Caveat Emptor

Payday lending traditionally happens in seedy storefronts, often in low-income neighborhoods and around military bases. Not any more! Eager to get in on the next big subprime lending bubble before it bursts, big banks are brushing up on their loan shark chops and opening payday lending divisions. So what’s the problem, here? Well, payday loans [...]

Big Banks Jump on the Payday Loan Train is a post from Caveat Emptor

Today, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton vetoed a package of tort-reform bills passed by the state legislature earlier this week. I was particularly happy to see his reasons for vetoing SF 429, which would have rendered many consumer and civil rights statutes effectively unenforceable in Minnesota. Here’s a choice excerpt from Governor Dayton’s veto letter for [...]

Governor Dayton Vetoes Misguided “Tort Reform” Bills is a post from Caveat Emptor

Across the country, legislators (mostly Republicans) are pushing for so-called “voter ID” laws that would require every voter to present a photo ID before casting his or her vote. This requirement is ostensibly meant to reduce voting fraud. In fact, it would do no such thing. Nearly all reports of voter fraud turn out to [...]

Voter ID Won’t Prevent Fraud, but Will Prevent Votes is a post from Caveat Emptor

I’ve been following the progress of several Minnesota “tort reform” measures. I put that in quotation marks because most of the bills in question don’t just reform the law of tort; they also eviscerate a raft of consumer laws, robbing consumers of important protections. These are laws designed to prevent fraud, harassment, and abuse. If [...]

Minnesota Legislature Passes Several “Tort Reform” Measures is a post from Caveat Emptor

Tomorrow, the Minnesota House of Representatives will consider two “tort reform” bills that would eviscerate Minnesota’s consumer protection statutes and set up road blocks to discourage class actions. The first bill is former Senator Linda Scheid’s stupid, anti-consumer bill, sponsored in the House by representatives Pat Mazorol (R), Denise Dittrich (D), Bev Scalze (D), Keith [...]

Minnesota Considers Reforming Away Consumers’ Rights is a post from Caveat Emptor

In order to administer any kind of justice, our court system requires two parties participating in a lawsuit. When that doesn’t happen, plaintiffs generally prevail, even if they haven’t produced any proof of their claims. Ordinarily, a default is a bad thing for a plaintiff, because there is little or no chance of getting paid. [...]

Courts Should Require Extra Proof From Debt Buyers is a post from Caveat Emptor

The movie industry is “not comfortable” with the whole internet thing, just like it wasn’t comfortable with DVRs, VCRs, video rentals, cable TV, and pretty much any other innovation since moving pictures were invented in 1895. So it might be surprised to learn that the Swiss government determined that illegal downloading and filesharing actually increases [...]

Piracy Leads to Profits—for Content Producers is a post from Caveat Emptor

Debt collection agency knew WAY more than it should have about hospital patients’ medical conditions: bit.ly/w4JF6X — Kashmir Hill (@kashhill) January 20, 2012 Chicago Debt Collector Accretive Health Sued for Violating Patient Privacy Laws is a post from Caveat Emptor Related posts: Florida collection agency Smith, Dean & Associates sued by the Illinois AG Debt [...]

Chicago Debt Collector Accretive Health Sued for Violating Patient Privacy Laws is a post from Caveat Emptor

Debt collection agency knew WAY more than it should have about hospital patients’ medical conditions: bit.ly/w4JF6X — Kashmir Hill (@kashhill) January 20, 2012 Chicago Debt Collector Accretive Health Sued for Violating Patient Privacy Laws is a post from Caveat Emptor Related posts: Florida collection agency Smith, Dean & Associates sued by the Illinois AG Debt [...]

Chicago Debt Collector Accretive Health Sued for Violating Patient Privacy Laws is a post from Caveat Emptor