The Windsor woman who embezzled $179,000 from Healdsburg attorney Michael Villa is going to jail for a year, The Press Democrat reports. It turns out April Hale is a serial embezzler who stole from previous employers, as well. Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Dana Simonds aptly said in sentencing Hale: “Something is terribly wrong in your thinking process for you to think this is OK.” Hale kept two sets of books, siphoning off $6,000 a month to her personal accounts. Ms. Hale buried me alive for 42 months while systematically looting my business,” an emotional Villa said in open court. …Read more »
Monthly Archives: February 2011
Sonoma County debtors who take action before crisis save money, stress
SANTA ROSA, CA — I was speaking with Brian Barboza today about folks who come into talk about bankruptcy but then don’t follow up. Six month, nine months later, you get a call — they want to file bankruptcy and right away! That’s a sure sign they got sued or had their wages garnished, or some other crisis. Their bankruptcy filings didn’t have to be an emergency and they could have avoided unnecessary collection calls, credit card payments and the stress of a last-minute filing. Similarly, San Francisco bankruptcy attorney Jeena Cho, in a nice Q&A with the San Francisco …Read more »
Category: Chapter 7 |
Rent payments on your credit report – good for consumers?
SANTA ROSA – The credit bureau Experian is now including positive rental payment data on consumers’ credit reports. And later this year, they’ll include negative data, as well. The credit bureau hails this as a great benefit to consumers, who will be able to build up their credit ratings merely by paying their rent, as the LA Times reports. It’s “one more thing that lenders, landlords, insurance agents and even employers can learn about you,” said Bill Hardekopf, chief executive of LowCards.com, a credit card comparison website. Hardekopf added, “This could be great news for renters who dream of owning …Read more »
California Supreme Court: Retailers cannot store ZIP codes
Retailers were shocked by a California Supreme Court decision that retailers cannot ask for and store ZIP codes when customers pay by credit card. The Sacramento Bee reports that the Court held that ZIP codes are part of an address that allows others to identify an individual. The Court said that with a name and a zip code, retailers can and do manage to identify addresses and phone numbers, in violation of California privacy laws. Richard Holober, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California, hailed the ruling as “a great victory for consumer protection and common sense. It’s nonsensical …Read more »
Category: California Courts, Consumer Law |
Bankruptcy filing hit an all-time high in Sonoma, North Coast
“I’m numb,” is how Bankruptcy Judge Alan Jaroslovsky describes the number of debtor petitions in his Santa Rosa courtroom. According to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, there were more than 5,000 filings last year, triple that of just three years ago. “The driving factor is real estate,” said Jaroslovsky. “Real estate values are going down and they’re not coming back.” In Chapter 13, debtors create a five-year payment plan in which unprotected income goes to pay off creditors at a reduced rate, perhaps 50 cents on a dollar. In such a plan, you may be able to keep your home …Read more »
TV commercial for Santa Rosa, Sonoma County attorney
Check out my new commercial – a first! – which will run on Santa Rosa’s KFTY Channel 50, soon to be available on Comcast. What do you think? Send me an email in the box to the right.
Category: Uncategorized |
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Recent Post
- California eviction basics
- Thinking about college? Did you know student loan debt is nondischargeable?
- What happens when creditor calls continue after bankruptcy? Santa Rosa attorney explains
- Santa Rosa attorney: What Vallejo teaches consumers about bankrupcty
- Santa Rosa attorney: Why you need a lawyer for bankruptcy