| I have been told that many, many long years ago the | | | | damage awards because of their having done so. |
| unions were the "bosses" and the mafia and the mobs | | | | But I digress. |
| controlled the unions. We all know that from our history | | | | The point is that collection agencies and the credit |
| lessons. Whether true or not, that was the perception | | | | bureaus alike all started out because of the underworld |
| at that time. | | | | and the mob bosses and they still have not lost all of |
| The longshoremen's union controlled the docks and the | | | | those trappings today. As a result of their failure to |
| dockworkers and the Teamsters controlled the | | | | heed the handwriting on the wall and the laws, they |
| truckers and so on and so forth. | | | | continue to act in their typical ways not far removed |
| You paid your union dues or you didn't work. And if | | | | from the mafia and the mob mindset. While they |
| you didn't pay your debts to the mobs that were | | | | cannot now go about breaking legs and fitting people |
| always willing to lend money you ended up with | | | | with cement overshoes with impunity, they still |
| broken bones or maybe a pair of cement overshoes | | | | browbeat and do other highly illegal things to effect |
| and a final resting place in the harbor. At least that is | | | | collection and they think that because they are dealing |
| what movies were made of. Elliot Ness being famous | | | | with debtors, people who are on the wrong side of the |
| at that time. | | | | equation because they could not pay their bills they |
| And there was also such a thing as a "blacklist" which | | | | have the right to treat people like dogs and break the |
| was one place you never wanted your name to end | | | | laws with impunity. |
| up on because if you got your name on the "blacklist" | | | | The time has come to change that and make the |
| which was circulated all over you couldn't get work if | | | | criminals cringe in fear. The only way to do that is to |
| you were on a union blacklist and you couldn't get any | | | | know the law and know your rights and be willing to |
| credit if you were on the merchant's blacklist. And if | | | | go to court if necessary to defend your rights and help |
| you were on both, you and your family would simply | | | | uphold the law against their criminal acts. |
| starve to death or you had to move out of town to | | | | Remember, when they break the law and violate your |
| where the mob didn't operate. | | | | rights they are the criminals, not you. And remember |
| Soon you couldn't move far enough because the mob | | | | too that the collector who called you and abused you |
| was everywhere. They got there because they | | | | is just as liable for his criminal behavior as the collection |
| controlled and owned the credit bureaus and the | | | | agency or company who hired him. You can and |
| collection agencies too. There was almost no limit to | | | | should file suit against the collection agency and the |
| the power they had to control people's lives. Then in | | | | individual collector who made the call(s) to your home |
| 1914 the FTC was born and began to clamp down on | | | | or your workplace. When they call, demand to know |
| what the collection agencies and mob- controlled credit | | | | their name and write it down and the time and date |
| bureaus could do to enforce their debt collections. | | | | they called. When you sue them, you can file for |
| But the FTC was largely ineffectual until about 1960 | | | | deposition and demand their call records and the |
| when they began more rigorous enforcement actions | | | | names of all persons having called you and the time |
| and implementing new laws. One of the first to go | | | | and date of their calls. They will have to produce those |
| was the practice of blacklisting workers. That could no | | | | if you subpoena them through the discovery process. |
| longer be done. Then they moved to strike down the | | | | If they have used any false name that is a violation of |
| public blacklisting of debtors. | | | | the law and once you have the name of the person |
| Today, even in the face of possible lawsuit for violation | | | | who called and abused you, then you should demand |
| of the blacklisting laws, some stores still make the | | | | and subpoena their personal address and other |
| practice of blacklisting prevalent when they post lists | | | | information, which you would need to sue them |
| of hot check writers on their cash registers or other | | | | individually and personally as well as the company they |
| publicly visible places within their stores. Doing so could | | | | work for. |
| easily lead to a serious lawsuit because it is a public | | | | While it is true that the company may be responsible |
| humiliation of the debtor, which is highly illegal. | | | | for their actions, they are also personally responsible |
| So if you ever see your name in a store on a hot | | | | for their own transgressions and violations of the law |
| checklist be sure to get a camera and shoot pictures | | | | because they are supposed to know better and |
| of the lists whether the store owner likes it or not. | | | | ignorance is no excuse of the law. |
| Then sue the pants off of them. You can collect huge | | | | |