Debt Deception: How Debt Buyers Abuse the Legal System
May 28, 2010
New report from colaition partners at NEDAP, Legal Aid Society, MFY Legal Services and Urban Justice Center calls for key reforms and resources for legal representation. Read More

New Yorkers for Responsible Lending Announce 2010 Reform Platform
April 15, 2010
150 groups, including Empire Justice Center, call on Albany lawmakers to prohibit abusive debt collection and strengthen New York’s foreclosure prevention laws. Read More

Exempt Income Protection Act Update: Government Entities Excluded and Compliance
August 13, 2009
The Exempt Income Protection Act (“EIPA”), which went into effect January 1, 2009, ensures safety-net income is available in bank accounts after a restraining notice for the collection of a judgment debt reaches the account. Read More

Empire Justice Proposes New Legislation to Protect Seniors from Zombie Debt
December 1, 2008
Seniors are particularly vulnerable to credit card debt. Their strong ethic of paying what they are told that they owe is precisely what the credit card companies exploit. Read More

New Protection Against the Garnishment of Exempt Funds
August 1, 2008
Advocates across the state are pleased that the legislature has passed the Exempt Income Protection Act (“EIPA”), which will sharply limit judgment creditors’ ability to restrain bank accounts containing directly deposited Social Security and other exempt funds Read More

Are Bank Freezes Thawing?
December 1, 2007
Seizures of exempt funds in bank accounts continue to be in the news. Both Tanya Douglas and Johnson Tyler of South Brooklyn Legal Services appeared on the CBS evening news last month, recounting the plights of clients who have had their accounts illegally frozen. Read More

Bank Freeze Problems Attract Attention
June 1, 2007
Despite the protections afforded to recipients of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits by 42 U.S.C. §407 exempting benefits from creditors, advocates hear countless stories from clients whose bank accounts have been seized or frozen. The plight of these clients and the dubious actions taken by their creditors and banks are finally receiving some well-deserved scrutiny. Read More