Unforgiven
The Transformation of Consumer Debt
The way lenders and collectors pursue consumer debt has undergone an aggressive transformation in America. Collectors today don’t give up easy, often pursuing debts for years. For many people, these changes have profoundly affected their lives.
In Nebraska, New Bill Proposes Protections Against Rampant Debt Collection
Bill seeks to block collectors from cleaning out debtors’ bank accounts over medical debts of a few hundred dollars.
In Major Settlement, States Gang Up to Strike Deal with Soldier-Suing Company
The Virginia-based company was the focus of a 2014 ProPublica investigation of its lending and collection practices.
Company That Sued Soldiers Settles Colorado Lawsuit
The Virginia-based company was the focus of a 2014 ProPublica investigation of its lending and collection practices.
In Bill, Lawmakers Propose New Limits for Seizing Workers’ Pay Over Old Debts
Last week, two lawmakers introduced a bill to put new limits on what debt collectors can take from debtors’ paychecks and bank accounts. It is the first legislation to address the issue in decades and follows a series of ProPublica stories about the widespread practice of garnishment.
Nonprofit Hospital Stops Suing So Many Poor Patients: Will Others Follow?
A story by ProPublica and NPR and a Senate investigation prompt a Missouri nonprofit hospital to change its policies and forgive thousands of patients’ debts. But without similar scrutiny, it’s unclear if other hospitals that sue the poor will change.
So Sue Them: What We’ve Learned About the Debt Collection Lawsuit Machine
ProPublica spent years gathering data to shed light on how debt collectors use the courts. Today, we run through the most important lessons we learned about a tactic that affects millions.
For Nebraska’s Poor, Get Sick and Get Sued
Cheap court fees and looser rules make suing over medical debts as small as $60 easy. Every year Nebraska collection agencies file lawsuits by the tens of thousands.
Why Small Debts Matter So Much To Black Lives
Due to the racial wealth gap, black families have far less in savings than whites. The consequences can be far-reaching and often severe.
At Capital One, Easy Credit and Abundant Lawsuits
A ProPublica analysis of state court filings reveals that Capital One sues its customers far more than any other bank.
To Address Race Gap, Missouri AG Pushes Debt Collection Fixes
Citing ProPublica’s reporting, Missouri’s attorney general proposed reforms to the state court rules to address the prevalence of debt collection suits in black neighborhoods.
What Can Be Done Right Now to Fix the Legal System for Debt Collection
America’s out-of-date, unfair laws for collecting debts could be dramatically improved by these simple steps.
The Color of Debt: How Collection Suits Squeeze Black Neighborhoods
In a first-of-its-kind analysis, ProPublica reveals that the suits are far more common in black communities than white ones.
The Color of Debt
The black neighborhoods where collection suits hit hardest
How We Analyzed Racial Disparity in Debt Collection Lawsuits
An explanation of how we analyzed whether debt collection lawsuits disproportionately impact black communities.
Company That Sued Soldiers Closes Its Stores
After a ProPublica investigation of USA Discounters’ lending practices last summer, a barrage of lawsuits, regulatory inquiries and changes to Defense Department policies followed.
Senator to Hospitals: Stop Suing Poor Patients
Prompted by an investigation by ProPublica and NPR, Sen. Charles Grassley asks a Missouri nonprofit hospital to explain why it seizes the wages of thousands of its patients.
For Nonprofit Hospitals Who Sue Patients, New Rules
Nonprofit hospitals get big tax breaks for providing care for patients who can't afford it. Under new IRS rules these hospitals must take extra steps to inform poor patients they may qualify for financial assistance.
Feds Bar Companies’ Long-Distance Lawsuits Against Soldiers
In the latest move against companies targeting military customers, federal regulators prohibit two Virginia-based lenders from suing out-of-state debtors in Virginia courts. The companies were featured in a ProPublica story in July.
In Alabama, A Public Hospital Serves the Poor — with Lawsuits
Public hospitals can be among the most aggressive in collecting debts from poor patients, not only garnishing their wages, but cleaning out their bank accounts. “It makes me sick,” said one legal aid attorney.
From the E.R. to the Courtroom: How Nonprofit Hospitals Are Seizing Patients' Wages
One Missouri hospital has sued thousands of uninsured patients who couldn't pay for their care, then grabbed a hefty portion of their paychecks to cover the bills. "We will be paying them off until we die," one debtor said.
