February
2018
22
Colorlines — A new report says that thousands of people across 26 states are arrested and jailed each year due to outstanding debts such as unpaid medical bills and car loans. The practice violates due process rights and was abolished by the federal government in 1883.
In November 2015, New Economy Project filed a federal lawsuit, with co-counsel, against the debt collection law firm Gutman, Mintz, Baker, and Sonnenfeldt (GMBS), on behalf of Franklin Arias, a New Yorker in his 70s whose only income is Social Security benefits. The lawsuit alleged that GMBS violated federal debt collection and state consumer protection […]
In December 2017, New Economy Project and co-counsel filed a state class action lawsuit against the debt collection law firm Houslanger & Associates and its debt buyer clients Virgo Capital and Aquarius Capital, as well as debt buyers Gotham Collection Services and HK Recovery Group, on behalf of Gladys Bostic, Cimeron DuBose, Gerald Dycha, and […]
In November 2017, with co-counsel, New Economy Project filed a federal class action lawsuit against the debt collection law firm Houslanger & Associates, as well as its debt buyer clients Virgo Capital and Aquarius Capital, on behalf of Ramel Sanders and Antero Sarreal, both low-income New Yorkers. The lawsuit alleges that Houslanger and its debt […]
November
2017
14
New York Law Jounrnal — Attorneys for the plaintiffs in a debt collection suit lauded a decision Monday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, calling it a major victory for low-income people facing aggressive and potentially illegal collection practices.
October
2017
15
New Economy Project undertook this report, at the request of AARP, to examine barriers to economic security faced by 50+ New Yorkers of color, including immigrants. The analysis focuses on economic justice disparities statewide and in New York City, with attention also given to Long Island and Buffalo.
In April 2016, New Economy Project filed a federal lawsuit against the debt collection law firm Kavulich and Associates on behalf of Romain Prage, a low-income New Yorker. The lawsuit alleges that Kavulich violated federal debt collection and state consumer protection laws, and explicitly subverted New York’s Exempt Income Protection Act. Mr. Prage is seeking monetary and injunctive relief.
November
2016
30
You’ve just been robbed. Worse yet, you know who did it. It was the last few dollars to your name and you don’t get paid for another month. Three weeks pass, and an envelope containing the stolen money appears on your doorstep. You go to court to demand justice, but the judge rules that no crime has been committed – after all, you got your money back. The judge says it’s no big deal you had to wait three weeks to get your money back.
Does this sound like justice?
October
2016
27
MarketWatch — “It’s a pleasure to be here, finally,” are not the words you might expect to hear from someone preparing to share their story of student debt woe to a room full of strangers. But that’s exactly how John Carter, a 77-year-old New York City resident, began before recounting the years of hassle he faced becoming current on his debt to a group of advocates and regulators gathered to hear how the student loan crisis is affecting New Yorkers like him.
September
2016
3
New York Post — “I have personally spoken to thousands and thousands of New York City residents alone who are dealing with debt collection problems,” said Susan Shin, legal director at the New Economy Project, an advocacy group in New York that operates a hotline for troubled debtors.