Federal and DC law make it illegal for a debt collector to use unfair, abusive, or misleading tactics to collect a debt from you.  Many times, the debt collectors have the wrong information, either about the person they are calling or about the debt.  Even if their information is right, they cannot take actions such as calling you excessively, calling you at odd hours, publicizing the debt, using profanity, misleading you about who they are or the actions they will take, telling you that you will be arrested, or threatening you with harm or violence.  If you believe that you have been the victim of unfair or abusive debt collection practices, you may be entitled to damages.

Perhaps you were behind on your mortgage payments and negotiated a loan modification that helped you get on track again.  Or, maybe you kept up with your mortgage payments all along but fell behind on your other bills.  Now, your bank is threatening foreclosure.  Whether based on bad information, disclosure failures, or fraud, the foreclosure may be unlawful.  Federal and DC law provides ways to potentially stop the foreclosure and to recover damages.

You’re the victim of identity theft.  Someone has run about thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt in your name, with bank and credit card accounts you’ve never heard of.  Identity theft is a crime and should be reported to the police.  But you’re still stuck cleaning up your credit record and convincing the debt collectors that the debts aren’t yours.  The Law Office of Courtney Weiner can help you reclaim your financial identity. 

You’re entitled to view your credit report for free every year, but when you do, something looks off.  The report says you owe money that you don’t, or that you’ve been delinquent on payments when you paid on time, or some other inaccuracy.  Federal and DC law require the credit reporting agencies, as well as the company that provided the information, to investigate and correct errors.   The Law Office of Courtney Weiner can help you make sure they do, and can seek damages for you if they don’t.

Federal and DC law place a number of restrictions on lenders.  Payday loans are illegal.  Interest rates are capped.  And lenders cannot, for example, put hidden terms or fees in your loan agreement, or deliberately make terms difficult for you to understand.  If you believe you are a victim of predatory lending, you may be entitled to damages and to changes in the terms of your loan. 

The world of student loans can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate.  FFEL, Direct, Stafford, Parent Plus, Perkins, private loans…they all just sound like debt, but there are important differences that affect your rights   Maybe you've fallen behind and are facing garnishment or a lawsuit.  Maybe your payments are just too high.  Maybe you’re looking for loan forgiveness, or, in that rare case, discharge of your loans. The Law Office of Courtney Weiner can analyze your situation and help you sort through your options and help you navigate consolidation, rehabilitation, income-driven repayment requests and recertification, public service loan forgiveness (PSLF) planning, and even lawsuits.