The complaint, filed by five tenants represented by the Legal Aid Justice Center, contends that Senex Law P.C., which hires itself out to apartment complexes across the state, sends letters to tenants purporting to be from landlords.
News Story (Virginia)
Peter Dujardin
Daily Press (Newport Beach, VA)
October 6, 2016
Tags: Consumer Protection, Debt Collection
Organizations mentioned/involved: Legal Aid Justice Center (Virginia)
News Story (Virginia)
Peter Dujardin
Daily Press (Newport Beach, VA)
October 6, 2016
Tags: Consumer Protection, Debt Collection
Organizations mentioned/involved: Legal Aid Justice Center (Virginia)
DETAILS
Under that consumer-protection act, debt collectors are required to identify themselves as such. They also must tell debtors they have the right to dispute the validity of the amount owed within a 30-day window.
Kimberly A. Rolla, an attorney with the Charlottesville-based Legal Aid Justice Center, said the rules are in place because each time a delinquent debt is “passed around” — sent to someone else for collection — the chances of mistakes grow. “There’s a much higher chance of error (with a debt collector) than if an original creditor is seeking the debt from you,” she said. But because Senex didn’t tell the tenants they could challenge their debt, “they were denied that right.”