Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, reached a settlement last month with Universal Underwriters Life Insurance Company who unlawfully withheld insurance premiums from more than 12,000 Texans who paid off their vehicle loans early. Under the terms of the settlement, Universal Underwriters agreed to refund insurance premiums worth $2.4 million to Texas policyholders whose loans terminated [...]
May 2008
Judge Elizabeth Magner, a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, has set out parameters for the calculation of escrow amounts due as of the petition date and how they should be reflected on proofs of claim. The issue arose in the Irby Fitch case, case number 07-11319, pending in the Eastern [...]
Make no mistake, in the State of Missouri when a foreclosure sale is cried on the courthouse steps your house will be gone. Do not ignore the letters from the mortgage company or the certified letters from attorneys. You only have the following options to stop a foreclosure: 1) Sell the property, 2) Bring the [...]
In Texas, a business can not penalize you for paying with a credit card. Businesses that add a surcharge to those who pay by credit card might be violating provisions of the Texas Finance Code. However, businesses can discount the regular retail price of an item for consumers who pay cash. If you believe a [...]
When you borrow money against a home you already own, the Federal government is there trying to help you avoid making a serious or costly mistake. The Federal Truth In Lending Act (in effect since 1979) requires that you receive a three business day “cooling off” period after you sign the mortgage papers to decide [...]
The Consumer Law and Policy Blog recently called our attention to the fact that the National Arbitration Forum (NAF) is making a concerted effort to influence public policy in a way that could further diminish the rights of consumers who have arbitration awards entered against them. Debt collectors and debt buyers frequently take advantage of [...]
