February
2023
27
Over the past two decades, debt buyers—companies that buy old debts for pennies on the dollar—have filed millions of debt collection lawsuits and obtained millions of default judgments, against low-income New Yorkers, mostly those in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods.
March
2022
20
CNBC — Siraba Keita survived New York’s deadliest fire in decades — only to see her bank freeze the savings she needed to pick up the pieces.
May
2021
13
“Thanks to this important legislation, debt collectors are now prohibited from siphoning New Yorkers’ COVID-19 stimulus payments. The new law ensures that federal relief funds actually provide relief to New Yorkers, not windfalls for the debt collection industry. New Economy Project is proud to have worked on this crucial bill with ally organizations, as we continue the fight for racial and economic justice and a just recovery for all New Yorkers.”
May
2021
7
The NYS Legislature has just passed a critical bill that prohibits debt collectors from taking New Yorkers’ stimulus payments. The bill will ensure that relief funds actually provide relief—not windfalls for the debt collection industry. Take Action! Urge Governor Cuomo to sign this bill into law, to protect New Yorkers from financial predation and ensure a just recovery. Call […]
April
2021
30
Spectrum News — Consumer groups are applauding a bill that is meant to keep debt collectors from garnishing the stimulus payments and other direct aid approved by the federal government to offset the financial strain created by the pandemic.
March
2021
2
The pandemic has placed the MTA at the center of the news, but its violations of New Yorkers’ civil rights have gone on for years. Through our NYC Financial Justice Hotline, New Economy Project has helped dozens of New Yorkers presenting the same disturbing facts: Without any notice, MTA took their tax refunds to pay old, alleged tickets they didn’t recognize.
Know your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, including how to recognize and fight back against debt collection abuse.
Know your rights when defending yourself against a creditor, debt buyer, or debt collector in civil court.
October
2020
5
ProPublica — Earlier this year, the pandemic swept across the country, killing 100,000 Americans by the spring, shuttering businesses and schools, and forcing people into their homes. It was a great time to be a debt collector.
UPDATE: On September 30, 2020, the Court granted Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification, certifying a class of thousands of New Yorkers who have or will have default judgments entered against them for alleged violations (such as fare evasion) of MTA rules. Read the Court’s decision here and the Magistrate Judge’s recommendation here. In February 2019, […]