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September 2022 WHEN COLLECTIONS GO TOO FAR … Know Your Legal Rights!
Did you know that millions of Americans have debt in collections? Anyone who has ever dealt with a collection agency can attest that it’s no fun. Luckily, there are laws that limit what collection agencies can and cannot do. Step 1: Know your FDCPA rights. If you ever fall behind on paying your mortgage, credit card debt, medical debt, student loans, or auto loans, it’s important to know your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Especially for individuals, FDCPA covers all kinds of debt — but specifically targets third-party debt collectors such as collection agencies, debt buyers, and lawyers who practice debt collection as part of their business.
provided to them in your calls, emails, or other communication will be used in their efforts to collect the debt.
When, where, and who can contact you to collect your debt? There are some limitations, such as:
There are even more restrictions on who they can call, so make sure to research for yourself if your loved ones begin receiving calls from your debtor. Step 2: Consider hiring an attorney. You may want an attorney as soon as you can, so you can receive the best guidance possible. A lawyer will be your advocate when collectors engage in harassment or communication that is abusive, threatening, or deceptive. What is harassment? It includes using profane language; threatening bodily harm; misrepresenting what you owe; making false claims that you could be arrested; threatening your property; making repeated attempts to contact you or calling you anonymously; or, as mentioned earlier, failing to state debt and creditor information on the call as required by FDCPA. Step 3: Report any violations to the FTC. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has an online website for reporting FDCPA violations, but your attorney can help with this as well. Take a look at FTCComplaintAssistant.com .
• Time. Debt collectors are only allowed to call you between 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in your local time zone. Any calls outside these hours are an FDCPA violation. • Place. You may be contacted by phone, mail, fax, or email; however, collectors can’t contact you in “unusual places,” such as hospitals, schools, or restaurants. Although they can call your home or office, you have the right to tell them not to contact you at your workplace. • Legal representation. If you have an attorney — and a debt collector knows this — they aren’t allowed to contact you. They must contact your attorney instead. If you are called by a debt collector while you have legal representation, make sure to give them your attorney’s information. When a debt collector calls, they should identify themselves as a debt collector. Afterwards, they’re required to state the amount owed, that you can dispute the debt, and that you can request the name and address of the original creditor (if different from the current creditor). They should also tell you that any information
We hope this helps our readers to stay safe from abusive collectors. Although debt can make us feel vulnerable, never forget that you do have rights. –Josh Green
Please call us at 801-405-7827 to see how we can help you!
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The Origin of Pirate Talk ‘Ahoy, Matey!’
Our best guess? Many scholars suspect that English-speaking Golden Age pirates must have spoken exactly the same as English- speaking merchant sailors of the time. After all, large numbers in both groups tended to be from riverfront neighborhoods around London. How Disney Started It All Modern “pirate speak” can actually be traced back to a single movie: the live-action Disney movie of the 1950s, “Treasure Island,” starring Robert Newton as fictional pirate Long John Silver. Woodard explained, “Newton’s performance — full of ‘arrs,’ ‘shiver me timbers,’ and references to ‘landlubbers’ — not only stole the show, but it also permanently shaped pop culture’s vision of how pirates looked, acted, and spoke.” After that movie, “Newtonesque” pirates were seen everywhere, from Captain Hook to Captain McCallister of “The Simpsons.” Still, there is a little truth in some pirate phrases. Not unlike the Canadian “eh,” “arr” was an affirmation in the English West Country during the early 20th century. Some phrases, such as “me hearties,” were simply universal 18th-century nautical terms. Although “pirate speak” today is mostly Hollywood magic, it’s still fun! Give it a try this September, and we’re sure it’ll make you smile — even if the true pirate dialect is much more mysterious.
Talk Like a Pirate Day on Sept. 19 has been a favorite silly holiday since it was created in 1995. But
while it’s an opportunity for vloggers, radio hosts, and everyday people alike to let loose with a few hearty shouts of “arrrr,” the holiday certainly
raises a couple of questions …
Did pirates really talk like that? And why do we think they do?
The truth is that nobody really knows what a typical Caribbean pirate sounded
LIFE CAN BE UNPREDICTABLE Preserving the Balance of Work and Family Life Workers shouldn’t have to choose between the job they need and the family members they love. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was created to allow employees to take reasonable unpaid leave for a particular family or medical reason so they can maintain a work/life balance. What does it provide? The FMLA provides eligible employees up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave a year with the requirement of group health benefits to be maintained during the leave as if employees were continuing to work. They are also entitled to resume their same or equivalent job at the end of their FMLA leave. Who is eligible for FMLA? FMLA applies to all public agencies, all public and private elementary and secondary schools, and companies with 50 or more employees. Employees can be eligible for FMLA if they have worked for their employer for at least 12 months, worked at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months, and work at a location that employs 50 or more employees within 75 miles. When can I use FMLA leave? An eligible employee can be granted up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for the following reason(s): like. Historian Colin Woodard, author of “The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down,” told National Geographic, “There isn’t much in the way of scientific evidence in regards to pirate speech.” No audio recordings of pirate speech exist, and most witnesses have only written down small sets of quotes from pirates. Pirates didn’t really write, either. There’s “almost nothing written by pirates themselves, with the exception of educated people who ‘went pirate’ and, therefore, probably didn’t exhibit pirate speech patterns,” Woodard said.
• Birth of and/or bonding with a newborn child • The placement of a child for adoption or foster care with the employee • To care for an immediate family member with a serious condition (child, spouse, or parent, but does not include parent in-laws) • To take medical leave when the employee is unable to work due to a serious health condition • For qualifying exigencies arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, child, or parent is on covered active duty or call to covered active-duty status as a member of the National Guard, Reserves, or Regular Armed Forces The FMLA exists so employees can tend to their families without worrying about their job, allowing them to provide the best care for their loved ones. For more information regarding whether or not your company is eligible for FMLA, check out your local government agency for more details.
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THIS BELGIAN MALINOIS NEEDS A CAPE
Eva’s Stand-Off With a Mountain Lion
A commonly uttered phrase among dog lovers is that we don’t deserve them. This comes from the fact that dogs often give their all to protect their owners, even if that means putting their own lives at risk. Dogs seem to be instinctively wired to protect their humans — and it’s more proof they really are our best friends. In May 2022, Erin Wilson pulled off at a roadside picnic area and headed down a path toward the Trinity River in California with her Belgian Malinois, Eva. As Wilson walked down the slope, the dog ran ahead. Suddenly, Wilson turned around and realized she was being cornered by a mountain lion. These attacks are incredibly rare due to the mountain lion’s reclusive and shy nature. In fact, since 1890, California has recorded only six fatal mountain lion attacks. However, recent drought conditions have made food scarce in some areas. Their preferred prey is deer, but these conditions probably made the sudden appearance of a slender woman look like an attractive option.
The mountain lion growled and took a swipe at Wilson’s left shoulder. As it lunged at her, Wilson screamed and shouted for Eva. At the distressed call of her owner, the dog came running back to Wilson’s aid. Without hesitation, Eva leapt between Wilson and tackled the wild cat.
During the short tussle, the mountain lion managed to get its jaws around Eva’s head, but Wilson fought to free her dog by throwing rocks in an attempt to break its hold. When that didn’t work, she ran back to her truck and managed to wave down a passing motorist. With their combined efforts — and a crowbar and lots of pepper spray — they were able to scare the mountain lion away. Wilson, though wounded, managed to carry Eva back to her truck and raced her to an animal hospital. Unfortunately, while Eva survived the initial attack, she passed away due to her injuries on June 8, 2022. Wilson said she would do anything for her dog, and that day, Eva proved she had done the same for Wilson.
TAKE A BREAK
NO-FUSS CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP
Inspired by RecipeTinEats.com
Ingredients
• 1/4 tsp pepper • 4 cups chicken broth • 4 cups water • 1 1/4 lbs bone-in, skinless chicken thighs • 1 cup uncooked white rice • Salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 onion, chopped • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 3 carrots, sliced • 3 celery ribs, sliced • 2 chicken bouillon cubes • 1/2 tsp dried parsley
Directions
1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and celery, then sauté for 1 more minute. 2. Add the bouillon, parsley, pepper, chicken broth, and water. Stir, then add the chicken thighs. 3. Cover and simmer on medium-low for 30 minutes, then add the rice. Stir, cover, and simmer for 15 more minutes. 4. Remove the pot from the heat and transfer the chicken to a large bowl. Shred the meat and add it back to the soup. Discard the bones. 5. Stir, salt, and serve!
Apples Bookbag Cider Football
Heritage Honey Labor Literacy
Mushroom Sapphire Supplies Union
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Can Collections Go Too Far?
1
How Did Real Pirates Talk? Your Guide to Family and Medical Leave
2
3
A Dog’s Loyalty Has No Limit No-Fuss Chicken and Rice Soup
Why Did 50 Cent Sue Taco Bell?
4
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BUN LEADS TO LEGAL ACTION The Story of 50 Cent vs. Taco Bell
is Curtis Jackson — filed a federal lawsuit saying they featured the rapper in an ad campaign without his permission and profited directly from his celebrity status without paying him a multimillion-dollar fee. Raymond said his client sought $4 million in damages. In response, Taco Bell Corp. spokesman Rob Poetsch issued a statement saying: “We made a good faith, charitable offer to 50 Cent to change his name to either 79, 89 or 99 Cent for one day by rapping his order at a Taco Bell, and we would have been very pleased to make the $10,000 donation to the charity of his choice.” In the end, both sides settled, keeping the terms of the settlement confidential and paying their own legal fees. So, it’s possible that 50 Cent was paid after all, but we’ll never know the exact terms of their legal agreement, except “both sides are satisfied,” according to Raymond. Since then, more companies have been careful about using celebrity names in their marketing without permission. It pays to think inside the bun, after all.
In 2008, rapper 50 Cent filed an unlikely lawsuit against the fast-food chain Taco Bell. Was it an endorsement deal gone wrong? Quite the opposite. According to the rapper, the company had implied an endorsement deal in the media when there was none. Taco Bell, known for their quirky and humorous ads, had released a print ad formatted as a faux “letter” to 50 Cent, requesting that 50 Cent change his name to 79, 89, or 99 Cent as a part of their latest promotion. The letter reached the national press and even television … except for 50 Cent’s actual mailbox. In fact, 50 Cent had no idea Taco Bell used his name. By releasing the letter, 50 Cent became the face of Taco Bell’s whole campaign, too. The letter was part of a larger hip hop-themed campaign, and customers could go to the Taco Bell website and participate in a “Rap Name Creator” to discover their rap name. They also had a “Why Pay Mo’ Rhyme Generator” that played hip hop music and a montage of “hip hop-themed scenes,” according to the rapper’s lawyer, Peter D. Raymond. As soon as 50 Cent found out about the letter on the news, he wasn’t happy. On July 23, 2008, 50 Cent — whose real name
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