On December 28, 2018, New York Governor Cuomo signed into law amendments to the state’s General Business Law (GBL) that address the collection of family member debts. The amendments made by Senate Bill 3491A become effective March 29, 2019.
While the legislative history indicates that the amendments are intended to address the collection of a deceased family member’s debts, they are drafted more broadly to prohibit “principal creditors and debt collection agencies” from: (a) making any representation that a person is required to pay the debt of a family member in a way that contravenes the FDCPA; and (b) making any misrepresentation about the family member’s obligation to pay such debts.… Continue Reading