CINCINNATI, OH, February 16, 2012 (Press-News.org) The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio granted preliminary approval to a class action settlement for unlawful debt collection practices by a law firm based in Lebanon, Ohio. The class action lawsuit was brought by the law firm of Minnillo & Jenkins, Co. LPA on behalf of Zachary Langendorfer.
The complaint alleges that the Lebanon law firm of Kaufman & Florence filed collection suits in the Lebanon Municipal Court on behalf of Lebanon Citizens National Bank and against consumers who lived in other counties, which violates the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ("FDCPA") and a parallel state law requiring consumer collection actions to be brought in the county where the consumer resides or where they signed the contract sued on. The defendants deny liability but have agreed to a settlement under which each individual who was sued or had other legal action taken against them in the wrong county during the two years prior to the filing of the class action will receive $600.00.
Because the case was settled, the court did not determine the full extent of the defendants' liability, however, the court did issue a significant preliminary ruling holding that an FDCPA violation occurs when a debt collector takes any legal action against a consumer (including filing motions for summary judgment, seeking to conduct a debtor examination or pursuing garnishment) in the wrong jurisdiction, and not just when the debt collector first files a collection lawsuit.
READ THE DECISION
This ruling is important because the FDCPA has a short, one-year, statute of limitations and consumers sued in the wrong jurisdiction like the affected individuals in this case often do not learn they have been sued for months or even years, sometimes more than a year after the debt collection was filed. The FDCPA is a federal law that applies to debt collectors who are collecting consumer debts.
Visit www.mjbankruptcy.com for more information on abusive debt collections. Minnillo & Jenkins, Co. LPA is a regional firm emphasizing consumer protection litigation and bankruptcy with offices in Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton and West Chester Ohio.
U.S. District Court Preliminarily Approves Class Action Settlement in Action Against Debt Collector
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio granted preliminary approval to a class action settlement for unlawful debt collection practices by a law firm based in Lebanon, Ohio.
2012-02-16
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
UCLA scientists report link between traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder
2012-02-16
UCLA life scientists and their colleagues have provided the first evidence of a causal link between traumatic brain injury and an increased susceptibility to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Their new study, published Feb. 15 in the in the journal Biological Psychology, also suggests that people who suffer even a mild traumatic brain injury are more likely to develop an anxiety disorder and should take precautions to avoid stressful situations for at least some period of time.
The motivation behind the study, which was conducted in rats, was the observed correlation ...
Out of Africa? Data fail to support language origin in Africa
2012-02-16
In the beginning was the word – yes, but where exactly? Last year, Quentin Atkinson, a cultural anthropologist at Auckland University in New Zealand, proposed that the cradle of language could be localized in the southwest of Africa. The report, which appeared in Science, one of the world's leading scholarly journals, was seized upon by the media and caused something of a sensation. Now however, linguist Michael Cysouw from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich has published a commentary in Science which argues that this neat "Out-of-Africa" hypothesis for the ...
Does it Really Matter Who Our Elected Judges Are? Why the Judicial Campaign in Howard County, MD is So Important
2012-02-16
Let's be clear: I'm going to make a pitch for you to vote for Clarke Ahlers, who has entered the Howard County Judicial race, but in order for me to convince you, we'll start with the basics about judges.
Circuit Court Judges Sit on the Bench for 15 Years
Circuit court judges in Maryland are elected every 15 years and must retire at age 70. Circuit court judges go through a process of being nominated to a "committee" appointed by the governor. After an interview process, names are sent to the governor for selection and appointment.
But here is where ...
Astronomers watch instant replay of powerful stellar eruption
2012-02-16
(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– Astronomers are watching the astronomical equivalent of an instant replay of a spectacular outburst from the unstable, behemoth double-star system Eta Carinae, which was initially seen on Earth nearly 170 years ago. Astrophysicists affiliated with UC Santa Barbara and Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) contributed to the study.
Dubbed the "Great Eruption," the outburst lasted from 1837 to 1858 and temporarily made Eta Carinae the second brightest star in the sky. But luckily for today's astronomers, some of the light from ...
Annual Scholarship for Warren County, Ohio, High School Students
2012-02-16
The local law firm of Rittgers & Rittgers is giving back to the Warren County community in a generous way. Through its annual high school essay contest, Rittgers & Rittgers will award four scholarships totaling $10,000 to deserving high school seniors in Warren County Ohio. Between now and April 1, students can go to http://www.rittgersinjurylaw.com/Resources/Scholarships.shtml to apply.
Partner Charles H. Rittgers said, "My wife and I created this scholarship to help promising local high school students. We wanted to create something to give back to the ...
The Spangenberg Shibley & Liber Law Firm Announces the Launch of a New Website Regarding Reported Adverse Side Effects Associated with Use of Pradaxa
2012-02-16
In October of 2010, the FDA approved Pradaxa for the treatment of atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem. Atrial fibrillation is a condition which occurs when part of the heart does not beat properly causing blood cells to form clots, or coagulate. These blood clots may lead to stroke and in some cases, death.
Pradaxa is included in a class of drugs known as direct thrombin inhibitors. Use of direct thrombin inhibitors is used in blood thinning treatments to prevent coagulation of blood cells. However, shortly after the FDA approved Pradaxa for the ...
Identifying poverty levels requires accurate measurements
2012-02-16
URBANA – When food prices spiked in 2008, the number of households that moved into poverty was overestimated by about 60 percent, according to a recent University of Illinois study. In middle-income countries such as Mexico that have more diversity in their diets, households are able to substitute other foods and cope with the change in prices.
"In 2008, there was a lot of quick-response research trying to measure the poverty effect across the world from the food price increase," said U of I agricultural economist Carl Nelson.
"They adopted an older research method ...
AAAS-SFU research: Vancouver, unique space for innovation
2012-02-16
According to a new study co-authored by SFU communication professor Adam Holbrook, national, provincial and local economic development policy makers need to pay closer attention to Vancouver's uniqueness as a space for economic innovation.
Holbrook and Brian Wixted, another study co-author, say: "Vancouver must build on its economic, social and natural advantages. Otherwise, Vancouver could lose its global edge as an innovator in the development of knowledge-based high tech industries."
Holbrook is as an adjunct professor and associate director at SFU's Centre for ...
Is Sex Offender Registration Actually Keeping New Jersey's Kids Safer?
2012-02-16
The federal Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act and the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act were once embraced by law enforcement and the public alike. Requiring convicted sex offenders to submit to monitoring by registering their names, addresses and workplaces with the state made people feel safer.
The push to make registration mandatory at the federal level and in all 50 states (plus the District of Columbia) was prompted by several high-profile cases. The1989 disappearance of Minnesotan Jacob Wetterling, ...
American Society of Hematology statement on critical methotrexate drug shortage
2012-02-16
(WASHINGTON, February 15, 2012) - As the world's largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatment of blood disorders, many of ASH's more than 16,000 members are on the front lines of dealing with the country's severe shortage of methotrexate, a drug critical in the treatment of children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). This morning the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that two manufacturers plan additional releases at the end of this week, at the end of February, and continuing into March, which it anticipates will meet all patient needs.
While ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Binghamton University researchers use nanotubes to improve blood flow in bioengineered tissues
Elizabeth Haines, DO, MSc, FACEP, appointed Chief Operating Officer of Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital and Senior Vice President of Pediatric Services, Mount Sinai Health System
Just knowing help is there makes all the difference
Gut microbiome affects alcohol preference by influencing brain’s reward system
Manchurian walnut tree holds key to eco-friendly weed control
After cancer: study explores caring-healing modalities for survivors
The paper industry can become more energy-efficient with a new measurement method
SEOULTECH researchers develop VFF-Net, a revolutionary alternative to backpropagation that transforms AI training
Pusan National University study finds pollution shifts rainfall from land to sea in Southeast Asia
Korea University researchers advance orthodontics with AI-assisted growth prediction
New low-cost, efficient single-photon source for powering future quantum internet
Helping farmers, boosting biofuels
Air pollution during pregnancy is associated with slower brain maturation in newborns
Expanding farming capabilities will not close Africa’s ‘hidden hunger’ gaps
Time crystals could power future quantum computers
Climate whiplash effects due to rapidly intensifying El Niño cycles
Quantum radio antenna
A pill that prints
New research submarine after Ran got lost under the ice
Graz University of Technology and the University of Regensburg carry out research on the link between leaky blood-brain barrier and depression
Conversation analysis reveals how teacher educators shape reflection through feedback
Why deep sighs are actually good for us
Unexpected discovery on Saturn's moon challenges our view on chemistry before life emerged
The European project to reduce the number of animals used in experimentation, VICT3R, adds new partners and increases its budget to €30 million
New clinical trial to advance seizure monitoring and improve epilepsy diagnosis
Sniffer dogs tested in real-world scenarios reveal need for wider access to explosives, study finds
Ex-smokers who relapse may simply be tired of the effort of not smoking
A better way to monitor drug therapy at home
Rare earth engineering to mitigate corrosion challenges in seawater electrolysis
MXene‑based wearable contact lenses: Integrating smart technology into vision care
[Press-News.org] U.S. District Court Preliminarily Approves Class Action Settlement in Action Against Debt CollectorThe U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio granted preliminary approval to a class action settlement for unlawful debt collection practices by a law firm based in Lebanon, Ohio.