Consumer

Knowing how to prioritize debt can make the difference between keeping and losing valued property.
In many cases, a consumer can stop debt collection harassment using a simple letter.
Consumers have significant protections from garnishment and attachment of the home.

A consumer who is being sued by a creditor may be judgment proof because of these protections. It is important for consumers to know when they are judgment proof.

Consumers can get a copy of their credit report, including their “credit score,” and correct errors and eliminate outdated information. A consumer with credit problems can take steps to build their credit.
Every state has a basic consumer protection law against unfair or deceptive acts or practices in trade or commerce. In Massachusetts, this is M.G.L. c. 93A.
There are many ways to help a consumer avoid or fight a utility termination.
Consumers who are stuck with student loans as a result of fraud by a trade school or for other reasons may be able to get those loans discharged.
Knowing the signs of a predatory home mortgage loan can help a consumer avoid placing her home at risk. Consumers victimized by predatory loans may have legal remedies to get out of the loan.
Low income consumers are vulnerable to high cost lending practices - payday loans, rent- to-own (really an expensive loan), pawnshops and auto title pawn, and tax refund loans. There are legal remedies available to challenge them.
Consumers have significant rights when creditors seek to repossess their property, particularly cars. Automobile fraud can be raised as a defense to repossession

Produced by Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Created 2002