April 21, 2012 (Press-News.org) Did you know that in addition to offering a fresh financial start, bankruptcy grants you broad protections against creditor harassment? Don't feel bad if you didn't; apparently neither did one of the country's largest banks.
Bank of America Agents Didn't Care About Bankruptcy, Violated Automatic Stay 38 Times
Financial giant Bank of America posted $2 billion in earnings during the last three months of 2011. But, that didn't stop them from incessantly pestering one Florida bankruptcy filer over a few measly dollars in clear violation of the legal protections afforded to debtors.
When you file for bankruptcy, an automatic stay goes into effect that essentially restrains creditors from contacting you. In fact, as soon as creditors know you've retained a Tampa bankruptcy attorney, they must address any and all correspondence directly to your lawyer.
After receiving notice of a debtor's bankruptcy filing, Bank of America nonetheless called the debtor 38 times regarding outstanding obligations. Throughout the ordeal, the debtor's bankruptcy attorney sent several letters demanding a stop to the illegal calls, with no effect.
Damning testimony at trial from Bank of America agents indicated that they didn't really care about the bankruptcy. The judge was outraged, calling Bank of America's conduct vexatious, wanton and oppressive. He slapped the bank with a $12,500 judgment -- $2,500 to cover the debtor's attorney's fees, and $10,000 paid directly to the debtor for emotional distress.
Stand United With Your Attorney Against Creditor Harassment
Just because you owe someone money does not mean you forfeit your rights to fair treatment. Debtor's prison were abolished nearly 200 years ago -- but some creditors still try to make you a prisoner in your own home through incessant calls, letters and visits.
Fortunately, you don't have to stand for this kind of harassment, and as evidenced by the case outlined above, creditors may be the ones who pay for it in the end. Florida judges are increasingly intolerant of creditors who refuse to abide by the requirements of an automatic stay.
Once you've retained a Tampa bankruptcy attorney, politely inform any creditors who contact you of this fact. You should provide the creditor with the name, address, and phone number of your attorney, and keep a record of doing so. If they still try to reach you, keep a record of the call, and also document any further calls or other forms of contact. If the calls continue, bring it to the attention of your attorney. Your attorney can then take action against the creditor for the harassment.
When it comes time for a bankruptcy filing, your attorney can help you deal with creditors who continue to call in flagrant disregard of an automatic stay -- quite possibly to the tune of several thousand dollars.
Article provided by Law Offices of Robert M Geller PA
Visit us at www.attorneyfortampabay.com
Florida Judge Slams Bank of America for Ignoring Bankruptcy Protections
If you're in debt and considering bankruptcy, you have rights. Don't let creditors interfere with your life -- follow the example of a debtor in one recent Florida bankruptcy case and fight back.
2012-04-21
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
New brain-machine interface moves a paralyzed hand
2012-04-21
CHICAGO --- A new Northwestern Medicine brain-machine technology delivers messages from the brain directly to the muscles -- bypassing the spinal cord -- to enable voluntary and complex movement of a paralyzed hand. The device could eventually be tested on, and perhaps aid, paralyzed patients.
"We are eavesdropping on the natural electrical signals from the brain that tell the arm and hand how to move, and sending those signals directly to the muscles," said Lee E. Miller, the Edgar C. Stuntz Distinguished Professor in Neuroscience at Northwestern University Feinberg ...
New stem cell found in the brain
2012-04-21
Grand Rapids, Mich. (April 19, 2012 ) – Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered a new stem cell in the adult brain. These cells can proliferate and form several different cell types - most importantly, they can form new brain cells. Scientists hope to take advantage of the finding to develop methods to heal and repair disease and injury in the brain.
Analyzing brain tissue from biopsies, the researchers for the first time found stem cells located around small blood vessels in the brain. The cell's specific function is still unclear, but its plastic properties ...
Moffitt Cancer Center researchers: Many breast cancer survivors worry about cancer returning
2012-04-21
"Cancer worry" is the fear that cancer will return, said researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center who studied cancer worry among breast cancer survivors and published their findings in Psycho-Oncology. They found that even three years after successful treatment, two-thirds of the 202 breast cancer survivors who participated in their study said they had "a moderate level of worry."
"Little is known about the factors associated with cancer worry," said paper lead author Paul B. Jacobsen, Ph.D., associate center director for Moffitt's Center for Population Sciences. "In order ...
Alzheimer's plaques disrupt brain networks
2012-04-21
Scientist studying the way Alzheimer's takes root in the brain have identified important new similarities between a mouse model and human Alzheimer's.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that brain plaques in mice are associated with disruption of the ability of brain regions to network with each other. This decline parallels earlier results from human studies, suggesting that what scientists learn about Alzheimer's effects on brain networks in the mice will likely be transferable to human disease research.
The study, published ...
Moffitt researchers find cancer therapies affect cognitive functioning among breast cancer survivors
2012-04-21
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at the University of South Florida and University of Kentucky have found that breast cancer survivors who have had chemotherapy, radiation or both do not perform as well on some cognitive tests as women who have not had cancer.
They published their study in the April 1 issue of Cancer.
"Survivors of breast cancer are living longer, so there is a need to better understand the long-term effects of cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation," said study lead author Paul B. Jacobsen, Ph.D., associate center director ...
Congressional Republicans Call for Federal Sentencing Reform
2012-04-21
According to a recent NPR report, some Congressional Republicans believe that the current federal sentencing protocol is not working. They contend that a number of disparities have arisen, and that uniformity must be restored across federal districts. Congressman James Sensenbrenner, (R-Wisconsin) explained to NPR that federal crimes should be punished equally regardless of where the crime was committed. As an example, he highlighted that federal judges in New York City commonly imposed sentences below the guidelines, while judges in Upstate New York were still following ...
From 503-million-year-old fungi to recent earthquakes: New Geology posted ahead of print
2012-04-21
Boulder, Colo., USA – Geology posted ahead of print on 19 April reports on evidence of the earliest chemical footprints of mycorrhizal fungi in a 503-million-year-old soil; a complex assemblage of trace fossils, including simple trails and branching burrow systems, in Sirius Passet, Greenland; evolution of a submarine canyon along the Ebro Margin, NW Mediterranean; and the growth of sub-tropical forests in Europe 13-17 million years ago, a crucial period for ape evolution that corresponds to their appearance there.
Highlights are provided below. Geology articles published ...
Save big on heating, cooling costs with efficiency controls
2012-04-21
RICHLAND, Wash. – U.S. commercial building owners could save an average of 38 percent on their heating and cooling bills if they installed a handful of energy efficiency controls that make their heating, ventilation and air conditioning, also known as HVAC, systems more energy efficient, according to a recent report from the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The estimated savings were based on computer modeling and simulation of building energy usage. The controls that could provide these savings are not widely available commercially, but the ...
Liver tells all and reveals truth about fat
2012-04-21
Dr Barbara Fam from the University's Molecular Obesity Laboratory group at Austin Health with Associate Professor Sof Andrikopoulos have discovered that the liver can directly talk to the brain to control the amount of food we eat.
The results have demonstrated that the liver, which has never been classed as an important organ in controlling body weight before, is in fact a major player and should be considered a target for treatment of weight gain.
Test on mice showed that over-expression of a specific enzyme in the liver resulted in 50% less fat and the subjects ...
Virginia Enacts Ignition-Interlock Penalty for First-Time Drunk Drivers
2012-04-21
On March 7, 2012, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell signed a new law providing that as of July 1, people convicted in the commonwealth of driving under the influence for the first time will be required to install ignition-interlock devices on their cars as a condition of regaining driving privileges. The device will be required during the six-month restricted license period that follows a first DUI conviction.
Under existing law, ignition interlocks are only required for repeat DUI offenders and for those who are caught driving while highly intoxicated -- with blood alcohol ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Shingles vaccine linked to slower biological aging in older adults
A self-assembling shortcut to better organic solar cells
A two-week leap in breeding: Antarctic penguins’ striking climate adaptation
Climate risks to insurance and reinsurance of global supply chains
58% of patients affected by 2022 mpox outbreak report lasting physical symptoms
Golden Gate method enables rapid, fully-synthetic engineering of therapeutically relevant bacteriophages
Polar weather on Jupiter and Saturn hints at the planets’ interior details
Socio-environmental movements: key global guardians of biodiversity amid rising violence
Global warming and CO2 emissions 56 million years ago resulted in massive forest fires and soil erosion
Hidden order in quantum chaos: the pseudogap
Exploring why adapting to the environment is more difficult as people age
Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening welcomes new scientific director: Madeline M. Farley, Ph.D.
Austrian cow shows first case of flexible, multi-purpose tool use in cattle
Human nasal passages defend against the common cold and help determine how sick we get
Research alert: Spreading drug costs over the year may ease financial burden for Medicare cancer patients
Hospital partnership improves follow up scans, decreases long term risk after aortic repair
Layered hydrogen silicane for safe, lightweight, and energy-efficient hydrogen carrier
Observing positronium beam as a quantum matter wave for the first time
IEEE study investigates the effects of pointing error on quantum key distribution systems
Analyzing submerged fault structures to predict future earthquakes in Türkiye
Quantum ‘alchemy’ made feasible with excitons
‘Revoice’ device gives stroke patients their voice back
USF-led study: AI helps reveal global surge in floating algae
New method predicts asthma attacks up to five years in advance
Researchers publish first ever structural engineering manual for bamboo
National poll: Less than half of parents say swearing is never OK for kids
Decades of suffering: Long-term mental health outcomes of Kurdish chemical gas attacks
Interactional dynamics of self-assessment and advice in peer reflection on microteaching
When aging affects the young: Revealing the weight of caregiving on teenagers
Can Canada’s health systems handle increased demand during FIFA World Cup?
[Press-News.org] Florida Judge Slams Bank of America for Ignoring Bankruptcy ProtectionsIf you're in debt and considering bankruptcy, you have rights. Don't let creditors interfere with your life -- follow the example of a debtor in one recent Florida bankruptcy case and fight back.