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Consumer Law

Alabama Consumer Blog

Covers news and events dealing with consumer law in Alabama.
By M. Stan Herring

Post Frequency: 2.8/day

Last Entry: March 29, 2011 at 19:05:21

Number Of Delinquent Loans Fall, But Foreclosure Sales Still Slow

Posted on March 29, 2011
UPI.com has posted an article that discusses how new foreclosures and new home delinquencies are continuing to fall. However, increases in the number of foreclosures being processed and sold on the market are still not enough to offset the sheer number of homes that have been lost to foreclosure and are still vacant...

Suggestions On How To Appeal Inaccurate Property Tax Assessments

Posted on March 27, 2011
Fox Business has posted an article that discusses how a rise in home value can cause a rise in your property taxes. The article lays out some steps you can use to determine if your property tax assessment is accurate, and if it's not, you can learn how to appeal it...

Difficulties Of Buying A Home From A Divorcing Couple

Posted on March 21, 2011
CNNMoney.com has posted an article about the difficulties that can come up when purchasing a home from a divorcing couple. Divorcing couples can sometimes be the most eager sellers and accept offers below market value just to get rid of the house. But house hunters looking to purchase a divorcing couples' house can also find themselves in an awkward situation if one person wants to sell the home and the other wants to keep it...

"Bankruptcy Is No Longer A Doomsday"

Posted on March 13, 2011
Philly.com has posted an article about why filing for bankruptcy is no longer considered a financial "doomsday." Many people are afraid to file bankruptcy because they don't want to feel they are branded as 'financially ruined' their whole lives. Bankruptcy actually offers a lot of benefits...

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Massachusetts Court Cracks Down On Mortgage Lenders

Posted on March 11, 2011
MSN Money has posted an article that discusses Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's crackdown on Wells Fargo and US Bancorp over two separate foreclosure cases that were being appealed in lower-court. The court decided that the banks cannot foreclose on the homes and has to return them because they can't prove who owned the homes at the time foreclosure proceedings began...

Former Bank Executive Pleads Guilty To Mortgage Fraud

Posted on March 08, 2011
Denise L. Evan's Real Estate Advice has posted an article about the former Colonial Bank executive Catherine Kissick pleading guilty to mortgage fraud charges on March 2nd. Reports claim to show that she helped Taylor Bean Whittaker sell at least $700 million in phony mortgages to Colonial Bank...

85 Year Old Widow Fights Unjust Foreclosure Fees

Posted on March 04, 2011
The Seattle Times has posted an article about an elderly New Jersey widow who is fighting fees after missing her last house payment. The 85 year old was sent a bill for $5,800 from two banks and their law firms, which is now being called "unfair or unconscionable" by her lawyers...

A Story Of Why Debt Collectors Call Relatives Who Don't Owe The Debt

Posted on March 03, 2011
I spoke with a friend yesterday about a situation and I thought it might be helpful to share with you. My friend mentioned to me that she was receiving calls, repeatedly, from a national debt collector looking for a relative. My friend has told this company on several occasions that the relative they are looking for does not live there and that she is not going to provide any contact information to the debt collector...

NJ Judge Brings Case Against Mortgage Lending Companies

Posted on March 02, 2011
The New York Post has posted an article about a case against the six largest mortgage lenders for their "shoddy foreclosure practices" and also for threatening to freeze thousands of foreclosures. New Jersey Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson, the judge presiding over the case, ordered the banks to appear in court to prove their foreclosure practices were completely legal...

Florida Mediation Program Is Designed To Help Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure

Posted on February 28, 2011
The Palm Beach Post has posted an article that discusses how the Florida Supreme Court has been trying to force banks into mediation with the intent to save struggling homeowners from foreclosure. But in recently acquired documents, it has come to light that the banks and lenders have been doing their best to make negotiations end in a stalemate so they won't lose money by not foreclosing on homes...

The Fall Of A Foreclosure King

Posted on February 24, 2011
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has posted an article about one of Florida's top foreclosure lawyers, David Stern. The worse the housing crisis got for homeowners, the wealthier Stern became. When homeowners got behind on their mortgage payments, the bank would turn it over to a "foreclosure mill," like the one owned by Stern...

Can I Sue An Abusive Debt Collector Even If I Don't Record The Calls?

Posted on February 23, 2011
Yes -- recording the abusive calls is not a requirement to sue or even to successfully sue a debt collector who is abusing you. It is always nice to have recorded calls (just make sure they are legally recorded) but it is not a requirement. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibits all sorts of abusive conduct...

Tips To Boost Your Credit Score

Posted on February 22, 2011
The New York Times has posted an article that gives some helpful tips on how to repair your credit score. So many people have lost their jobs, are overwhelmed by bills piling up, or were hurt by the housing crisis or filed for bankruptcy that millions of peoples' credit scores have plummeted...

Identity Theft Impacts More Than Just Your Credit Score

Posted on February 20, 2011
Our friend Denise Richardson of givemebackmycredit.com has posted an article that discusses some of the different ways identity theft can impact your life. Not only does identity theft cost you money due to false charges, it also consumes a huge amount of your time to fix once you have discovered the problem...

Credit Card With A 79.9% Interest Rate

Posted on February 16, 2011
CNN Money has posted an article that discusses a credit card offer from First Premier Bank with a huge 79.9% interest rate. The card is geared toward people with little credit or bad credit and starts out with a $300 limit and a 29.9% interest rate. Six months after opening the account, the interest has been known to jump from 29...

Over 1.2 Million Foreclosures Predicted For 2011

Posted on February 14, 2011
Associated Press has posted an article that discusses how there will likely be over 1 million foreclosures in 2011, which is more than any other year since the housing crisis began back in 2006. Around 5 million homeowners are at least 2 months behind on their mortgage payments and experts say that in the upcoming year, even more people will fall behind on payments due to job losses and the amount owed on loans will, in many cases, exceed the value of the home...

Practical Steps For Disputing National Credit Solutions (Movie Gallery) Bogus Debts

Posted on February 10, 2011
We have received a tremendous amount of response to our blog post on what National Credit Solutions, a debt collector, is doing to Alabama consumers related to alleged Movie Gallery fines and late charges. As we mentioned, if you owe the debt then pay it...

"Supreme Court Hands Credit Card Companies a Big Win"

Posted on February 10, 2011
The BKBlog has posted an article about a recent Supreme Court case's outcome that ruled in the favor of creditors. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a creditor friendly decision in the case of Ransom v. Fia Card Services. At issues was the "ownership expense" deduction in the means test...

JP Morgan Chase Overcharges Thousands Of Military Families

Posted on February 08, 2011
Our friend Denise Richardson of givemebackmycredit.com has posted an article about a recent case where the "big bank" JP Morgan Chase's errors caused thousands of military families' mortgages to be overpriced. Paying too much for mortgages ruined the families' credit scores and was even the cause of as many as 14 wrongful foreclosures...

Foreclosure Lawyer's Unusual Advice

Posted on February 05, 2011
The LA Times has posted an article about a foreclosure lawyer's very unusual advice to his clients. The Earl family of Ventura County, California was evicted from their home after falling behind on their mortgage due to a business reversal. Their home was then sold to an investment company...

"Debit Card Predators"

Posted on February 03, 2011
The New York Times has posted an article about new regulations the FDIC, which monitors 4800 banks, has put on banks to monitor the debit card industry. Congress set an excellent example in 2009 with the new credit card law that the FDIC could have followed to address the outrageous overdraft fees some banks charge on their debit cards...

National Guard Reservist Fights Wrongful Foreclosure

Posted on February 01, 2011
The New York Times has posted an article about a National Guard reservist whose home was foreclosed on while he was deployed in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. Sergeant James B. Hurley returned home in December 2005 to find his Michigan home had been foreclosed on, forcing his wife and children to have to relocate, despite many laws that are designed to protect deployed servicemen from this...

Dead Woman Is A Debt Collector?

Posted on January 30, 2011
The Wall Street Journal has posted an article about a bizarre case of a dead woman's name appearing on thousands of affidavits by one of the country's largest debt collection companies. Ms. Martha Kunkle died in 1995 yet her signature has miraculously appeared on many debt collection documents for Portfolio Recovery Associates Inc...

Bankruptcy And Your Retirement Savings

Posted on January 27, 2011
The Arizona Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog has posted an article that discusses how bankruptcy could negatively impact your retirement savings. Retirement accounts are usually left alone by creditors, whether you're filing bankruptcy or not. Here are some tips to help you avoid damaging your retirement if you file for bankruptcy: 1...

What You Need To Know Before Paying for Credit Repair

Posted on January 25, 2011
The Arizona Bankruptcy Lawyer Blog has posted an article that discusses what you should be aware of if you're considering "repairing" your credit score. You actually can repair your credit score, but you have to hire someone or a company to do it. Before you hire someone to repair your credit score, keep the following in mind: 1...

Allied International Inc. Sued for $1.75 Million

Posted on January 24, 2011
The Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal has posted an article about how Allied Interstate Inc. is having to pay $1.75 million to settle a lawsuit filed under the Federal Trade Commission. Allied is one of the largest debt collection companies in Minnesota and this suit is the second largest penalty given by the FTC in a debt collection case...

Military Personnel At Higher Risk For Identity Theft

Posted on January 20, 2011
Our friend Denise Richardson of givemebackmycredit.com has posted an article about how those serving in our military and their families can be more vulnerable to becoming victims of identity theft. A recent study from West Point professor Lt. Col. Gregory Conti found that military personnel who are deployed overseas are more likely not to keep an eye on their accounts, whether it be from lack of time or lack of resources...

Shocking Number of Defaulted Student Loans In 2010

Posted on January 18, 2011
Our friend Denise Richardson of givemebackmycredit.com has posted an article that discusses the huge percentage of student loans that defaulted last year. The national default rate on student loans was about 7% last year, credit cards defaulted at 8.8% and mortgages were defaulting at 9%...

How A Foreclosure Can Impact Your Taxes

Posted on January 16, 2011
The Bankruptcy Law Network has posted an article that discusses how a foreclosure sale can impact the way you file your taxes with the IRS. The best option for homeowners facing the prospect of foreclosure may be to file bankruptcy, even if the only debt they have is from a mortgage...

Tips To Avoid Internet Dating Fraud

Posted on January 13, 2011
Our friend Denise Richardson of givembackmycredit.com has posted an interesting article about how you can avoid internet scams and various other acts of fraud that are used by con artists posing as internet daters. The tips she lists come from Ms. Casey Jones, creator of Women Against Con Men (WAC-M)...

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