The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently affirmed a trial court’s summary judgment ruling in favor of a debt collector asserting a bona fide error defense to an action under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
The Appellate Court of Illinois, Second District, recently affirmed the dismissal of a claim for supposed violations of the federal Fair Debt Collections Practices Act where the consumer plaintiff failed to allege facts that the money sought to be collected was a “debt” as defined by section 1692a(5) of the FDCPA, and the demand letter from the defendant law firm indicated that the debt was commercial in nature.
A recent decision from the New Jersey Appellate Division comes as welcome relief for purchasers of defaulted debt. The decision, Woo-Padva v. Midland Funding LLC, concerns the New Jersey Consumer Finance Licensing Act (CFLA), and whether a debt buyer who failed to have such a license could be liable under the state’s consumer protection law.
Continuing on its mission to curb abusive collection efforts related to medical debt which began to take life in 2022, the CFPB on Sept. 21 announced its initiation of a rulemaking process to remove medical bills from credit reports entirely.
The Court of Appeal for the State of California, Second District, recently reversed a trial court's dismissal of a debt buyer's complaint to collect on a home equity line of credit (HELOC) as barred by the statute of limitations.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit recently dismissed an appeal in a putative class action removed from Massachusetts state court to federal trial court concerning a motion to compel arbitration, holding that the order was not a final decision and was not within an exception that would permit interlocutory review.
The Superior Court of Pennsylvania, an intermediate appellate court, recently affirmed a trial court's order sustaining preliminary objections to a complaint alleging violations of Pennsylvania's Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act (FCEUA), which incorporates by reference the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recently held that a consumer plaintiff had Article III standing to sue because his federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act claim was similar to a common law "intrusion upon seclusion" claim, even though it involved only a single unwanted call.
In a bankruptcy trustee's adversary action to recover money paid to a collection agency within 90 days prior to the filing of the debtor's bankruptcy petition, and pursuant to a previous garnishment order, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently reversed the ruling of a trial court denying the trustee's application.
Last year saw an influx of federal and state regulation aimed at what information must be conveyed to consumers in anticipation of the provision of medical services as well as restrictions on the collection of medical debt. Expect more activity in 2023.
Just a few years ago, the annual review would primarily encompass federal activity. But a shift began in 2018, and by the close of this year, it’s clear there is far more state activity impacting consumer debt collection.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit was relatively quiet when it came to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, only issuing three opinions.
