In testimony before NYS Assembly committees investigating mandatory arbitration clauses in contracts, MFY Staff Attorney Nicole Arrindell showed how this system is biased and rigged against low-income consumers and low-wage workers, and urged the Assembly to ban it.
MFY Legal Services, the New Economy Project and Emery Celli Brinkerhoff & Abady settled a class action lawsuit yesterday on behalf of more than 300,000 victims of abusive debt collection practices in New York State for $59 million. In addition to the fund, some 190,000 judgments are to be vacated.
An article in the ABA Journal, Debt-buying industry and lax court review are burying defendants in defaults, provides an overview of the problem of default judgments in debt cases and highlights new practices in several states. MFY Supervising Attorney Carolyn Coffey comments on New York’s backlog in filing documents required by debt buyers seeking default …
In written testimony to the NYS Department of Labor, MFY supports rule changes that would create strong worker protections and rein in abusive practices that are rampant in the payroll card industry. MFY supports provisions prohibiting employers from forcing workers to accept payroll cards, and banning high and hidden fees to access wages, and proposes …
In 2013 MFY submitted an amicus brief on behalf of 17 consumer advocates and organizations arguing that the city’s law requiring debt collectors to be licensed by the Department of Consumer Affairs should apply to attorneys as well as non-attorneys. The Court agreed finding that there was no conflict between the City’s law and the …
MFY supports swift passage of the Consumer Credit Fairness Act (CCFA) (A. 4438), which would strengthen the pleading requirements in debt collection cases, enhance notice requirements, and require greater information when applying for a default judgment, thereby leveling the playing field for pro se litigants. CCFA will codify many of the provisions found in the …
Tens of thousands of New Yorkers who were never served legal papers in debt collection cases and had default judgments based on robosigned affidavits entered against them between 2006 and 2009 will have their day in court. In a suit brought on behalf of consumers by MFY Legal Services, the New Economy Project, and Emery …
In August 2014, MFY and Legal Services-NYC submitted an amicus brief to the New York Court of Appeals in the case of Santiago-Monteverde v. Pereira, arguing that a rent-stabilized lease should be exempt from a debtor’s bankruptcy estate as a “local public assistance benefit.” The New York Court of Appeals agreed today, helping to end …
MFY submitted comments in support of CFPB’s policy proposal that consumers be allowed to release their complaint narratives to the public through a complaint database. Current complaint categories provide little understanding of the consumer’s experience. Releasing the narratives will reveal potential predatory lending in the communities MFY serves.
Real NY features an interview with MFY attorney Evan Denerstein on consumer law in New York, in which he provides guidance and information about how to handle debt collection matters and where consumers can go to get help.
MOBILIZATION FOR JUSTICE
Mobilization for Justice’s (MFJ) mission is to achieve justice for all. We prioritize the needs of people who are low-income, disenfranchised, or have disabilities as they struggle to overcome the effects of social injustice and systemic racism. We provide the highest-quality free, direct civil legal assistance, conduct community education and build partnerships, engage in policy advocacy, and bring impact litigation. MFJ also promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace, and understands the need to eliminate all racial disparities to achieve justice for all.
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Masthead photo by Cindy Knoke.
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