Robo-signing article quotes Legal Aid expert

Lindsay Warnes, a staff attorney in Maryland Legal Aid’s Midwestern Maryland office (Frederick) was quoted in a Baltimore Sun article about robo-signing (“Consumer advocates want affidavits pulled in Md. debt-collection cases,” Oct. 3). The issue is tied to old consumer debts bought by companies who then sue to collect after filing affidavits swearing they have personal knowledge of the debts–and usually don’t.

“They’re trying to get more creative in the way they write them,” Warnes told The Sun. “But there’s still no personal knowledge whatsoever.” To read the article, click here.

A push for more proof in debt-collection lawsuits

A Maryland Legal Aid staff attorney was quoted in today’s Baltimore Sun lead story, “A push for more proof in debt-collection lawsuits/Consumer advocates cheer as Maryland’s highest court considers a change in rules.”

The issue is debt buyers who get judgments against no-show defendants without presenting enough proof–to the detriment of many poor and elderly defendants who often aren’t given notice of the lawsuits.

“Lindsay Warnes, a staff attorney for Maryland Legal Aid, suspects lack of information helps explain why she’s seen a lot of lawsuits filed more than three years past the point of default, which makes them too late for court action,” wrote the Sun‘s Jamie Smith Hopkins.

“‘They may not know the date of default — they might have no idea,’ she said. “So they just file it and hope nobody notices.’”

To read the article, click here.

Sun series on medical debt collection quotes Legal Aid expert

Legal Aid Housing/Consumer Law Unit senior attorney Louise Carwell

Part two of a front-page Baltimore Sun series on bad hospital debt collection practices included a comment by Baltimore Housing/Consumer Law Unit senior attorney  Louise Carwell. “Most people don’t know their rights,” said Carwell about a client who was illegally sued by the University of Maryland Medical Center for a hospital bill that should have been paid by Medicaid. “There’s lots of judgments entered that need not be entered. Those bills can be really significant down the line. It totallay messes up their credit.”