know your rights

Daily News — It turns out that the same MTA that fails, frustrates and delays New Yorkers daily shows astounding, relentless energy when it comes to seizing the tax refunds and slapping liens on the wages of subway customers accused of breaking low-level rules like smoking on a platform or riding between cars.

Inside City Hall — Our Legal Director Susan Shin joins plaintiff David Evans and Katherine Deabler-Meadows from the National Center for Law and Economic Justice to discuss a lawsuit filed against the New York City Transit Authority, alleging the agency is enforcing judgments against riders for decades-old infractions and then seizing their tax refunds without their knowledge.

In December 2016, New Economy Project filed a federal lawsuit against Bank of America, N.A.,  on behalf of George Campbell, a low-income, African-American New Yorker. The lawsuit alleges that Bank of America violated federal and state consumer protection laws by failing to properly investigate fraudulent, unauthorized activity on Mr. Campbell’s bank account. Mr. Campbell sought monetary and injunctive relief. 

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.