The American Bar Association, at the urging of its debt collection lawyer members, is supporting HR 5082, which would partly exempt lawyers from the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
A detailed breakdown released by the agency shows residents in California, Florida and Texas having submitted the most complaints about a financial institution, but D.C. had the most per-capita complaints.
The agency alleges that some customers made payments to the e-commerce group even though their accounts had already been sold to third-party debt buyers.
Consumer advocates are urging local governments and courts to consider a person’s ability to pay before assessing fines and fees for such infractions as unpaid traffic tickets. Such changes could help low-income households avoid bankruptcy — and perhaps even make them more bankable.
