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2 Lamplighter 1 (1990-1991)

handle is hein.journals/lmplgt2 and id is 1 raw text is: XK2A. R CaN ._/ 0n .C .7T Consumer Law for the New Legal Services Practitioner Kathleen Keest Reprinted with permission by Kath- leen Keest from The National Clear- inghouse for Legal Services, Vol. 23, No. 7. Copyright © 1989 by National Clearinghouse for Legal Services, Inc. I. Overview A. Getting Interested The first step in effective representa- tion of low-income consumers is to un- derstand its importance to your clients. A combination of the decrease in real buying power, the increase in costly and disadvantageous creative credit practices, and the dramatic rise in home equity lending (a particular problem for the elderly and the new poor) means that the adverse eco- nomic impact of consumer problems on a low-income family can be dra- matic. For our clients especially, these are real bread and butter issues, which often cross the boundaries of legal specializations. Knowing one's way around the bankruptcy law can help a housing lawyer protect a public hous- ing tenant from eviction. Knowing truth in lending or usury laws may help a Title III lawyer save an elderly client's home from foreclosure. Knowing the U.C.C. can help a client keep the car she needs to get to her job, or help another client get help in repairing or replacing the lemon car he bought so that he can get to his doctor's ap- pointments. One of the major problems of poor people is that they do not have enough money. That is tautological, of courl. But a legal services lawyer expV; ences little satisfaction from getting a client increased social security bene- fits or wrongfully denied AFDC bene- fits, if the little money available is then diverted to price-gouging ghetto mer- chants or predatory lenders, instead of being spent for the basics, such as food, shelter, heat, and health care. Unfortunately, it it just as true as ever that the poor pay more. Thus, the poor are denied the benefits of the little buying power they have with their limited income.' Rent-to-own cus- tomers can end up paying almost $900 for a $330 television (an incredible 163 percent annual percentage rate).2 Consumers who believe deceptive (Continued on page 11) Brennan's Restaurant in New Orleans. Photo provided by the Greater New Orleans Tourist and Convention Center. r--n g Consumer Law for the New Legal Services Practitioner ............ 1 The LAMPlighter Says ... 2 Chief's Column ........... 3 LAMP Committee Activities ............... 4 The Consumer Price Index and Child Support Proceedings ........... 5 LAMP Committee Awards 6 Forms and Checklists ... 7-10

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