A state by state directory of consumer protection laws

These 23 states have their own consumer protection laws

If you are a resident of one of these 23 states who have their own consumer protection laws then you should use your state laws in working with the CREDITWRENCH program.

Are you in one of these states? If so then the state FDCPA applies to the Creditor as well. These states make no distinction between Creditor and Collection Agency.

The following 23 states include creditors and collection agencies in their state consumer protection laws:
Arkansas,
California, Cal. CIVIL CODE SECTION 1788-1788.3   Army JAG comments   Cal code finder   Penal Code Section 518-527
Colorado,
Connecticut,
District of Columbia
Florida,
Iowa,
Kansas,
Louisiana, Collection Agency Regulation Act ("CARA"), LSA-R.S. 9:3576.1 et seq.,
Maine, Maine Statutes   Title 9 Maine Consumer credit code   CHECK THIS OUT!
Maryland,
Massachusetts, License laws
Michigan,
New Hampshire,
New York,
North Carolina,
Oregon,Oregon Bar Assn
Pennsylvania,
South Carolina   Code of Laws Listed by Title Number   Attorney comments
Texas, Texas law
Vermont,

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Arizona Collection Laws

Collection Agency Laws & Licensing Requirements

CHAPTER 9 - COLLECTION AGENCIES
Collection agencies must comply with Arizona's licensing requirements prescribed under Title 32, Chapter 9, Article 1 Sec. 32-1001, et seq., of the Arizona Revised Statutes.

Requirements:
Submission of an application and financial statement, an application fee of $1,500, See ARS 6-126 [Collection Agency Application Fee of $1,500.00]

Highlighted 6-126 - Application fees for financial institutions and enterprises
Highlighted 6-126; Version 2 - Application fees for financial institutions and enterprises
Highlighted 36-2987 - Reimbursement for programs
Highlighted 36-2948 - Prohibited collection practices 
Highlighted 32-2430 - Exemptions 
Highlighted 11-297.02 - Claims against county for medical care; liability
Highlighted 36-2903.01 - Additional powers and duties; violation; classification 

CHAPTER 6 - DEBT MANAGEMENT COMPANIES

The major laws that govern financial institutions and protect individuals in their financial dealings are:

• Consumer Credit Protection Act It is the purpose of this title to assure a meaningful disclosure of credit terms so that the consumer will be able to compare more readily the various credit terms available to him and avoid the uninformed use of credit, and to protect the consumer against inaccurate and unfair credit billing and credit card practices.

• Truth in Lending Act Consumer Credit Costs Disclosures, requires a lender to tell you how much it will cost to borrow money so that you can compare the terms of credit offered by different lenders.

• Fair Credit and Charge Card Disclosure Act requires a lender offering you a credit card to tell you the annual percentage rate (APR), the amount of any annual fee, and whether you have a grace period to pay your bill before a finance charge is added.

• Fair Credit Reporting Act controls how your credit history (how you pay your bills) is kept by credit bureaus and used by lenders.

• Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits lenders from discriminating against you in a credit transaction on the basis of certain personal characteristics such as race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, because you receive public assistance or because you’ve exercised your rights under the Consumer Credit Protection Act.

• Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lays out the rules a debt collector must follow when trying to collect a debt from a consumer.

• Home Equity Loan Consumer Protection Act requires a lender to give you complete information about the home equity loan plan it offers—first when you receive an application and again before you first use the line of credit.

• The Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act requires disclosures and imposes substantive limitations on mortgage transactions having rates or fees above a certain percentage or amount. It also requires disclosures about the potential costs for reverse mortgages.

• Fair Housing Act prohibits lenders from discriminating against you in real estate mortgage or home improvement loans on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, or handicap.

• Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act states that lenders must give purchasers information about the costs required to close a mortgage loan. It also protects consumers from unnecessarily high real estate settlement costs by prohibiting certain business practices. This applies when you take out or refinance a loan secured by real estate such as a mortgage loan or a home equity loan.

• Fair Credit Billing Act requires that a lender promptly correct a mistake on your credit card bill.

• Truth in Savings Act requires lenders to disclose the terms of their deposit accounts in a uniform way.

• Consumer Leasing Act requires the costs and the terms of a consumer lease, such as a lease for a car or for furniture, be outlined to you so that you can compare the cost of leasing.

Comptroller of the Currency
Office of the Ombudsman
Customer Assistance Unit
1301 McKinney Street
Suite 3710
Houston, TX 77010
1 (800) 613-6743
    (regulates banks with national in the name or N.A. after the name)

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Compliance and Consumer Affairs
550 17th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20429
(202) 942-3100 or 1 (800) 934-3342
    (regulates state chartered banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System)

Office of Thrift Supervision
Consumer Programs
1700 G Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20552
(202) 906-6237 or 1 (800) 842-6929
    (regulates federal savings and loans and federal savings banks)

National Credit Union Administration
Office of Public and Congressional Affairs
1775 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-3428
(703) 518-6330
    (regulates federally chartered credit unions)

Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center
6th and Pennsylvania, N.W.
Washington, DC 20580
877-FTC-HELP – toll free (877-382-4357)
    (regulates finance companies, stores, auto dealers, mortgage companies, and credit
    bureaus)