Other LanguagesSEATTLE – One is seven U.S. homeowners is behind on his or her mortgage. Attorney General Rob McKenna will announce additional efforts to help prevent foreclosures in Washington during a press conference Thursday in Seattle. Joining him will be representatives from local nonprofit and legal programs working to assist homeowners.
Consumer protection bills alive, too; property rights bills die without a hearing
OLYMPIA — Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna’s law enforcement bills have survived the first major hurdle of the 2010 legislative process.
SEATTLE – Washington consumers filed more complaints about collection agencies with the Attorney General’s Office in 2009 than any other industry. Gripes about collection agencies have been rising in recent years but it took a single complaint to ultimately move the industry into pole position and bump telecommunications, which previously held the top spot for at least a decade.
SEATTLE – A New York-based organization that offers face-to-face charitable solicitors for hire entered into an agreement last week with the Washington Attorney General’s Office concerning its business practices.
OLYMPIA — Families who have lost their homes due to an inability to pay their property taxes are being targeted by individuals who want to take the little money they have left after the foreclosure sale. Legislation proposed by the Attorney General’s Office aims to protect these families from scammers and help them keep as much of their money as possible.
General Tobacco products can no longer be sold in Washington or 15 other states. The Washington Attorney General’s Office said the company has not made the required payments under the Master Settlement Agreement. Retailers must remove products from their shelves after Feb. 19.
OLYMPIA – A group of state attorneys general and banking regulators predict a devastating acceleration of foreclosures unless policy makers step up efforts to assist homeowners. The State Foreclosure Prevention Working Group issued a report Wednesday that cited disturbing trends including a rising tide of delinquent mortgages outpacing servicer outreach and loss-mitigation efforts. The report also offered recommendations for action.
OLYMPIA – Puget Sound Energy customers can comment on the company’s proposed electric and gas rate increases during a public hearing next week in Olympia. This is PSE’s first rate case following the sale of the utility to the Macquarie investor consortium which was approved by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) in December 2008.
SEATTLE – An Everett-based collection agency agreed not to harass, threaten or cuss at consumers as part of a settlement with the Attorney General’s Office.
SEATTLE – While marketing a drug to lower cholesterol, attorneys general say pharmaceutical giants Abbott and Fournier fattened their wallets by clogging the pathway for cheaper generics to be sold.