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, […]
In June 2017, New Economy Project filed a federal lawsuit against Bank of America, N.A., and ChexSystems, a consumer reporting agency, on behalf of Adiaha Ruane, a low-income, African-American New Yorker.
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 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 […]
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.
In November 2015, New Economy Project and allies reached a groundbreaking $59 million settlement in a class action lawsuit charging a network of debt collectors with civil racketeering (RICO), deceptive practices, and violations of federal debt collection law.
New Economy Project brought this case against Chase in 2012, exposing the banks’ role in facilitating — and profiting from — payday lenders’ illegal lending and debt collection practices. A 2013 settlement resulted in significant practice changes at the bank.
New Economy Project files an amicus (“friend of the court”) brief in federal court, opposing the New York Bankers Association’s attempt to block the NYC Responsible Banking Act.