The Maryland Consumer Right Coalition reached out to me to let me know about upcoming hearings in Maryland that involve debt settlement.
Marceline White of the MCRC said, “There will be two hearings in the Maryland General Assembly next week on regulating the debt settlement industry within the state. The legislation recommends that lawyers that are principally engaged in debt settlement services be regulated in the same way that other debt settlement firms are. Needless to say, Persels and Associates, led by Neil Ruther is adamantly opposed. The hearings will be March 1 and March 3. We have consumers and lawyers lined up to testify in support of regulating lawyers.”
Since I knew CareOne, located in Maryland, had a relationship with Persels and Associates so I asked Mike Croxson, the leader at CareOne for his take on the bill. Mike supports the new bill and apparently parts company with Persels on this.
Croxson said, “The Maryland Legislature has spent a significant amount of time and energy with consumers, providers and other interested parties in crafting what we think is a balanced and reasonable bill. In addition to registering all providers it provides essential consumer protections and a reasonable fee structure that aligns consumer and provider interests. Parties that might oppose this bill are clearly not doing so in the interest of consumers.”
It sounds like consumer interests in Maryland are aligned for the most part. We’ll have to see how this plays out.

You are not alone. I'm here to help. There is no need to suffer in silence. We can get through this. Tomorrow can be better than today. Don't give up.
Do you have a question you'd like to ask me for free? Go ahead and click here.
I can always use your help. If you have a tip or information you want to share, you can get it to me confidentially if you click here.
- Lexington Law Credit Repair Gets Hammered in Lawsuit Settlement. If You Sell Credit Repair – Wake Up! - August 28, 2023
- People That Got Scammed by Robocall Debt Relief Company Life Management Services of Orange County to Get Money Back - July 7, 2023
- Consumers Charged Illegal Student Loan Relief Fees to Get Some Scratch Back - July 7, 2023
You might want to contact the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition, here.
Does anyone have a name of a person at that hearing, and address, so that I can write and tell them my viewpoints on the matter?
Does anyone have a name of a person at that hearing, and address, so that I can write and tell them my viewpoints on the matter?
You might want to contact the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition, here.