by Jeff Sovern For the credit reporting section of our casebook, I've been looking into studies of credit report errors. The FTC is in the process of conducting a long-term study of that subject, and along the way has conducted some pilot studies. One such pilot study subjected the credit reports of 128 people to in-depth […]
Marcia Johnson of Texas Southern and Luckett Anthony Johnson have written Defending Foreclosure Actions, 49 Real Estate Law Journal 516 (2012). Here's the abstract: With the rising incidences of residential foreclosures, many homeowners are overwhelmed by the foreclosure process and anticipated costs and often opt to vacate the premises without offering any defense. The American justice […]
In press releases yesterday, here and here, the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced that they are teaming up to fight deceptive mortgage advertising. The FTC sent warning letters to 20 real estate agents, home builders, and lead generators, urging them to review their advertisements for compliance with the Mortgage Acts […]
by Jeff Sovern Here. It's the usual right-wing attack, most of which has been said before. I refuted some of what he says in August of 2011 in a column in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. One other point: Will complains that the Bureau will write law through case-by-case enforcement and that this creates uncertainty. Apparently Will […]
Just in time for the holidays from Consumer Reports, which has surveyed corporate policies on consumer refunds, fees, etc., and described what it thinks are the 10 naughtiest and the 10 nicest.
By Brian Wolfman I'm writing about U.S. Airways v. McCutchen, an ERISA case set for argument in the U.S. Supreme Court on November 27. The case's outcome may affect the viability of some personal-injury suits. When people are harmed by consumer products, doctors' negligence, or in car crashes, for instance, they often incur medical expenses. […]
Does BP's settlement of criminal charges with the federal government do enough to deter and punish? Law professors talk about that question in this video, with one calling it "a drop in the bucket" given BP's deep pockets, the extent of the wrong doing, and the death and destruction caused by the BP spill in the […]
As many of our readers are aware, the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) makes it difficult for consumers to enforce their rights in court when the standard form contracts that govern their employment relationships or their consumer purchases contain arbitration clauses. The Supreme Court has interpreted the FAA broadly. Does the FAA apply in state courts […]
A recent post by Jeff Sovern discusses a Department of Justice Report indicating that identity theft is on the rise, and the amount of loss suffered as a result of identity theft is increasing. These are alarming statistics. But a few points should be mentioned before we begin to discuss how to reduce the incidence […]