Know Your Rights — Debt Collection
Know your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, including how to recognize and fight back against debt collection abuse.
debt collection
Know Your Rights — Defending Creditor Lawsuits
Know your rights when defending yourself against a creditor, debt buyer, or debt collector in civil court.
October
2020
5
ProPublica: Debt Collectors Have Made a Fortune This Year. Now They’re Coming for More.
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.
Robinson v. New York City Transit Authority et al.
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, […]
June
2020
11
From Immediate Relief to Transformative Change: Stopping Predatory Debt Collection During the Pandemic and Beyond
Systematic wealth extraction from communities of color hasn’t stopped for the public health crisis caused by COVID-19—and it won’t stop unless we transform our economy.
June
2020
8
ProPublica: Capital One and Other Debt Collectors Are Still Coming for Millions of Americans
ProPublica — Since 2018, Capital One has been a looming presence in Julio Lugo’s life, ever since the company sued him, as it did 29,000 other New Yorkers that year, over an unpaid credit card. But when the coronavirus hit the city this March, it wasn’t on his mind.
May
2020
1
The City: Debt Collectors Freeze Funds of New Yorkers Struggling in Pandemic
The City — As the coronavirus crisis unfolded in New York, Robert McNamara thought he should take some money out of the bank, just to be safe.
On March 19, the substitute teacher and father of two figured he’d be out of work for a while. Public schools had just closed, possibly for the rest of the spring. Plus, with big swings on the stock market, he wanted a bit of cash on hand.
April
2020
29
Testimony Before the NYC Council’s Committee on Consumer Affairs and Business Licensing, on Council Intro. 1912
New Economy Project strongly supports Int. 1912 and we urge the Committee to bring the bill before the full body of the NYC Council, for the swiftest possible passage into law. We commend Speaker Johnson and other sponsors of this emergency legislation for their strong leadership. New Economy Project, along with thousands of New Yorkers and more than 60 groups statewide, has been pressing Governor Cuomo to institute an emergency statewide moratorium on predatory debt collection during the COVID-19 crisis.
April
2020
28
Law 360: Virus Sparks Calls To Pump The Brakes On Debt Suits
Law 360 — As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to envelop the country, some consumer advocates are calling for greater protections for consumers until the crisis abates, arguing that the economic crisis is negatively impacting the ability of Americans to not only pay their debts but also fight collection actions in court.
April
2020
22
ProPublica: Coronavirus Put Her Out of Work, Then Debt Collectors Froze Her Savings Account
ProPublica — Late last month, Kim Boatswain sat down at her computer in her southeast Austin home and logged into her credit union account. Her bills and mortgage were coming due soon, and she needed to move money from her savings to checking so she could pay them.