John Gear Law Office & Salem Consumer Law    503-569-7777
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  • Useful links
No Veteran Should Be Without a Place to Call Home
Free Help for Homeless Veterans Dial 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838) for 24/7 access to VA services for homeless and at-risk Veterans
Homeless Veteran Chat Confidential, 24/7 online support for homeless Veterans and friends

https://www.va.gov/homeless for more information


Are You a Veteran in Crisis or Concerned About One? Did you know that VA offers same day services in Primary Care and Mental Health at 172 VA Medical Centers across the country?
Make the Connection Resource Locator


Contact the Veterans Crisis Line 
(1-800-273-8255 and press 1, Chat, or Text 838255.)


OREGON Foreclosure Help Website

Foreclosure Help:  New in 2012

  • Elder Abuse & Neglect Reporting website

  • Oregon DHS Family Caregiver Handbook
    (pdf, new in September 2013)


  • Oregon Hospice Association - Many useful links

  • Aging and Disability Resources Connection of Oregon (ADRCofOregon.org) or phone 1-855-673-2372

  • Compassion & Choices of Oregon
  • https://www.compassionandchoices.org/what-you-can-do/in-your-state/oregon/

  • AARP Reverse Mortgages Website

  • Northwest Senior Disability Services (NWSDS)  “Gatekeeper” program offers training on how to recognize changes in behavior patterns and a “hotline” to call if you think you observe these changes. If you call, NWSDS will send someone to the home to investigate.
     NWSDS services the following counties: Clatsop, Marion, Polk, Tillamook, and Yamhill. To make a referral, call 1-800-206-4799. 


  • Making Financial Decisions as You Age: Planning for Diminished Capacity (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, June 2015)
  • https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0093-annual-report-request-form.pdf   -- USE THIS PAPER FORM TO REQUEST YOUR ANNUAL FREE CREDIT REPORTS BY US MAIL -- DO NOT REQUEST THEM ONLINE OR YOU WILL BE SNAGGED BY AN ARBITRATION AGREEMENT. SEND THE FORM TO THE ADDRESS(ES) SHOWN ON THE FORM.

  • Class action lawsuit database (including suits where claims are still open)

    • National Association of Consumer Advocates
  • Know your Rights When You Owe a Debt (NACA pdf brochure)

  • Facing Foreclosure?   Know Your Rights! (NACA pdf brochure)
      • National Consumer Law Center (NCLC)
      • Student Loan Borrower Assistance
  • Consumerist blog

    OregonLawHelp.org
    -- great site for help with many kinds of consumer law problems

    Oregon Housing Counselors (if you need help paying your mortgage)

    http://www.oregonhomeownersupport.gov/
    Foreclosure Information and Resources If you’re looking for ways to save your home, or struggling to make your mortgage payment, you don’t have to face it alone. Free home foreclosure help is available to homeowners statewide. A certified foreclosure counselor can help you understand your options – and see what’s possible. Visit the Counseling page to learn more, including how to find a counselor in your area. Or, browse the site on your own to learn about sate programs, federal programs, Oregon’s Foreclosure Avoidance Program, and Frequently Asked Questions on common housing issues.
  • OregonConsumer.Org Fraud Website
  • Auto Loans or Other Consumer Loan Complaints (other than mortgage and student loan problems)

        Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

    Auto Dealer Complaints    FTC Complaint Assistant

    Bank Account or Bank-Related Service Complaints
    Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)


    Credit Card Complaints
    Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

    Mortgage Complaints
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

  • Office of Mortgage Settlement Oversight to report client problems related to the 2012 Attorney Generals settlement with large bank servicers (Ally, Bank of America, Citibank, JP Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo). Note that this form is only for advocates acting on behalf of clients.
Student Loan Complaints
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

Other Consumer Fraud & Scams
  • Federal Trade Commission Portal includes links for general consumer complaints, military service members’ consumer problems, and cross-border complaints. (Complaints are entered into a secure online database used by civil and criminal law enforcement agencies.)

  • consumer.ftc.gov — the new URL for consumer resources from the FTC, the nation’s consumer protection agency.

  • Consumer Complaints in Oregon: 
    OR Attorney General Office Consumer Protection & Financial Fraud Section

  • OregonConsumer.gov - Top 10 Tips to Avoid Being Ripped Off



  • Nonprofit Association of Oregon

  • Center for Nonprofit Stewardship (formerly Financial Stewardship Resources, Inc.)

  • BoardSource

  • Nonprofit Risk Management Center


  • Challenging Garnishments

  • Oregon Judicial Department Self-Help pages

    • OregonLaws.Org (best state statutes site)
    • OregonLawHelp.org -- free site devoted to providing good legal information to Oregonians on many helpful everyday law problem topics
       
  • 211info.org:  8 am - 6 pm Monday-Friday.  Services in over 150 languages on health care, energy assistance, elder care, counseling resources, employment, emergency food and shelter, disability support & advocacy.  211info provides free guidance to people in need by opening doors to nonprofit and public services that can help. Similar to 911 and 411, anyone can dial 211 from their phone, toll-free or they visit 211info.org. We connect people to more than 4,500 Oregon and SW Washington programs across 1,200 areas of need.
     

  • Oregon Family Support Network: 
    OFSN was founded in 1991 to address the overwhelming need to assist families with navigating the complex maze to access resources and support at the federal, state and local community levels for children and adolescents with special needs (behavioral, emotional, mental, physical, etc.).  OFSN staff and volunteers are working together to build and maintain a critical support network across the state of Oregon and beyond.  Getting the right help at the right time can make all the difference in the world to a family and those whose lives they touch.  There are many ways to support this organization and now is a great time.  Contact
    ofsn@ofsn.orgfor more information.
Even more lawyerly fine print:  All links on this page are individually selected by Oregon attorney John Gear as worthwhile for the listed topics, and are provided without fee from or notice to the listed groups or agencies.  However, because the websites given are from independent agencies and organizations, John Gear Law Office assumes no responsibility for content of the listed sites, now or in the future.  I would be grateful if you let me know if any of the links are broken or are returning inappropriate or objectionable content.
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LAWYERLY FINE PRINT:

John Gear Law Office LLC and Salem Consumer Law.  John Gear Law Office is in Suite 208B of the Security Building in downtown Salem at 161 High St. SE, across from the Elsinore Theater, a half-block south of Marion County Courthouse, just south of State Street. There is abundant, free 3-hour on-street parking throughout downtown Salem, and three multi-story parking ramps that offer free customer parking in downtown Salem too.

Our attorneys are only licensed to practice law in Oregon. This site may be considered advertising under Oregon State Bar rules. There is no legal advice on this site so you should not interpret anything you read here as intended for your particular situation. Besides, we are not representing you and we are not your attorneys unless you have hired us by entering into a representation agreement with me. While we do want you to consider us when you seek an attorney, you should not hire any attorney based on brochures, websites, advertising, or other promotional materials.  All original content on this site is Copyright John Gear, 2010-2022.