Eleventh Circuit Orders En Banc Rehearing of Hunstein Case and Vacates Opinion

Today, Hunstein took another unique—but favorable—turn for the debt collection industry. The Eleventh Circuit Court of appeals issued an order vacating its last opinion in Hunstein vs. Preferred Collection & Management Services, Inc, and ordered the case to be reheard en banc. More ›

New York State DFS Issues Proposed Amendments to its Debt Collection Rules for Third-Party Debt Collectors and Debt Buyers

On October 29, 2021, the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) posted proposed amendments to its debt collection rules for Third-Party Debt Collectors and Debt Buyers (under 23 New York Codes, Rules, and Regulations Part 1) that could significantly change procedures for communicating with consumers. More ›

Fifth Edition of 50 State Guide on Student Loan Servicing Laws Now Available

An important resource for financial services compliance professionals has been updated. The Fifth Edition of the 50 State Guide on Student Loan Servicing Laws is a quick reference guide and resource for student loan industry participants regarding enacted state laws, and pending or previously introduced legislation. More ›

In TransUnion LLC v. Ramirez, U.S. Supreme Court Holds "No Harm, No Foul"

In a special edition of our Consumer Law Hinsights newsletter, we cover the U.S. Supreme Court decision in TransUnion LLC v. Ramirez that was announced last Friday. The Court held "no concrete harm, no standing" in a significant check on federal consumer class actions. Read our analysis.

Cybersecurity Compliance Emphasized at MBA's Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Conference

In a Privacy & Cyber Bytes Alert, we review takeaways from the recently concluded Mortgage Bankers Association's Conference on Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance. Lenders and servicers with consumer-facing platforms that collect personal information need to initiate cybersecurity compliance efforts immediately.

Read the full alert which includes our list of best practices.

New York Appellate Court Reverses Foreclosure Judgement, Reaffirms Business Record Itself Must be Provided to Trigger Hearsay Exception

In Deutsche Bank Nat'l Trust Co. v. Ezeji, 2021 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 3313 (2d Dep't, May 19, 2021), New York's Appellate Division, Second Department, reversed a judgment of foreclosure and sale, finding that although the mortgagee asserted it possessed the subject note before commencing the foreclosure and had complied with service of the statutory predicate notices pursuant to RPAPL 1304, it failed to introduce the actual business records evidencing these facts. The ruling is instructive for mortgagees and their servicers about the evidence they must provide in support of a prima facie case to foreclose. More ›

New York Courts Will Allow Mortgagors to Continue Submitting Hardship Declarations to Extend the Stay of Residential Foreclosures

On May 24, 2021, Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks issued Administrative Order 159/21 (AO/159/21) to extend the stay of residential foreclosure actions through August 31, 2021, for cases in which the mortgagor submits a Hardship Declaration (the Declaration). AO/159/21 clarifies the uncertainty surrounding the deadline for submitting the Declaration, which was not addressed in the previous administrative order. More ›

Proposed California Debt Collection Licensing Regulations Raise Scope Concerns

Last month, the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) published proposed regulations under the Debt Collection Licensing Act (DCLA). The regulations largely address procedural matters related to obtaining a license. However, the DFPI's proposed regulations also appear to implicitly address the scope of the license requirement, potentially expanding the category of licensees beyond what the statutory text contemplates. More ›

New York Court Finds an Action is Timely in Some Circumstances in CPLR 205(a) Decision

The Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court's First Department recently issued a decision addressing the calculation of the six-month timeframe permitted to file a new action, according to New York's Civil Practice Law & Rules (CPLR) 205(a) and following the termination of a prior action. The First Department concluded that an action is timely if it is brought within six months of the termination of time to appeal a denial of a motion to renew. More ›

House Passes Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act That Would Expand Multiple Consumer Finance Laws

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill, H.R. 2547, on a strict party-line vote. Titled "The Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act, the bill would amend several consumer finance statutes for the first time in decades and impose new requirements and limitations on debt collectors, among others. Its fate now rests in the U.S. Senate. More ›