v. Caulkett that a wholly underwater mortgage cannot be stripped off and voided using Bankruptcy Code § 506(d) in a chapter 7 bankruptcy case.

Supreme Court Rules on Robocallers

A July 6, 2020 Supreme Court decision in Barr applies the same Telephone Consumer Protection Act restrictions on robocalls to collect government debt as apply to other robocalls. Otherwise the exemption for government debt would unconstitutionally favor one form of speech content over another. This article examines the ruling’s implications for litigation involving robocalls to collect government debt, other robocall litigation, and even First Amendment litigation regarding other consumer statutes.

Supreme Court Rules Yet Again in Favor of Mandatory Arbitration—Why This Time the Impact Is Limited

On December 14, the Supreme Court issued its decision in DirecTV, Inc. v. Imburgia, reversing a California Court of Appeals decision from last year. The case involved a clause in DirecTV’s consumer arbitration agreement that expressly prohibited class actions in arbitration but also provided that, “[i]f . . .

Supreme Court: Special Counsel’s Authorized Use of Attorney General Letterhead Not FDCPA Violation

In Sheriff v. Gillie, 578 U.S. __ (2016), a unanimous Supreme Court on May 16 held in a narrowly-crafted decision that attorneys hired as special counsel by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office for the collection of debts owed to state institutions do not violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) when they use the Ohio Attorney General’s letterhead together with a disclosure that they are acting as special counsel.

Supreme Court’s March 29 Ruling in Expressions Hair Design: Free Speech and Consumer Regulations

The Supreme Court’s March 29 decision in Expressions Hair Design may spark increased First Amendment challenges to consumer protection regulations. This article explains why the Court’s decision and prior precedents weigh against such challenges.

Tax Filers Face New Problems This Year

This article provides tips on advising lower income consumers on the many changes this tax season—including increased refund delays, increased problems with RACs, RALs, and paid tax preparers, growing use of private collection of IRS debt, and new requirements to renew ITINs. Also included are pointers on dealing with unaffordable taxes.

Ten Tips on Winning Spokeo Challenges in FDCPA Litigation

Since the Supreme Court’s Spokeo decision, expect an Article III standing challenge in almost every FDCPA case. This article provides ten tips to overcoming Spokeo challenges and links to an up-to-the minute digital analysis, including almost 100 new court decisions since the March 2018 release of the print edition of NCLC’s Fair Debt Collection.

Impact of Supreme Court Seila Law Ruling on CFPB Constitutionality

The Supreme Court’s June 29th decision in Seila Law allows the President to remove at will the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director, but it saves the rest of the Bureau’s authority. This article explains some of the decision’s implications for the CFPB, the FHFA, and other independent agencies. Of special note is the CFPB’s July 7th ratification of almost all of its existing rules and other past actions and its July 7th repeal of most parts of the payday loan rule.

Increase of Federal Bankruptcy Exemptions, Other Dollar Amounts: April 1, 2019

Effective April 1, consumers filing bankruptcy will be able to exempt more of their equity in their homes, cars, household goods, and even retirement accounts. This article describes all the bankruptcy dollar amount changes going into effect April 1.

Key Post-Henson Decision Holds Debt Buyer Is a "Principal Purpose" Debt Collector

The Supreme Court in 2017 ruled debt buyers do not fall under the FDCPA’s second definition of a debt collector—one who regularly collects debts owed to another. As discussed here, the Third Circuit in Barbato has just found a debt buyer covered under the FDCPA’s principal purpose definition, concluding that FDCPA coverage does not require a debt buyer to engage in overt collections.

Key Steps to Minimize Risk After Equifax Data Breach

Nearly every adult with a credit history is at risk of identity theft after the recent Equifax data breach. In this free article, NCLC offers key advice for consumers, with specific steps that can be taken to minimize the risks—freezes, thaws, fraud alerts, credit monitoring, and more.

Major Consumer Protections Announced in Response to COVID-19

This article lists a growing number of actions Congress, governors, federal and state agencies, and companies are taking to respond to the COVID-19 epidemic: suspensions on foreclosures, evictions, and terminations on telecommunications and utility service, elimination of interest and forbearance on student loan payments and home mortgages, and more.

March 21 Deadline for Servicers to Assign to HUD Certain Reverse Mortgages to Protect Surviving Spouses

HUD created a March 21st deadline for reverse mortgage servicers to assign the reverse mortgage to HUD without financial penalty in order to protect certain surviving non-borrower spouses from foreclosure. This article explains the meaning of the deadline and what actions non-borrowing surviving spouses should take so that they can remain in their homes. For a certain category of surviving spouses, it is important to act before March 21.

Military Lending Act Dramatically Expands Coverage on Oct. 3, 2016

The Talent-Nelson Military Lending Act (MLA), 10 U.S.C. § 987, enacted in 2006, imposes a 36% interest rate cap, bans mandatory arbitration, and imposes other restrictions on “consumer credit” extended to service members and their dependents. The MLA thus applies to more than 5 million Americans.

Mortgage Relief for Homeowners Affected By COVID-19

This article provides tips and explains new protections for homeowners having difficulty making mortgage payments. Included are federal and state forbearance programs and moratoria on foreclosures. Just as important, the article explains how to apply for forbearance, how forbearance prevents foreclosure, and what mortgage repayment options are available once the forbearance period expires.

Motor Vehicle Repossessions: Consumer Debt Advice from NCLC

Over six million consumers are in imminent danger of their car being repossessed. This article provides advice for consumers on preventing car repossessions, steps to take after a vehicle’s repossession, and responding to the creditor’s demand for additional payment after a repossession.