Have You Been Sued by Capital Alliance Financial, LLC?

Capital Alliance Financial, LLC is a Michigan-based bad-debt buyer which files suits on credit card accounts and maybe other consumer debt.  You should know that Capital Alliance is closely related to the colleciton law firm of Stenger & Stenger, P.C., a very active regional collection law firm based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

You should also know that Capital Alliance, often buys debt that has passed through numerous other buyers/collection agencies.  In one case I looked at the account had passed through 5 hands before getting to Capital Alliance.  In the collection industry, the price paid for an account typically goes down through every assignment, This means it is likely that Capital Alliance likely pays a pittance for the account.  Ordinarily that would mean there could be an opportunity to settle for a tiny amount; but when you have a litigation-focused firm like Capital Alliance, things don't necessarily work that way due to the coercive effect of the lawsuit.

To defend against a company like this you have to actively challenge the intermediate assignments.  Sometimes the amount of the debt makes that difficult or impossible.  If you are sued by Capital Alliance Financial, LLC, in Indiana, please call me at 317-662-4529. If you are sued by Capital Alliance outside of Indiana, talk to a NACA attorney in your area. You can find one at www.naca.net.

Car Title Loans - the Worst of the Worst

Car title loans are effectively illegal in Indiana, though out-of-state lenders do try to talk Indiana consumers across state lines to get the loans.  This is one area of consumer finance that Indiana has right, because title lenders are merchants of misery. The loans are even worse than payday loans, because when a title loan goes bad, they take your car, and that may mean taking your livelihood. Generally title lenders lend no more than 25% of the value of the vehicle. When you don't pay, they take the vehicle and resell it.  The article linked here from thetruthaboutcars.com shows that these acutions are anything but fair to the car owner, The lender sells the car as quickly as possible just to get whatever is owed for the loan and repossession.  For most of these borrowers, the car is likely the only asset that the person has, and with the repossession sale, even that is gone.

These "auction" sales may be illegal in some cases and may give you the right to a remedy. If you lose your vehicle to a payday lender, talk to a NACA consumer attorney. Find one in your area by going to www.naca.net or www.consumeradvocates.org.

HG Auto Sales, Shelby Street, Indianapolis - Odometer Fraud Allegations in the News

We put out an all points bulletin for information on HG Auto Sales in July. On November 5, 2015, Indianapolis television station WRTV-6 did an investigative report on HG Auto Sales reporting on allegations of HG Auto Sales selling vehicles with tampered odometers. Reportedly, a number of cars were hauled away, and as of today, only two vehicles are listed on HG Auto Sale's website.

Based on the number of vehicles that are alleged to be affected by this practice, it is reasonably foreseeable that anyone who chooses to sue HG Auto Sales may find that they don't have money to pay.  What recourse do the car buyers have? IF the dealer arranged for in assisted in obtaining the financing of your vehicle, any claims that you have against the dealer can be raised against the finance company.  This means that if you have a car that has had its odometer rolled back you may be able to claim an offset, and perhaps a refund from your lender.  In addition if the lender denies the applicability of the FTC Holder Rule you may have an additional action under the state deceptive consumer sales statute.  Please call us at 317-662-4529 if you have any questions.

Rue Education ("school" or "publisher"?) has turned Ripoffreport.com into its lapdog.

We are investigating a Florida Company, Rue Education.  Rue seems to have a very similar model to a company we looked at earlier this year, the Learning Network.  Both companies tout an LPN to RN program.  Many of the customers of each company sign up believing they are dealing with a school.  In both cases, once the sucker is hooked, the company insists that it is just a publisher of information materials.  I searched Google for complaints, found quite a few, then I went to one of my favorite complaint sites, Ripoffreport.com and was shocked at what I found.  Instead of lots of complaints I found this statement with slight variations in repeated "reports":

RUE EDUCATION Verified REVIEW: Rue Education committed to customer satisfaction. Rue Education always making changes to ensure client success, focusing on finding ways to help each client reach their educational goal as they balance work, family and other commitments. LPNs, LVNs, Paramedics, Respiratory Therapists, RNs in states across the country rave about Rue Education. Clearwater, Florida*UPDATE: Recognized by Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Program as a safe business service Rue Education pledges to resolve issues so clients feel safe, confident and secure when doing business with Rue Education. Ripoff Report Verified

  Apparently Rue is part of the "Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program".  I don't know what money changed hands between Rue and Ripoff Report,  I will give this much to Ripoff Report, they put so much sugar on the Rue "reports" that at least they made it obvious that site can't be trusted to give you the full story regarding Rue complaints.

If you are having problems with Rue or its collection arm, Edu-Lend, LLC, find a NACA lawyer in your area at www.naca.net.  This is especially true if you have Rue or Edu-lend on your credit report. If you get sued on a Rue account or any similar account, don't assume that nothing can be done, talk to a NACA lawyer.