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Welcome to our February Newsletter! We hope you, your family and friends are staying safe and healthy and we are so thankful to be welcoming 2021!

We continue to conduct all work remotely and we are doing consultations and meetings by phone and Zoom. Interestingly, many people really like the ease of remote conferencing, and don't miss the in-person consultations. Who would have thought it?

This newsletter and our website are full of information and tips on how to protect yourself in the constantly changing world of privacy and consumer finance. If you find them useful, we hope you will share this newsletter with friends and family! We are here to help you navigate issues that might begin as financial, but quickly evolve into a legal challenge. For over twenty five years we have helped people facing identity theft, abusive debt collectors, consumer protection, credit reporting errors, wrongful foreclosure, student debt collection and car repossessions.
Peter Holland is with Richard Meade, Treasurer of Sharing Foundation, donating the toys in early December.
Successful Toy Drive!
The Holland Law Firm helped with the Sharing Foundation's Santa's Share Your Christmas program. We were able to fill the barrel and donate over 45 toys to help them during the pandemic which made it difficult to collect the toys at their sites around the county. Thank you to all who helped us with your generous donations!
In Celebration of Black History Month
Some Pandemic Aid to Consumers Soaked up by Pay Day Lenders

My Car was Illegally Repossessed!
You walk out of your appointment, and over to where you parked your car: it's gone. Your mind reels, you call your spouse or friend to say you are stranded without a car.

It could take weeks or months to solve this. You don't have that kind of time. You have a life and places to be even during a pandemic.

We have represented clients that had their car wrongfully repossessed and it impacts everything from getting kids to school, to going to work, to buying groceries.

We can help when someone is faced with a repossession "deficiency balance" - the difference between the amount owed on the loan minus the amount the car was sold for at auction. Frequently, there are strong defenses to these cases because the required Notices were not given or unauthorized costs were added. And in many cases, these defects can mean that the creditor is not entitled to any deficiency balance at all - $0.00.


HOA WORKING AGAINST YOU?
Driving home listening to your favorite song in your playlist, you make the turn into your street, you see the homeowners association (HOA) board member walking away from your door. Your stomach does a flip, you just got the notice about your satellite dish and you feel singled out. There are others who have put up satellite dishes: why does it feel personal?

HOA's, when done correctly, keep the value of your property and help the community maintain a certain level of appearance which most members would support. Sometimes, this balance can be toppled by harassment tactics that are not part of the covenants.

When should you hire a lawyer? If you think you are being harassed and charged fees that you do not owe, it makes sense to seek out a lawyer to review the situation.


WHAT A BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ON CONSUMER RIGHTS MIGHT LOOK LIKE
Twelve executive orders on the first day of the Biden Administration. Certainly, we seem to be pivoting purposefully on a path of reopening our towns, cities and states with many new policies including the most basic of all tactics: wearing a mask and requiring it on federal property.

"There is new blood at the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) with the appointment of Rohit Chopra as the New Head of CFPB, and this means more relief to consumers on the horizon," said Peter Holland.

Peter continues, "We saw four years of stagnation at the CFPB. The hope in the Consumer Rights Community is that the next four years will bring a renewed dedication to CFPB's core mission of making financial markets work better for consumers, and to hold lawbreakers accountable."

What Peter is Reading Now

Bag Man by Rachel Maddow and Michael Yarvitz
Do you have solar panels that are damaging your home? Are you being billed for solar panels that were never installed? We have had clients that experienced both of these issues.

Call us today to see if we can help!

H HOLLAND LAW FIRM: RECENT ACTIVITIES AND BOARD MEMBERSHIPS
Peter Holland is on the board of directors of the National Association of Consumer Advocates. When not practicing law, he enjoys spending time with his wife and four kids, his three dogs, and playing his collection of guitars.

Emanwel Turnbull is on the board of directors of the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition. MCRC has been actively advocating for greater consumer protections during the COVID-19 crisis. Manny also serves on the Maryland Attorney General's COVID-19 Access to Justice Task Force, Consumer Protection Committee and on the Data & Legal Technology Committee.

Both Peter and Manny are members of Law Zebra, a groundbreaking organization of independent trial and consumer rights lawyers who hail from several states across the country.
We Are Here to Help. Call Us!
Do you know someone being hounded by debt collectors for a mortgage, student loan, medical debt, residential lease, car loan, or credit card debt? Do you know someone who is the victim of Identity Theft or Credit Reporting Errors? We can help.


Call us for a confidential consultation at 410-280-6133!
Peter A. Holland
The Holland Law Firm, P.C.
914 Bay Ridge Road, Suite 230
Annapolis, MD 21403
410 280 6133

NOTE: This newsletter may be considered to constitute advertising under Rule 7.2 of the Maryland Code of Professional Conduct and other state rules. Peter Holland is responsible for the content.