As part of his campaign commentary, Donald Trump proffered the plummeting Pound Sterling in the wake of BREXT, the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, was a great buying opportunity for Americans. That may or may not be true, depending upon what is being purchased. However, the BREXIT (British Exit) from the EU, I […]
Why Is a Qualified Interpreter or Translator Necessary
Let’s start with a couple of definitions – Interpretation is the process where a person converts spoken words from one language to another language. Therefore, an “interpreter” acts as an intermediary between individuals who are speaking different languages. Translation, on the other hand is the process of converting the written word from one language to […]
Collecting From The Spouse Of Your Judgment Debtor
You filed suit and obtained a Judgment against a debtor and afterwards you learn the Judgment debtor is married. Can you go after assets and income held in the name of the Judgment debtor’s spouse? Whether or not that is possible will largely depend upon the State in which the debtor and spouse reside. However, […]
Defalcation – It can happen to you!
Defalcation-misappropriation of money or funds held by an official, trustee, or other fiduciary. You or your collection agency hired an attorney to collect a bad debt and the good news is that job was accomplished. However, the bad news is you didn’t know about it and, worse, you didn’t receive your share of the proceeds of the collection. First, I have to point out this is […]
8 Questions to Ask Your Debt Collection Lawyer
Over the past four decades, I’ve received hundreds of letters or emails from lawyers I’ve assigned to collection cases (after a few days or a week handling a case) to tell me, “The debtor isn’t responding to our demands for payment. Do you want to send us costs to begin a lawsuit?” However, precious little […]
That’s Not Fair! Accepting International Legal Differences
A Chinese client of ours placed an account with us for collection. On contacting the company who bought their product we were referred to their lawyer. When we contacted the lawyer he explained that his client had an initial offset to the $650,000 debt because of approximately $30,000.00 worth of defective goods. Beyond that, opposing […]
Am I a Debt Collector?
The FDCPA Can Apply to Creditors Collecting Their Own Debt With the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and other government agencies –including the United States Supreme Court– becoming more and more involved with regulating debt collection in the United States, it is important to remember that although the focus of […]
Consumer vs Commercial Collections
Our firm specializes in the handling of commercial debt collection cases, but occasionally we do take on a consumer case. Friends and clients have often asked what the distinction is between the two classifications. What is the difference between consumer and commercial debt? Let’s start by a simple set of definitions. A consumer debt, which […]
What is the Foreign States Immunity Act (FSIA)?
Did you ever want to sue a foreign government? If so, your case would be greatly impacted by the Foreign States Immunity Act (FSIA) of 1976. Pursuing a legal matter against the government of another country can be complicated. Consider the following case study. Though fictional, it is based upon real events. Who Are The […]
The Positive Effects of the Debt Collection Industry in the USA
In the current national mood of consumerism, there is a popular belief that debt collection is an assortment of villainous scavengers praying on innocent victims and who contribute nothing to our society and nation. Somehow, however, the good and positive effect of reputable debt collection agencies and lawyers seems to get lost in the bargain! Recently, […]