Time to End VERY Special Privileges for the "Invisible Bankers" (insurance companies)
If there's one thing that every Oregonian can agree on, it's that there should be no one above the law.
But, unique to Oregon, we have a whole industry that has a special privilege given to no one else: Complete exemption from the rules against unlawful and deceptive trade practices.
And this isn't some little tiny industry that no one ever has to deal with. This is the biggest gorilla there is in Oregon, the behemoth that makes the big banks look like little corner grocery stores: the insurance industry.
This is the industry that supported laws making their products mandatory, and while they were at it, they bought themselves a sweet deal decades ago: Complete and total exemption from the consumer protection laws.
It's long past time that we brought them back into the fold and make them answerable to their customers for their abuses. Please, call, write, and email (all three if you can) to your senator and representative and tell Salem to End Special Privileges for Insurance Companies by passing HB 3160.
But, unique to Oregon, we have a whole industry that has a special privilege given to no one else: Complete exemption from the rules against unlawful and deceptive trade practices.
And this isn't some little tiny industry that no one ever has to deal with. This is the biggest gorilla there is in Oregon, the behemoth that makes the big banks look like little corner grocery stores: the insurance industry.
This is the industry that supported laws making their products mandatory, and while they were at it, they bought themselves a sweet deal decades ago: Complete and total exemption from the consumer protection laws.
It's long past time that we brought them back into the fold and make them answerable to their customers for their abuses. Please, call, write, and email (all three if you can) to your senator and representative and tell Salem to End Special Privileges for Insurance Companies by passing HB 3160.
Urgent call to support reforms to help stop abuses by debt-buyers
Debt buyers are hammering Oregonians with more and more wrongful debt collection lawsuits than ever. The debt buying industry takes advantage of Oregon's lax rules and regulations to run roughshod over consumer rights.
Last year the largest debt buyers sued more than 32,000 Oregonians. As told in a Willamette Week cover story, one firm in Eugene filed so many suits that it amounted to one for every 15 minutes Oregon courts were open in 2010. The sheer volume of lawsuits combined with the scant evidence and questionable quality of the data has lead many to call this tsunami of suits "Robo-Signing 2.0," referring to all the fraudulent foreclosure papers lenders have filed ("Robo-Signing 1.0").
A bill before the Oregon Legislature, HB 2826, addresses the problems. This common-sense bill simply requires that a debt buyer must include basic proof in their suit about who owes, how much, and for how long.
I’m asking every Oregonian interested in fairness and justice to contact their legislator today to voice support for HB 2826. Remember --- a lot of the big debt buyers are out-of-state entities that scoop up millions of alleged debts for pennies, and they don't bother getting their facts straight before filing suit and clogging the courts. These thousands of suits shotgunned through the courts lead to debtors getting defaulted and garnished for debts that, in many cases, they didn't even owe in the first place, or were paid off previously. You shouldn't have to take time off work or school to hire an attorney to do what the debt buyer ought to do before filing a suit.
- Contact your legislator. Click here to find yours!
- Sign on to the letter from consumers who had to deal with a debt buyer lawsuit. Click here
Last year the largest debt buyers sued more than 32,000 Oregonians. As told in a Willamette Week cover story, one firm in Eugene filed so many suits that it amounted to one for every 15 minutes Oregon courts were open in 2010. The sheer volume of lawsuits combined with the scant evidence and questionable quality of the data has lead many to call this tsunami of suits "Robo-Signing 2.0," referring to all the fraudulent foreclosure papers lenders have filed ("Robo-Signing 1.0").
A bill before the Oregon Legislature, HB 2826, addresses the problems. This common-sense bill simply requires that a debt buyer must include basic proof in their suit about who owes, how much, and for how long.
I’m asking every Oregonian interested in fairness and justice to contact their legislator today to voice support for HB 2826. Remember --- a lot of the big debt buyers are out-of-state entities that scoop up millions of alleged debts for pennies, and they don't bother getting their facts straight before filing suit and clogging the courts. These thousands of suits shotgunned through the courts lead to debtors getting defaulted and garnished for debts that, in many cases, they didn't even owe in the first place, or were paid off previously. You shouldn't have to take time off work or school to hire an attorney to do what the debt buyer ought to do before filing a suit.
- Contact your legislator. Click here to find yours!
- Sign on to the letter from consumers who had to deal with a debt buyer lawsuit. Click here
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Marion-Polk Food Share is in the midst of the largest fundraising campaign in its 24 year history. The “Imagine No Hunger” Sustainer Campaign is working to our goal of 3,000 members of the Sustainer Circle monthly giving society. This is an ambitious goal, but the timing is critical. This year 1 in 5 households in Marion and Polk counties will eat from an emergency food box. At a time when our community’s need is at an all-time high, resources to keep pace are challenged. When we each do a little bit ($5, $10, $25, each month) we can ensure that essential food and programs continue to be available. To get involved, contact Sarah Perryman at sperryman@marionpolkfoodshare.org or 503-581-3855 x320.
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