On April 26, 2023, the CFPB issued an advisory opinion clarifying that a debt collector who brings or threatens to bring a foreclosure action to collect a time-barred mortgage debt may violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and its implementing regulation. The CFPB also issued two related blog posts on the topic: CFPB

Less than three years after the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed the CFPB’s appointment structure, the bureau again finds itself before the Court in what could prove the most consequential case for the financial services industry in years. Four months ago, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision in Community Financial Services Association of

The Eleventh Circuit’s recent 2-1 panel decision in Daniels v. Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., provides a fresh example of the difficulty creditors face when navigating the requirements of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). In Daniels, the borrower alleged that the creditor’s periodic statements violated certain provisions of the FDCPA by demanding

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued an advisory opinion on June 29, 2022, clarifying its view as to the legality under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) of “convenience fees” for optional methods of expedited payment not prescribed in the underlying loan documents, such as payment by phone or on the web. The

After (Another) Unusual Year, We’re Very Thankful and Wish You a Happy ThanksgivingNow that the pandemic’s “social distancing” is lessening, we hope you are all able to gather with friends and family this Thanksgiving. As we do the same, we wanted to count our blessings as we review the year. This year, we are thankful for being able to return to our offices, our favorite restaurants, and

Does the Eleventh Circuit’s Hunstein Decision Mean that the FDCPA Violates the First Amendment?The Eleventh Circuit’s far-reaching decision in Hunstein v. Preferred Collection and Management Services, Inc. — which we previously covered on this blog — continues to raise questions for the wide range of industries that fall within the FDCPA’s definition of “debt collectors.” To put it briefly, the Eleventh Circuit held that a debt collector violates

On April 21, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued a decision that threatens significant consequences for a variety of loan servicing and debt collection industries. The upshot of the court’s holding is that anyone falling within the FDCPA’s broad definition of “debt collector” violates the FDCPA when it communicates with

In the Strangest Year Ever, We’re Very Thankful and Wish You a Happy Thanksgiving

As everyone steps away from their (home) office to celebrate Thanksgiving, we wanted to count our blessings as we review this truly remarkable and unusual year. In addition to frontline healthcare workers, good WI-FI, food delivery services, and finally finding a mask that is comfortable, we are also thankful for the following:

1. The CARES

Eleventh Circuit Holds Plaintiffs Must Have Incurred Concrete Injury for Article III Standing to Sue under FDCPAUnder the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), debt collectors are prohibited from using “false, deceptive, or misleading representation[s]” in connection with collecting debts. If a debt collector violates the FDCPA, the debt collector may be liable in the amount of the actual damages incurred by a debtor resulting from the FDCPA violation. Further, additional

CFPB Plans to Publish Final Debt Collection Rules in OctoberOn Thursday, July 2, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it plans to publish final debt collection rules in October 2020. The final rules will be the first rules clarifying the nearly 40-year-old Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and are expected to address a variety of topics including:

  • Communications with borrowers;
  • Guidance