Court Rulings Force Debt Collectors to Revisit Validation Language

Most consumer advocates and collectors agree that the validation language required by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is stilted and obscure. However, the validation notice is a foundational document of the debt collection process.

Two recent cases in different Federal Courts of Appeal — with different results — examined questions about the wording of specific validation notices and have caused concern for collectors about the language used.

Attorneys John Rossman and Mike Poncin examine these recent rulings in the latest episode of ARM legal podcast The Debt Collection Drill. They also provide tips and specific language to use for validation notices in debt collection letters.

Listen to the 11-minute episode below:

FDCPA Victories Finally Limit “Least Sophisticated Consumer” Standard

(If you can’t see the audio player above, please visit http://traffic.libsyn.com/thedrill/TDCD_ep36.mp3 to listen to the podcast)

Cases discussed in this podcast:

• Clark et al. v. Absolute Collection Service
• Gruber v. Creditors’ Protection Service