Massachusetts first state to require creditors to validate consumer debts
On March 2, 2012, the Massachusetts Attorney General published onerous new consumer debt collection practice regulations, deeming their violation to be un unfair trade practice. These regulations, which became effective upon publication, purport to govern every business and person nationwide who engages in collecting a consumer debt (defined as any debt resulting from a purchase, lease or loan of goods, services or real or personal property or for a loan of money obtained for personal, family or household purposes, whether or not reduced to a judgment) from a person located within Massachusetts. A copy of the regulations is available here.
They are extraordinary in that, among other things, they impose validation and verification requirements on creditors collecting their own debts, rather than just on third party debt collectors or purchasers of defaulted debt as under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Specifically, 940 CMR 7.08 requires that during or within 5 days of its initial communication with a Massachusetts debtor in connection with the collection of a consumer debt that has become more than 30 days past due (unless a different period is agreed to by the debtor), the creditor (defined to mean any person or entity and their agents, servants, employees or attorneys, or a buyer of a delinquent debt who hires a third party or an attorney to collect it) must provide the debtor with (a) the amount of the debt; (b) the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed; (c) a statement that unless the debtor, within 30 days after receipt of the notice, disputes the validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the creditor; and (d) a statement that if the debtor notifies the creditor in writing within 30 days after receipt of this notice that the debt, or any portion thereof is disputed, the creditor will obtain verification of the debt and provide the debtor, or an attorney for the debtor, additional materials.
Rest here…
A copy of the regulations is available here.
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We must ask all Attorney Generals to adopt these regulations to stop the fraud with so called original creditors and debt collectors!
No one should be able to claim you owe them anything without proof.
What in the world are we coming to when we have to even for a second think otherwise.
Well, banks and such seem to live on a different plane…one that is above the law.
my lender is chase home finance,& our home is a fannie-mae foreclosure/re-sale…it was foreclosed on & sat empty 1half before we bought it,fha loan….& does ky have any laws such as MASS????