DCA Produces NYC’s Foreign Languages Services Documentation RequirementsÂ
On June 27, 2020 new rules from New York City’s Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) took effect that, among other things, require debt collectors (first and third party) to request and record the language preference of each consumer from whom they collect and inform each consumer if they offer any services in a language other than English. Recently the DCA extended an enforcement grace period to October 1, 2020 and will not issue any new rule violations before that date.
Collection Industry leaders (ACA International, National Creditors Bar Association, New York State Creditors Bar Association, New York State Collectors Association, and Recivables Management Association International) came together to send a letter requesting answers to a set of questions seeking to clarify the DCA’s position on the issue. The DCA released answers to debt collection questions here (Updated 8/07/2020.) Each collection agency must prepare a report that tracks a monthly record of the number of NYC consumer accounts and the number of collection employees that collected or attempted to collect in a language other than English. See the report here.
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