A federal judge granted summary judgment on February 12 to DirecTV, LLC (DirecTV), holding it was not liable under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) for unsolicited telemarketing calls placed by a third-party vendor because DirecTV had clearly instructed the vendor not to make any cold calls. The class action, Cordoba et al. v. DirecTV, alleged that DirecTV had violated the TCPA by authorizing a call center vendor, Telecel Marketing Solutions, LLC (Telecel), to place…

Like most industries today, Consumer Finance Services businesses are being significantly impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Troutman Pepper has developed a dedicated COVID-19 Resource Center to guide clients through this unprecedented global health challenge. We regularly update this site with COVID-19 news and developments, recommendations from leading health organizations, and tools that businesses can use free of charge. Our bank and loan servicing clients also face novel challenges affecting their industry due to COVID-19,…

On February 22, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced Senate Bill S. 355, which is intended to prevent health care providers and their agents from taking “extraordinary collection actions” relating to the collection of debts incurred from the “receipt of medical services, products, or devices.” If passed, the COVID-19 Medical Debt Collection Relief Act of 2021 would restrict certain debt collection practices until either: (a) the COVID-19 pandemic is over; or (b) 18 months…

A bill introduced by Democratic U.S. senators looks to make it easier for Americans to discharge student loans and medical debt. If passed as currently written, the Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2021 would drastically change the U.S. bankruptcy system by removing certain procedural hurdles that make the bankruptcy process complex and by creating a clearer path to discharging debts that impact millions of Americans. The bill is in direct response to the struggles posed…

In Milburn v. SN Servicing, LLC, a district court in the Ninth Circuit denied a defendant’s motion for summary judgment regarding the plaintiffs’ allegations that the defendant violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Oregon Unlawful Debt Collection Practices Act in its mortgage servicing activity. In denying summary judgment, this decision serves as a reminder to servicers to ensure a thorough review of correspondence from a borrower to evaluate whether they may file for…

Last week, attorneys general from 17 states wrote a letter to Democrat and Republican leaders in both houses of Congress, expressing support for Senate Resolution 46 and House Resolution 100, which call upon President Biden to use executive authority under the Higher Education Act to cancel up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt for all student loan borrowers. The attorneys general begin the letter by highlighting their responsibility for enforcing consumer protection laws and…

On February 22, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), joined by the attorneys general for Virginia, Massachusetts, and New York (States), filed suit against Libre by Nexus, Inc. (Libre). The suit alleges that Libre, an immigration bond services business, engaged in deceptive and abusive acts or practices in connection with its offer of credit to consumers for their immigration bonds. This suit, the first new public enforcement action of the Biden administration, highlights the theme…