On March 29, 2017, the Massachusetts and Delaware Attorney Generals (“AGs”) announced settlements with a national bank, resolving allegations that the bank originated unfair and usurious automobile loans in violation of Massachusetts and Delaware consumer protection law. According to the AGs, the bank originated subprime loans to more than 2,000 Massachusetts and Delaware…
On March 9, 2017, the North Carolina Attorney General (“AG”) announced that it had settled a lawsuit filed in the Wake County, North Carolina Superior Court against three debt relief companies and two individuals. As a result of the settlement, the court entered an order banning the companies and individuals from advertising or providing debt relief…
On February 9, the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Georgia (Georgia AG) announced that it reached a settlement and entered into a consent order with a California-based online lender relating to an alleged “rent-a-tribe” scheme. The consent order, filed in Georgia state court, bars the lender from doing…
On February 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the New York Attorney General (NY AG) jointly announced they filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against a settlement advance company and its founder. The Complaint alleges that the company violated section 1054 of…
On November 9, 2016, the New Mexico Attorney General (AG) announced that a New Mexico judge issued a final judgment against a payday lender and ordered the lender to pay $32 million in restitution. The court found the lender had “fashioned their loans and business practices so as to circumvent…
On November 4, 2016, the Ohio Attorney General’s office (AG) announced it filed a complaint against a California-based mortgage-relief services provider and its director (Defendants) alleging violations of Ohio’s consumer protection laws. The complaint alleges that the provider sent advertisements to Ohio residents stating that the company has helped consumers to “receive payment…
On October 19, 2016, Mississippi Attorney General (AG) Jim Hood announced that “the nation’s three major credit reporting agencies will overhaul their business practices and two of the agencies will offer Mississippians unlimited access to free credit reports over the next three years in order to resolve the Attorney General’s…
On September 28, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office announced that it had entered into a settlement with a national mortgage servicer to resolve allegations that the servicer had engaged in abusive debt collection practices affecting over 5,000 Massachusetts consumers. The assurance of discontinuance, filed in Suffolk County Superior Court, alleged…
On September 7, 2016, the Massachusetts Attorney General (“AG”) announced that it reached a settlement with a Massachusetts force-placed insurance company relating to allegations that it improperly charged homeowners for insurance. According to the Massachusetts AG, mortgage lenders improperly provided homeowners with duplicative force-placed insurance policies through the subject insurance…
On May 25, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the State of Florida announced that they had filed complaints in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida seeking permanent injunctive relief against two debt relief providers. The complaints (available here and here) allege that the companies violated the Federal…
On March 21, the West Virginia Attorney General’s office announced that it had settled allegations against a debt collector over alleged violations of the West Virginia Collection Agency Act, W. Va. Code §§ 47-16-1 (“Collection Agency Act”) and the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act, W. Va. Code §§ 46A-1-101 (“WVCCPA”). The…
On February 25, the West Virginia Attorney General’s office announced that it had reached a settlement with an Ohio payday lender, resolving allegations that the payday lender had engaged in debt collection activities that “may violate” provisions of the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act (WVCCPA), W. Va. Code § 46A-…
On November 16, 2015, the DOJ announced a settlement with a national for-profit education company over alleged violations of the False Claims Act and the Higher Education Act. The settlement resolves four separate qui tam suits filed against the company in federal court. In conjunction with the DOJ announcement, the Attorneys General…
On August 18, 2015, the Oregon Attorney General’s Office and the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services announced that they filed a lawsuit against a regional automobile loan company. The company advertised car title loans online. When consumers completed the online applications, the company allegedly deceived them into signing…
On June 26, 2015, the Maryland Attorney General announced the filing of administrative charges against a regional law firm over claims the firm charged illegal advance fees in connection with loan modification services. According to the Maryland Attorney General, lawyers at the firm promised consumers that they could obtain modification…
On June 23, 2015, the West Virginia Attorney General announced a settlement with an automobile title loan and debt collection company over claims the company engaged in abusive debt collection practices. According to the West Virginia Attorney General, the company repeatedly called consumers at inconvenient times regarding their delinquent loan payments and…
On May 20, 2015, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, along with attorneys general of thirty other states (“the State AGs”), announced a $6,000,000 settlement with three major credit reporting agencies (“CRAs”). According to the announcement and the Settlement Agreement, the settlement is a culmination of a multistate investigation that the…