July 2022

What is the Deal with the Statute of Limitations in Maryland?

Peter Holland Explains in Video Below.

Are Credit Repair Companies Legit?

We frequently hear from our clients: I paid a monthly fee to a credit repair company so they would negotiate my credit card debt on my behalf. Then the client contacts us to report that they are being sued for a debt that they thought the credit repair company was handling for them. Read more below in the Holland Law Blog.

Top Three Reasons We are Contacted about Solar Panel Installations:

1- The energy price went way up, not down.

2-The panels were disconnected but I still get monthly bills for "estimated usage."

3- The panels are too heavy for my roof and there are now leaks in my roof.

HLF BLOG: Solar Panel Scams: When to Call a Consumer Protection Attorney

Learn more about Derek Hills, who is Of Counsel to The Holland law Firm. Having been in the construction industry for over 20 years, Derek brings a wealth of knowledge to our clients who are experiencing solar panel issues.

Custody Battle - What Should I do?

Maryland law holds that both natural parents are the natural custodians of their children. The law doesn't favor either the mother or the father. The law looks at the "best interests" of the child when deciding child custody and visitation.

There are many types of custody and understanding what works best in your individual case is important. For example, emergency custody might be appropriate if there is an imminent risk of harm to you and/or the minor child. In this example, a custody hearing can take place quickly after filing a request for such a hearing.

Jessica Russell is a seasoned family law attorney in Maryland and she knows first hand how stressful it can be for a client to navigate the courts in a custody case.

Family Law

Many clients want to know what their rights are and they want answers fast. If you want to find out more about what you can do in your custody case, contact Jessica Russell today

Find out more about Jessica Russell in the video above.

Five Star Google Review

Trisha Kinman

"Jessica Russell is an outstanding attorney with extensive family law knowledge and expertise. She recently helped us through a family law matter, and we could not have been happier with her counsel and the outcome. Throughout the process, Jessica's strong legal expertise, drive, sharp wit, and communication skills made her an absolute pleasure to work with. I trust her completely, and highly recommend her to anyone seeking family law counsel."

Big Uptick in Car Repossessions Partly Due to Hot Resale Car Market

According to the Consumer Price Index, used cars and trucks are up 40% since January 2021 while new cars are up 12%. This is fueling the hot resale market for cars and trucks and perhaps tempting auto lenders and investors that hold loans on these vehicles to seize cars and trucks.

Some of the recent illegal car and truck repossessions that are happening stem from inaccurate record keeping. The consumer has made the payments to prevent the repossession but that is not communicated to a third party servicer and the car is illegally repossessed.

If you think you have experienced an illegal car repossession, we can help you get to the bottom of how this happened and help you get back to your life.

Car Repossessions

Fraudulent Service of Process in Maryland - What Can I Do?

Getting to court can be inconvenient, but can you imagine being summoned to appear in a different country? That is exactly what sometimes happens to consumers who have left the US. In recent months, several people have contacted us with the same problem: they have just found out that an old creditor sued or even got a judgment against them in Maryland while they lived abroad.

New Rule to Combat

Black Box

Denial of Credit

Did you apply for credit recently and you were rejected because of the artificial intelligence algorithm, often called "black box" models, given as the reason? You may have important rights at stake. For example, the Equal Credit and Opportunity Act (ECOA) does not permit creditors from saying that the technology itself prevents them from providing the exact reason a consumer is declined credit.

Bank of America Fined $225 million for Mishandling Unemployment and Insurance Benefits

From the beginning of the pandemic in March of 2020 until mid 2021, Bank of America relied on a faulty fraud detection automation which led to incorrectly and unlawfully freezing prepaid debit card accounts for distribution of government benefits to consumers.

Consumers were left with little recourse against the mistake when they tried to use the prepaid debit cards for much needed unemployment insurance and other government benefits. Bank of America has been fined $225 million by federal agencies for the mishandling of the benefits.

Peter Holland on Get Legally Speaking

Are Credit Repair Companies Legit?

Car Repair Loans- Watch out!

How Should You Respond to Theft of Your Identity?

Insufficient Service of Processing in Maryland- How Should I Respond?

I Just Received a Writ of Summons-

Now What?

Do not ignore the writ of summons. It is the court document that accompanies a complaint that someone files against you. It is your official notification that you are being sued. If you don't respond within the time limits set by the court, it could hurt your ability to answer the complaint and give your side of the story.

If the writ of summons and complaint were served and you do nothing, a judgment could be entered against you, even if you think the person or company is completely wrong about what happened. This is one of those times that ignoring this notice could likely have a direct impact on whether an adverse judgment is entered because you didn't respond in time.

There are legal remedies to remove an adverse or default judgment, but it is not easy. Get in touch with an attorney right away – don’t put it off. We have experience with representing clients when they are being sued for a student loan debt, credit card debt or their identity has been stolen and they just don't owe the debt.

Contact us, we can help!

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.

Now helping clients with Family Law matters and Construction matters!