Timothy McCandless revisited

Consumer debt defense has an offensive gear most people never engage. The FDCPA is a strict-liability statute with a private right of action, and 15 U.S.C. §1692k is where it bites: actual damages, statutory damages up to $1,000 per action, and — the part that changes everything — mandatory attorney’s fees and costs to a prevailing consumer. Understand what fee-shifting does to the economics. A…

A huge share of California eviction notices are defective — wrong cure period, no proper service, amounts that include late fees the lease doesn’t authorize. A defective notice kills the unlawful detainer. The landlord has to start over, and you’ve bought a month. Most tenants never check. Check. Don’t pay a lawyer to find out what your rights are. Go to JusticePrompt.com — the tenant kit walks…

Every debt in California has an expiration date as a lawsuit. For written contracts — credit cards, loans, most consumer agreements — it is four years under Code of Civil Procedure §337. For oral agreements, two years under §339. Once the limitations period runs from the date of breach (usually your first missed payment that was never cured), the creditor’s right to sue is gone. But “gone” comes…

Brutal honesty over hype since 2008 — that’s been the promise here. Here’s some brutal honesty: most consumer legal problems don’t need a lawyer. They need the right document, sent to the right address, citing the right statute, on time. That’s why we built JusticePrompt — free kits for debt, wages, tenants, child support, and creditor workouts. Don’t pay a lawyer to find out what your rights…

In 2014 California enacted the Fair Debt Buying Practices Act, Civil Code §§1788.50–1788.64 — and it quietly rewrote the economics of junk-debt litigation in this state. If you’re being sued by Midland, Portfolio Recovery, LVNV, Cavalry, or any other entity that bought your charged-off account, this statute is your case. What it requires before they can even demand payment. Under §1788.52, a debt…

Jeff Bezos recently claimed that advancing AI and technology will make life so affordable that many households won’t need two incomes — one partner could simply opt out of the workforce. It’s a bullish, feel-good message amid AI disruption fears and cost-of-living complaints. But coming from a billionaire co-CEO of an AI startup, it has strong notes of elite PR spin. Bezos argues massive…

Unpaid overtime in California isn’t just back pay. It’s interest, it’s waiting-time penalties up to 30 days of wages, it’s liquidated damages that can double the minimum wage shortfall. A $4,000 wage theft claim routinely becomes $10,000+ with penalties. Employers count on workers not knowing the penalty stack exists. Don’t pay a lawyer to find out what your rights are. Go to JusticePrompt.com…

Most debtors have heard of the federal FDCPA. Far fewer know California built its own parallel statute — the Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Civil Code §1788 et seq. — and that it is broader than federal law in the ways that matter most. It covers original creditors. The federal act, 15 U.S.C. §1692a(6), defines “debt collector” to exclude creditors collecting their own debts. The…

Here’s the bet every junk debt buyer makes: that you won’t send a validation demand within 30 days of their first letter. If you do, they must stop collecting until they prove the debt — and most bought the account for three cents on the dollar with no paperwork at all. They fold. Constantly. But only against people who make them show their cards. Don’t pay a lawyer to find out what your rights…

The single most powerful consumer-debt tool in federal law is the validation demand under 15 U.S.C. §1692g, part of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Here is how it actually works, step by step. When a third-party debt collector first contacts you, the statute requires it to send — within five days — a written notice stating the amount of the debt, the name of the current creditor, and your…

For thirty years I watched people pay $300–$500 for a lawyer to send a one-page letter a statute already wrote for them. The debt validation letter under the FDCPA. The wage claim under Labor Code 1194. The habitability notice under Civil Code 1942. The law wrote these letters. Lawyers just retype them and add letterhead. Don’t pay a lawyer to find out what your rights are. Go to…

Daily Market Intelligence Report — Afternoon Edition Thursday, July 2, 2026  |  Published 1:30 PM PT  |  Data: Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg, Reuters, CNBC, CME FedWatch ★ Today’s Midday Narrative The morning thesis of a bifurcated market has solidified into the afternoon with stunning clarity. The S&P 500 is trading at 7,483 — virtually unchanged from the 7,427 open — while the Dow Jones surges to…

Since 2008 this blog has run on one premise: the system counts on you not knowing the rules. Debt collectors, wage-thieving employers, slumlords, sketchy agents, and car dealers all profit from the gap between what the law says and what you know. So we closed the gap. The California Justice Foundation has released five free do-it-yourself kits at justiceprompt.com: debt settlement, wage theft…

The Hedge | Brutal Honesty Over Hype Since 2008 The Hedge’s June series covered two seemingly separate topic areas — California business law and HOA governance — that intersect more often than most people realize. For California entrepreneurs who own their workspace, live in HOA communities, hold investment properties in HOA developments, or are building businesses that serve the HOA industry,…

The Hedge | Brutal Honesty Over Hype Since 2008 June covered thirty topics across California business law and HOA governance — the broadest single month in The Hedge’s 2026 series. This closing post organizes the full month’s content for reference and connects the threads that ran through both topic areas. California Business Coverage Business climate update and regulatory calendar. PAGA reform —…

The Hedge | Brutal Honesty Over Hype Since 2008 Davis-Stirling governs both condominium associations and planned development (single-family home) associations — but the specific rights and obligations differ in important ways based on the type of development. Understanding the distinctions relevant to your property type ensures you’re applying the right legal framework to your…

The Hedge | Brutal Honesty Over Hype Since 2008 The Hedge’s June coverage has touched most of the major compliance categories every California business owner should have current. This post consolidates them into a single actionable mid-year checklist. Run through it now — before any compliance gap turns into a regulatory problem. Entity and Formation Compliance Federal Corporate Transparency Act:…