Summary
Methodology
Background: The United States' Debt Buying Industry
Flooding the Courts
Debt Buyer Lawsuits and Poverty
Runaway Interest and Costs
Allegations of Error and Abuse in Debt Buyer Litigation
Rubber Stamp Justice: Default Judgments without Evidence or Scrutiny: The Default Judgment Problem: Where are the Defendants?
Confusion and Misinformation
Concerns about Notice
Rubber Stamp Justice: The Absence of Judicial Scrutiny: Questionable Records and the Problem of Warranty
Allegations of "Robo-Signing"
Sky-High Interest and Questionable Math
Corporate Plaintiffs in the "People's Court"
Thrown to the Wolves: Unrepresented Defendants in Court: Pushing Defendants into Coercive and Unequal "Negotiations"
"Judgeless Courtrooms"
Their Day in Court: Representational Inequality and "Cattle Calls"
The Importance of Legal Representation and Advice
Recommendations for Governments, Courts, and Debt Buyers: No More Rubber Stamp Default Judgments
Protect Defendants from Coercive "Negotiations" with Debt Buyer Attorneys
Level the Playing Field with Free Legal Assistance
Sharply Limit Interest Rates in Debt Buyer Cases
The Human Rights Responsibilities of Courts, State Governments, and Debt Buyers: Consumer Protections under US Federal Law
Court Integrity and the Rights of Disadvantaged Litigants
The Human Rights Responsibilities of Debt Buying Firms
Recommendations: To State Governments
To All State Court Systems
To Individual Courts Adjudicating Debt Buyer Cases
To the US Federal Government
To Debt Buying Companies
To DBA International
To Banks and other Creditors
Acknowledgments.