Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Amazon Home Warranty And Amazon Warranty Administrators Found Violating The Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act
Over the last five years, more than 1,000 Columbus, Ohio consumers have filed consumer law complaints with the Better Business Bureau over violations of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act by Amazon Home Warranty and Amazon Warranty Administrators. The companies are accused of using online platforms to advertise residential service contracts to homebuyers and… Read More »
Mortgage Fraud Is On The Rise
Mortgage fraud is unfortunately on the rise as one of the top consumer law violations – specifically, income and property value fraud. Mortgage fraud can occur when lenders prey on unsuspecting consumers in order to falsely inflate the value of property to obtain equity or cash from homeowners or lenders. It can also come… Read More »
Avoiding Foreclosure When You Have Equity In Your Home
For those who are delinquent on their home payments, a mortgage loan modification, deferral, or standalone partial claim can sometimes help them to stay in the home. However, there are also some circumstances under which homeowners struggling with foreclosure might choose to sell their home instead of pursuing a loan modification in an attempt… Read More »
When Breach Of Contract Disputes Arise
While the law requires that parties who agree to a contract fulfill their obligations under it, sometimes bigger companies and/or those with more resources can use breach of contract as a tool to bully smaller companies into renegotiating or just accepting a breach by threatening them with expensive litigation. In these cases, in addition… Read More »
Dayton, Ohio Public Utility Consumer Law Dispute
One ongoing consumer law case here in Ohio will undoubtedly have a significant impact on consumer protection: The case – In re application of Dayton Power and Light Company – involves four cases involving electric service provided to Dayton-area residents. While the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (commission) initially approved a settlement for consumers… Read More »
The Statute Of Frauds In Real Estate Contracts
When it comes to real estate contracts, it is essential to work with an experienced attorney, as real estate contracts are different from other property-related contracts. Because real estate contracts involve property that is considered to be one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable, these types of disputes are typically more adversarial in nature precisely because there is… Read More »
“Preferred Treatment” Based Breach Of Contract Claims
Breach of contract claims can cover a variety of activities, including claims from one party that another party is prioritizing business from other companies under an existing contract. If, for example, two companies enter into an agreement, whereby one is providing a certain supply of a product each month, but fails to meet that… Read More »
Wells Fargo Fined Almost $4 Billion For Consumer Law Violations
In December, Wells Fargo Bank was ordered to pay customers over $3.7 billion due to consumer law violations; specifically for charging illegal fees and interest on auto loans and mortgages and incorrect overdraft fees on checking and savings accounts. The assessment represents the largest fine ever against a bank. Still, according to regulators, in… Read More »
Selling Real Estate In Ohio
As Columbus real estate attorneys who help clients with transactional matters involving buying and selling real estate, as well as related litigation, we frequently receive questions regarding disputes that can sometimes arise after property is sold; Specifically, a number of these disputes involve buyers arguing that they have discovered problems with the property after… Read More »
Overcharging & Deceptive Consumer Practices In Ohio
A concerning consumer protection issue recently emerged involving a number of major retail stores, including the dollar stores and Walmart, severely overcharging customers here in Ohio. Specifically, customers found double digit errors that ranged from almost 17 to more than 88 percent price markups (where the state department of agriculture only permits stores to… Read More »