October
2019
3
The City: Debt Collectors Put Translations On Hold, Foiling Immigrants
The City — When a debt collector called Alba Ramirez, she had no idea who was on the other line or what the person wanted.
debt collection
August
2019
27
No More, Encore (take two)
Seems New Economy Project has struck a nerve. This year, Encore Capital, the country’s largest publicly-traded debt-buying company, blocked us from speaking at its annual shareholder meeting – even though our organization is a full-fledged shareholder in the company.
Debt Collection Cases and Default Judgments
These maps depict the concentration of consumer credit cases and default judgments in NYC’s communities of color, and accompany our blog post No More, Encore (take two).
August
2019
7
Washington Post: Zombie Debt: How Collectors Trick Consumers Into Reviving Dead Debts
Washington Post — By last year, Terrie Raymer thought she was in the clear. A nearly $14,000 credit card debt she owed Target was now so old under Oklahoma’s laws that she could no longer be sued to collect the money. It was a relief, and Raymer began making plans to restart her life, including buying a new home.
July
2019
23
Consumer Reports: How to Stop Harassment for Debts You Don’t Owe
Consumer Reports — As a Type 1 diabetic, Sarah Stark expects to have to cope with a lot of medical bills. But one hassle that’s taken her by surprise is dealing with debt collectors. Earlier this year, she says, a debt collector claimed she owed a medical bill that she had already paid.
March
2019
29
CBS News: New Yorkers Say State Agency Snatched Their Tax Refunds
CBS News — David Evans, a 59-year-old New Yorker, was making a modest living working as a messenger and enjoying a state tax refund of $150 or $200. But in the last four years, his refund hasn’t been coming through, Evans told CBS News.
February
2019
20
Gothamist: The MTA Is Allegedly Seizing Tax Refunds From Poor NYers Over Decades-Old Infractions
Gothamist — While not particularly good at executing major capital projects or managing a budget or even running trains much of the time, the MTA is apparently very adept at squeezing money out of low-income riders.
November
2018
9
Crain’s New York Business: Windfall for Local Nonprofit that Aids New Yorkers Sued by Debt Collectors
Crain’s New York Business — Debt collectors in New York hit upon a big idea last decade: They would buy defaulted credit-card or health-care bills, sue debtors without notifying them and then falsely state they had been properly served. Defendants, often poor minorities, didn’t show up in court. Default judgments were routinely entered, leaving collectors free to garnish debtors’ wages.
August
2018
6
No More, Encore
This spring, New Economy Project attended Encore Capital’s annual shareholder meeting at the Hyatt Hotel in midtown Manhattan. Three members of our legal team, Eve Weissman, Susan Shin, and Nick Loh, went to the shareholder meeting to call out ways that Encore, among the country’s largest debt buying companies, harms New Yorkers.
July
2018
23
Crain’s New York Business: Debt-Collection Lawsuits Are Roaring Back, Along With An Old Ruse That Victimizes Borrowers
Crain’s New York Business — Esther Roman, a 60-year-old grandmother in Brooklyn, was alarmed when she noticed in January that her $300 weekly paycheck was $27.99 short. She called her employer, a home health care agency, which said her wages were being garnished after someone sued her, claiming she’d failed to pay an old credit-card bill.