Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Home Improvement Projects, Contractors, & Consumer Rights
We’ve previously discussed the issue of contractors taking advantage of homeowners. Unfortunately, fraud and scam is on the rise when it comes to home improvement projects. Every year, there are thousands of consumer complaints here in Ohio; mostly related to a failure to complete contracted work and deposits, whereby contractors accept deposits and fail… Read More »
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) & Time-Barred Debt: Protecting Yourself
One of the most concerning consumer law issue out there today involves debt collectors threatening to sue and/or suing to collect time-barred debt, including mortgage debt, known as “zombie second mortgages,” whereby homeowners who were operating with the understanding that a mortgage debt was already satisfied via bankruptcy proceedings or otherwise, are contacted by… Read More »
New Options For Mortgage Loan Modifications: Are They Ideal For You?
Starting in May, homeowners interested in mortgage loan modifications have a new lifeline that prevents foreclosure: the 40-year mortgage modification, which allows borrowers to have the term of their mortgage extended to 40 years, where the previous limit for loan modifications was 30 years, thus reducing their monthly payments. It is expected to reduce… Read More »
Identifying And Preventing Predatory Lending As A Homeowner
You as a consumer have laws in place protecting you when it comes to protecting you from predatory lending. Still, it is important to remain vigilant, especially when it comes to mortgage loan modification practices that may or may not be legal. Seeing the Signs Some of the signs of predatory lending can include… Read More »
Illegal Consumer Collection Practices For Discharged Debt
In March, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a bulletin warning consumers that they have specific rights with respect to private student loans that have been discharged in bankruptcy court. As a result, loan servicers returning loans to collections after this discharge constitutes a violation of consumer law, and any consumers who have experienced… Read More »
Combatting HOA Liens & Foreclosures
As attorneys who work in foreclosure defense, including homeowners association (HOA) foreclosure defense, specifically, we have seen our fair share of arguably corrupt HOA boards of directors who engage in unethical behavior, including, at times, misusing homeowner funds. In these instances, it is critical that homeowners are empowered to fight back and take action… Read More »
Consumer Wire Fraud Cases: What You Can Do
Sadly, consumer fraud is on the rise, with Americans reportedly losing close to $9 billion every year to scammers, and imposter scams being the most common among them. These imposter scams involve scammers fraudulently tricking consumers into sending them money by posing as bank employees. They will often call from what appears to be… Read More »
Suing Companies For DNC & TCPA Consumer Protection Violations
Companies that violate the National Do Not Call law under the authority granted by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which protects consumers against receiving unsolicited telemarketing calls once they have registered themselves under the “Do Not Call” list, can be sued. It is also important to note that companies can face potentially significant… Read More »
Kohl & Cook Sponsors Two Awards at Ohio State FCCLA Conference
Kohl & Cook is a supporter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a national Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) for students in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) education in public and private schools through grade 12. The organization’s mission is to… Read More »
Unfinished Pool Projects & Consumer Law Violations
It is unfortunately a story familiar to far too many: A family that is out thousands of dollars after paying a pool company to build their dream backyards, and who are then left with unfinished projects. In a number of cases, consumers report that the work was never even started, and they hit nothing… Read More »