Judge dismisses effort to halt student loan forgiveness plan
A federal judge on Thursday dismissed an effort by six Republican-led states to block the Biden administration’s plan to forgive student loan debt for tens of millions of Americans.
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Taxpayer group asks high court to stop loan forgiveness plan
A Wisconsin taxpayers group that unsuccessfully brought a lawsuit seeking to block President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene.
Biden kicks off student loan relief application season
President Joe Biden on Monday officially kicked off the application process for his student debt cancellation program and announced that 8 million borrowers had already applied for loan relief during the federal government’s soft launch period.
Opponents take to court to block student loan debt relief program: Hoosier lawyer claims overreach of executive power but young lawyers say relief is much needed
Indiana attorney Frank Garrison is trying to block the Biden administration’s student loan debt relief program. While the legal action may do little to improve or weaken the reputation of lawyers, it also will likely have little impact on the program itself.
Indiana will tax loan forgiveness, similar to other states
Indiana will tax student debt relief as income, reflecting similar policies in other U.S. states following the Biden administration’s announcement of a forgiveness plan last month.
Legality of student loan plan relies on pandemic, 2003 law
The Biden administration is tying its authority to cancel student debt to the coronavirus pandemic and to a 2003 law aimed at providing help to members of the military. Legal challenges are expected.
Big student loan forgiveness plan announced by Biden
President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced his long-awaited plan to deliver on a campaign promise to provide $10,000 in student debt cancellation for millions of Americans — and up to $10,000 more for those with the greatest financial need — along with new measures to lower the burden of repayment for their remaining federal student debt.
New ABA requirement seen as doing little to mitigate student debt: Young lawyers say debt obligations impacting careers, health
New lawyers say their debt burden looms over every aspect of their lives. It influences their career choices, interrupts typical rites of adulthood like buying a home and impacts their physical and mental health. Even as they love being attorneys, recent law school graduates struggle to pay off their obligation.
Despite identity theft, 7th Circuit rules debt collectors didn’t violate federal law in collection action
While the process of remedying a case of credit card identity theft caused “a world of aggravation” for the plaintiff, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the debt collectors’ actions during the investigation didn’t violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act or Fair Credit Reporting Act.
7th Circuit affirms, reverses on ‘bona fide error’ defense in consolidated debt suits
Two Indiana women who disputed debts they allegedly owed to debt-collection companies received conflicting results from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in a consolidated Wednesday decision.
Past due: Personal debt rising, collection expected to grow
A July 2021 report by the Indiana Institute for Working Families found that from 2019 to 2020, debt levels in Indiana increased at a rate of 3.6%, which outpaced the national increase of 3.0%. In dollars, Indiana saw debt levels balloon by roughly $8 billion to $226.5 billion in 2020. This equates to $40,770 in household debt per Hoosier.
7th Circuit: Collection agency entitled to fees after woman defaulted on small hospital debt
A collection agency didn’t violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act when it attempted to collect attorney fees and “fees-on-fees” from an Indianapolis woman who defaulted on a small debt to an Indiana hospital system, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled.
Appellate court reverses order vacating default judgment nearly 10 years later
The Indiana Court of Appeals has reversed a trial court’s order vacating a nearly decade-old default judgment in a debt collection dispute, finding the debtor’s delay in bringing his fraud allegation was not reasonable.
Justices overturn ruling to pay contractor after bank acquired business
The Indiana Supreme Court on Thursday struck down lower court rulings in favor of an unpaid contractor that performed work for a South Bend business, finding that because the business’s assets are now owned by a bank rather than the prior company, the new bank-owned business is not liable for the bill.
Justices decline to shield COVID-19 stimulus checks from creditors
The Indiana Supreme Court has denied a petition from several legal aid providers and social service organizations asking the justices to protect the latest round of stimulus checks from being scooped up by debt collectors.
7th Circuit vacates judgment for debt collector lack of jurisdiction
A woman who claimed “stress and confusion” as injuries after she was contacted by a debt collector without her permission could not convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that the company had violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
ABA urges key reforms on student loan debt
In an effort to address the crushing weight posed by student loan debt, the American Bar Association House of Delegates adopted a resolution penned by a group of young lawyers during its midyear meeting last week. The resolution urges programs to assist law school graduates and law students experiencing financial hardship due to their student loan debt.
7th Circuit affirms dismissal of debt collection challenge for lack of injury
Though an Indiana woman defeated a debt collector’s claim for arbitration, her lawsuit challenging the creditor’s debt collection practices lacks standing, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed, dismissing the case that previously had been remanded to the Southern District.
SCOTUS rules for Chicago in vehicle impound case
The Supreme Court says that when a person’s car has been impounded and they file for bankruptcy, the car does not have to be immediately returned, upholding the practice in Chicago in an 8-0 decision.
New Indiana case code tracking evictions as data shows impact of moratoriums
A new code in Indiana’s case numbering system is enabling the courts, state agencies and other entities to track and tally the petitions filed for evictions. But fresh data tracking trends nationwide shows evictions in Indiana are far surpassing numbers of other states being studied.