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What is the lawsuit about? What laws were violated?
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is a government agency that enforces laws that protect consumers.
The CFPB sued Vincent Howard, Lawrence Williamson, Howard Law, P.C., The Williamson Law Firm, LLC, and Williamson & Howard, LLP (collectively “Howard Law”), for violating the Telemarketing Sales Rule in connection with their telemarketing and sale of debt relief services. Other individuals and entities who are not named Defendants, but were involved in the matter, include Seila Law, JD Haas, Vann Spray, and Erik Graef.
On March 27, 2019, the court entered a Consent Judgment and ordered CFPB to pay redress to Affected Consumers for the unlawful advance fees they paid.
Affected consumers were trying to renegotiate, settle, reduce, or alter the terms of their debt or enrolled in a debt relief service in response to Defendants’ deceptive advertisements. If you paid fees to the Defendant on or after January 30, 2014, you might receive money from the legal settlement.
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How do I receive a refund? Will I be able to get more money from this case beyond the refund check I received?
Eligible consumers include all consumers who paid Howard Law fees on or after January 30, 2014.
If you believe you are eligible for a refund (or an additional refund beyond the check you received), you can file a claim form. You need to provide a list of fees paid to Howard Law (including amount, date of payment, and description of fee if known), and provide proof of your payments, such as credit card or bank statements or copies of canceled checks.
You can download a claim form from the Important Documents page. Fill out the claim form and scan or photograph your documents. Then, email them to info@cfpb-howardlaw.org or mail them to:
CFPB v. Howard Law
Civil Penalty Fund Third-Party Administrator
P.O. Box 5339
Portland, OR 97228-5339Please note the deadline to submit a claim form was January 9, 2023. You may still file a claim and, depending on timing and available funding, it is possible your late claim will be accepted. There is no guarantee claims filed after the deadline will be reviewed or considered for payment.
Receiving a refund from the CFPB does not prevent you from pursuing other legal claims, if any, against any individual or entity named in the CFPB’s lawsuit. Neither the third-party administrator nor CFPB can give you individual legal advice. For legal advice for your situation, contact an attorney.
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I received a letter stating information was missing from my claim. What type of supporting documentation is required to receive a refund?
The letter detailed reasons we were unable to refund all payments you made to the Defendant, Howard Law, or someone acting on their behalf. The Response Deadline was printed on the letter. The deadline to provide additional information has passed and supporting documentation is no longer being accepted.
To qualify for a refund, each payment had to be supported by documentation proving the payment date and amount, and that you made the payment to the Defendant, or someone acting on their behalf. Types of documentation you can use to prove you made a payment may include copies of the following:
- Cancelled check;
- Receipt from the Defendant;
- Receipt for a money order or eCheck;
- Credit card statement or bank statement; or
- Invoice showing the payment was made or the remaining balance is zero.
The documents need to include the payment date and amount, and identify the Defendant, or someone acting on their behalf. Documents you prepared yourself or invoices with “Paid” handwritten on them, were not enough proof to qualify payments for a refund.
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Is this a scam? How do I verify that this is legitimate?
No, this is not a scam.
Neither CFPB nor Epiq will never require you to pay any fees before or after cashing checks issued by CFPB. If someone asks you to pay them money before or after cashing a check, it could be a scam.
If you wish, you can verify that Epiq is contracted with CFPB by calling CFPB directly at 1-855-411-2372, or visiting their website www.cfpb.gov/payments/howard. To learn more about CFPB and other CFPB related matters, please visit the CFPB’s website at www.consumerfinance.gov. If you enter “Howard Law” in the search box, you can read CFPB announcements about this case.
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How do I find out more about this case?
Additional information, including the final court order, is available on the Documents page of this website, or by visiting the CFPB website at www.cfpb.gov/payments/howard.
You can also visit the CFPB’s website at www.consumerfinance.gov. If you enter “Howard Law” in the search box, you can read CFPB announcements about this case.
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Who is the CFPB?
The CFPB stands for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 established the CFPB.
Congress established the CFPB to protect consumers by carrying out federal consumer financial laws. Among other things, the CFPB:
- Writes rules, supervises companies, and enforces federal consumer financial protection laws
- Restricts unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices
- Takes consumer complaints
- Promotes financial education
- Researches consumer behavior
- Monitors financial markets for new risks to consumers
- Enforces laws that outlaw discrimination and other unfair treatment in consumer finance
To learn more, visit www.consumerfinance.gov.
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Who is Epiq? What is Epiq’s role?
We are Epiq Class Action & Claims Solutions, Inc. The CFPB has contracted us as the Third-Party Administrator to assisting in processing claims, processing payments, answering consumers’ questions about this case, and administering this website.
For more information about Epiq, please visit www.EpiqGlobal.com. All Epiq’s costs for this program are paid separately by CFPB. Consumers are never charged either directly or indirectly for Epiq’s services as Third-Party Administrator.
You can also confirm our role in this lawsuit by visiting the CFPB website at www.cfpb.gov/payments/howard.
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My check is lost/damaged/expired. Can you please send me a new one?
Please send a signed letter requesting that we reissue your check. Please include your full name and current mailing address along with a signature to:
CFPB v. Howard Law
Civil Penalty Fund Third-Party Administrator
P.O. Box 5339
Portland, OR 97228-5339If your check was damaged, please include the check with your signed request to reissue it.
If your check has expired and you do not need us to update the name and/or address on the check, you may email your reissue request to info@cfpb-howardlaw.org or send a request on the Contact Us page of this website.
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How do I update my name or address?
To request that we update your name and address, please send a signed letter via postal mail with your request. Please include your full name, former and current mailing addresses. For the name change, also provide copies of any documentation that support the name change. Documentation could include a Marriage Certificate, Divorce order, valid state issued ID, or other documentation depending on your situation.
Mail your request to:
CFPB v. Howard Law
Civil Penalty Fund Third-Party Administrator
P.O. Box 5339
Portland, OR 97228-5339You can also email us at info@cfpb-howardlaw.org. Supporting documentation must be attached to the email if you are requesting a name change.
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I received a check made out to someone who passed. What should I do?
If the check is made out to someone who has passed, please mail the original check to us with a signed letter requesting the check be reissued. The request should include the name and address for the reissued check. Please include a copy of the death certificate and documentation showing you are the executor, surviving spouse, or sole beneficiary of the Estate. If you are identified as the surviving spouse on the death certificate, no additional documentation is required.
Acceptable documentation for estates includes the pertinent portion of the will, or a Court Order/Letters Testamentary naming you as Personal Representative, Administrator, Executor, Executrix, or sole beneficiary.
You can send those materials to us at:
CFPB v. Howard Law
Civil Penalty Fund Third-Party Administrator
P.O. Box 5339
Portland, OR 97228-5339You can also email us at info@cfpb-howardlaw.org. Supporting documentation must be attached to the email if you are requesting a name change.
For security reasons, we cannot reissue a check until either the original check is returned to us, the mailing is returned to us as undeliverable, or the original check’s stale date has passed or expired.
Because one of these events must occur before we can act on your request, we can reissue your check before it expires only if you return it by mail. If you email your request, it is not possible for us to reissue your check until after the expiration date.
We reissue checks in groups on a rolling basis throughout the year. Unfortunately, at this time we cannot provide a specific date your reissued check will be mailed. We thank you for your patience.
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If I receive a check with instructions to pay a fee or to provide additional personal information, what should I do?
The CFPB never requires you to pay money up front or provide additional information before consumers can cash refund checks issued by CFPB.
All Epiq’s costs for this program are paid separately by CFPB. Consumers are never charged either directly or indirectly for Epiq services as Third-Party Administrator.
If anyone contends they can get you a refund but asks you for money, it could be a scam. Please contact us right away if this happens to you or if you have other questions about this matter. CFPB also provides information about frauds and scams at www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/fraud.
If Epiq mailed you a Claim Form or letter saying information was missing from your claim, you may have been asked to provide additional information about payment(s) you made to the Defendant or someone acting on their behalf.
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What is the Privacy Act Statement?
The information requested is being collected to determine your eligibility for a Civil Penalty Fund or redress payment from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to compensate you for harm suffered from a violation of federal consumer financial law that was the subject of a Bureau enforcement action.
Identifying information collected may be used by and disclosed to employees, contractors, agents, and others authorized by the CFPB to receive this information to assist in related activities. It may also be disclosed:
- To a court, magistrate, or administrative tribunal in the course of a proceeding
- For enforcement, statutory, and regulatory purposes
- To another federal or state agency or regulatory authority
- To a member of Congress
- To the Department of Justice, a court, an adjudicative body or administrative tribunal, or a party in litigation
- Pursuant to the CFPB’s published Privacy Act system of records notice, CFPB.025 – Civil Penalty Fund and Bureau-Administered Redress Program Records
The collection of this information is authorized by Pub. L. 111-203, Title X, Sections 1017(d) (Civil Penalty Fund) and/or 1055(a) (Redress), codified at 12 U.S.C. §§ 5497(d), 5565(a).
You are not required to submit or provide any identifying information; however, not doing so may delay processing or be a basis for rejection of your claim.
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3170-0024. It expires on May 31, 2025. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average approximately 30 minutes per response. Responding to this collection of information is voluntary. Comments regarding this collection of information, including the estimated response time, suggestions for improving the usefulness of the information, or suggestions for reducing the burden to respond to this collection should be submitted to Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Attention: PRA Office), 1700 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20552, or by email to CFPB_PRA@cfpb.gov.
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