The North Carolina Attorney General, in conjunction with the North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks, filed suit against an out-of-state online lender that charged North Carolina consumers interest rates of over 300 percent on short-term loans. On December 16, 2013, the N.C. Attorney General and Commissioner of Banks […]
Wrongful Death Trail Verdict Against DHHS Affirmed
In this State Tort Claims Act case against DHHS, Martin & Jones proved that the negligence and wrongful conduct of employees and agents of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) caused the wrongful death of a gentleman who went to a state-operated alcohol and drug abuse […]
DOJ Reaches $13 Billion Settlement with J.P. Morgan Chase
J.P. Morgan Chase and the U.S. Department of Justice have reached a tentative $13 billion settlement over the bank’s mortgage practices during the lead-up to the financial crisis. If finalized, it would be a record penalty and would resolve an array of state and federal investigations into the bank’s sale […]
Chase Ordered to Refund $309 Million
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) ordered Chase Bank USA, NA and J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, NA to refund roughly $309 million to some 2.1 million customers for illegal credit card practices. CFPB and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) found that Chase engaged in unfair billing […]
CFPB Warns Employers About Use of Payroll Cards
On September 12, 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) published a bulletin reminding employers that they may not require employees to receive wages on a payroll card. The bulletin also explains some of the federal consumer protections that apply to payroll cards, such as fee disclosure, access to account […]
CFPB Finalizes Amendments to Mortgage Rules
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) recently finalized several amendments and clarifications to the mortgage rules, proposed on June 24, 2013. The key changes include the following: Mortgage Servicing The amendments include a process for servicers to offer short-term forbearance plans to delinquent borrowers, without completing the full loss-mitigation evaluation […]
Confidential Settlement Reached in Wrongful Conviction Case
The City of Council Bluffs, Iowa this week settled a lawsuit brought by two men who were wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for 25 years. The lawsuit, brought by Terry Harrington and Curtis McGhee, was scheduled for retrial this week. The original trial ended in mistrial in December 2012 after jurors […]
Mobile Lab and X-Ray Provider to Pay $17.5 Million for Fraudulent Claims
Diagnostic Laboratories and Radiology (“Diagnostic Labs”) will pay $17.5 million to settle claims that the California-based company violated the federal and California False Claims Acts by paying kickbacks for referral of mobile lab and radiology services that were thereafter billed to Medicare and Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program). Diagnostic Labs reportedly […]
CFPB Resolves Debt Settlement Enforcement Action
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) announced an enforcement action against Meracord, LLC, a debt settlement payment processor, for helping other entities collect millions of dollars in illegal upfront fees from consumers. The CFPB has asked a federal court to approve a consent order that would require Meracord and its […]
Bank of America Goes to Trial on Mortgage Fraud Charges
Jury selection began on October 1, 2013 in the government’s first financial crisis case to go to trial against a major bank over defective mortgages. The case involves claims that Bank of America’s Countrywide unit approved deficient home loans in a process called “Hustle,” defrauding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, […]