Says This Will Crack Down on Predatory Behavior and Harassment within the Industry
JAMAICA ESTATES, NEW YORK — Tanya Hobson-Williams, attorney at law at Hobson-Williams, P.C., says Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to license debt collectors in New York State is a much-needed reform in the industry and will eliminate unethical practices by collectors in an effort to collect any unpaid balances.
On December 19, Governor Cuomo announced a proposal as part of the 2020 State of the State agenda that would require debt collectors to be licensed by the state’s Department of Financial Services. He said this would protect debtors from being subjected to predatory and abusive behavior by those looking to collect money for outstanding balances on credit cards, medical or utility bills. It would also give the state the power to revoke the licenses of those debt collectors who act in bad faith. (Currently, collection agencies attempting to collect a debt from New York City residents are required to be licensed by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs.)
The governor cited federal statistics, in which 32% of Americans — including 25% of New York State residents — have a debt that is now in collections. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), over three of the past four years, the most frequent consumer complaint about debt collectors was the use of harassment and abusive and deceptive debt collection practices; last year, the FTC received approximately 500,000 such complaints.
“This is a good thing for consumers, since there are many unscrupulous debt collectors who violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act,” Ms. Hobson-Williams says. “It gives consumers more protection and the state more power to investigate violations under the Act.”
For more information, call 1 (866) 825-1529 or visit www.thobsonwilliamslaw.com.
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About Hobson-Williams, P.C.
With offices located in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, the law firm of Hobson-Williams P.C. is comprised of a highly knowledgeable and diligent staff. With over 20 years of experience, the skilled attorneys at Hobson-Williams, P.C. are dedicated to protecting and serving their clients’ needs and legal interests, and are committed providing unparalleled client service. Her practice areas include elder law, business law, real estate closings, landlord-tenant disputes, Medicaid fraud defense, guardianships, reverse mortgage foreclosure defense and debt collections. Tanya Hobson-Williams has an active elder law practice assisting senior citizens in obtaining Medicaid for Home Care and Nursing Home Care. She routinely lectures at senior citizen centers, assisted living facilities, law schools and counsels families on a variety of topics of concerns to families caring for the elderly. She is also contracted by the State of New York Employee Assistance Program to provide training to state employees on legal issues that affect state employees. For more information, call 1 (866) 825-1529 or visit www.thobsonwilliamslaw.com.
