Skip to content
  • Home
  • Contact
Illinois Equal Justice Foundation Logo
  • Home
  • About
    • Board & Staff
    • Annual Reports
    • Donors
  • Grants
    • Guidelines
    • Applications
    • Reports
    • Grant Recipients
    • Funding Categories
      • Legal Information to the Public
      • Self‑Help Legal Assistance Projects
      • Mediation Services
      • Telephone Advice & Referral Services
      • Civil Legal Assistance
    • Consumer Settlement Fund Grants
      • Grant Guidelines
      • Grants
  • New Leaf Illinois
    • Grant Guidelines
    • Funding Categories
      • Telephone Advice & Referral Services
      • Legal Services
      • Community Outreach
      • Technical Assistance
    • Applications & Reports
    • Grant Recipients
    • FAQs
  • IL AFLAN
    • Illinois Access to Civil Justice Council
    • Grant Guidelines
    • Grant Applications
    • Grant Recipients
  • COVID Housing Grants
    • Eviction Help Illinois
      • FY21 Eviction Help Illinois
        • Grant Guidelines
        • Applications
        • Funding Categories
          • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
          • Mediation Services
        • Reports
        • FAQs
      • FY22 Eviction Help Illinois
        • Grant Guidelines
        • Applications
        • Funding Categories
          • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
          • Mediation Services
        • Reports
        • FAQs
      • FY 23 Eviction Help Illinois
        • Grant Guidelines
        • Applications
        • Funding Categories
          • Mediation Services
          • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
        • FY23 Reports
      • ERA2 Funding
        • Grant Guidelines
        • Applications
        • Funding Categories
          • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
          • Mediation Services
        • Reports
      • Grant Recipients
    • IHDA Foreclosure Grants
      • Grant Guidelines
      • Applications
      • Funding Categories
        • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
        • Mediation Services
  • News & Resources
    • Press Room
      • News Releases
      • Newsletters
      • News You Can Use
    • Resource Center
      • Legal Help Links
      • Fact Sheet
      • FAQs
      • Recent Studies
  • Advocacy
    • About the Campaign
    • Partners
    • Join Now
    • Campaign Videos
    • Take Action
  • 20 Years
  • Home
  • About
    • Board & Staff
    • Annual Reports
    • Donors
    • Job Postings
  • Grants
    • Guidelines
    • Applications
    • Reports
    • Grant Recipients
    • Funding Categories
      • Legal Information to the Public
      • Self‑Help Legal Assistance Projects
      • Mediation Services
      • Telephone Advice & Referral Services
      • Civil Legal Assistance
    • Consumer Settlement Fund Grants
      • Grant Guidelines
      • Grants
  • New Leaf Illinois
    • New Leaf Illinois Network Grant Guidelines
    • Funding Categories
      • Telephone Advice & Referral Services
      • Legal Services
      • Community Outreach
      • Technical Assistance
    • Applications & Reports
    • Grant Recipients
    • FAQs
  • Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network
    • Illinois Access to Civil Justice Council
    • Grant Guidelines
    • Grant Applications
    • Grant Recipients
  • Eviction Help Illinois Grants
    • FY21 Eviction Help Illinois
      • Grant Guidelines
      • Applications
      • Funding Categories
        • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
        • Mediation Services
      • Reports
      • FAQs
    • FY22 Eviction Help Illinois
      • Grant Guidelines
      • Applications
      • Funding Categories
        • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
        • Mediation Services
      • Reports
      • FAQs
      • Grant Recipients
    • FY 23 Eviction Help Illinois
      • Grant Guidelines
      • Applications
      • Funding Categories
        • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
        • Mediation Services
      • Reports
    • IHDA Foreclosure Grants
      • Grant Guidelines
      • Applications
      • Funding Categories
        • Civil Legal Assistance Grants
        • Mediation Services
  • Resource Center
    • Legal Help Links
    • Fact Sheet
    • FAQs
    • Recent Studies
  • Press Room
    • News Releases
    • Newsletters
    • News You Can Use
  • Advocacy
    • About the Campaign
    • Partners
    • Join Now
    • Campaign Videos
    • Take Action
  • 20 Years
  • Contact
Press Room » Newsletters » Fraudulent Debt Can Break the Bank
JUSTICE FOR ALL

The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation funds civil legal aid programs across
the state, ensuring that all residents have equal access to the justice system.

These programs build stronger communities and a stronger Illinois.

Fraudulent Debt Can Break the Bank

Sara was shocked to find her wages were being garnished for a debt she did not recognize.  The debt was for service at an address at which Sara had never lived, and she had the written debt to prove it.

Unbeknownst to her, a judgment had been filed against her, and it have been entered by default since she failed to appear for a court hearing she knew nothing about.

An attorney at IEJF grantee CARPLS (Coordinated Advice & Referral Program for Legal Services) helped Sara pause the wage garnishment so she could contest the underlying judgment.  Together, they were able to get the original debt thrown out.

Even with that victory, the creditor could have still refiled to collect the debt.  As it turns out, the debt had been purchased from another creditor, and the collection agency didn’t likely have documentation that would hold up in court.  The wage garnishment was stopped, and Sara was free of the debt she had falsely incurred.

There is a massive market of debt being traded from company to company.  Like other secretive industries, consumers have no way of knowing they are impacted until they are faced with situations like Sara’s.  Legal aid provides the support and expertise people need to fight fraud.

The IEJF was able to increase its focus on consumer issues with settlement funds awarded by Attorney General Lisa Madigan in 2015.  These funds will continue to support the IEJF’s grant program through 2019.

CARPLS or Coordinated Advice & Referral Program for Legal Services, provides legal information, advice and brief services over a telephone hotline to low-income families and seniors in civil legal distress in Cook County.  CARPLS is also a member of the IL Armed Forces Legal Aid Network which provides legal aid to veterans and active duty military across the state.

iejf_user2020-04-14T01:49:29-05:00
Home | Contact | Follow us on Facebook
© 2022 Illinois Equal Justice Foundation