The Sheriff’s Department has issued an alert for all citizens. There have been recent instances of a white male calling on elderly persons, in the West Delray area, pretending he has to add chemicals to the water in their home. He then “accidentally” spills water on the elderly person’s hands, which allegedly contains acid or lye. He feigns excited concern, telling the person they must clean their hands immediately. He also tells them to take off their rings. When they do so, he picks up the rings and runs out of the premises.

Rule #1: Do not allow strangers into your residence.
Rule #2: If you have been victimized call 911 immediately.

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Consumer Traps & Tips: A weekly service of the Palm Beach County Consumer Affairs Division Topic: Collection Agencies

Trap: Ed from Lake Worth found himself overwhelmed with unexpected medical bills that caused him to fall behind on his credit card payments. His unpaid balances were then sent to collection, and he found himself bombarded by letters and calls from various collection agencies. Some were even calling his employer and his neighbors in an effort to contact him. Ed said the situation was causing him a lot of stress and affecting his ability to work.

Tips: The Federal Fair Debt Collection Act prohibits collection agencies from harassing you at home or at work. Debt collectors are not permitted to:
• contact you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. • contact you at work when your employer disapproves. • use threats of violence or harm against your reputation. • publish your name or contact friends and neighbors about your debt. • use obscene or abusive language. • threaten to have you arrested.

Here are some actions you can take: • Send a letter asking for proof of the debt. Carefully review the documentation to determine if it is your debt. • If you feel you are being harassed, consider sending a certified letter to the collection agency asking them to stop contacting you. Then the collector can only contact you again if it is their decision to take some form of legal action. • Consider negotiating a settlement with the collector. Often they are willing to accept a reduced amount to settle the matter. • Contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP, call Consumer Affairs at 561-712-6600 (Boca/Delray 1-888-852-7362) or visit www.pbcgov.com/consumer.

Dennis Moore, Palm Beach County Consumer Affairs Division, 561-712-6600, Boca/Delray/Glades toll free: 1-888-852-7362. Fax: 561-712-6610. 50 So. Military Trail, Suite 201, West Palm Beach, FL 33415. Check out our website at:http://www.pbcgov.com/consumer

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Tallahassee Report from Sen. Ted Deutch:
This past week, the Legislature met in a Special Session to address the $2.8 billion shortfall in this year’s budget.

We faced many difficult decisions, and unfortunately, without the consideration of new revenue sources, the Legislature was forced to cut spending and dip into state reserves. Despite my efforts to ensure that vital programs and services in the areas of healthcare and education would not be harmed, the state’s budget will shrink by another $1.2 billion. The rest of the $1.6 billion will come from savings accounts and trust funds that cannot afford further reductions.

My colleagues and I offered proposals to generate revenue by eliminating special interest tax breaks, but we were not successful. We will continue to push for tax fairness in the coming months. Public education was cut by $480 million more. In an attempt to ensure strong community colleges and universities, I proposed taking $124 million dollars of transportation money, specifically set aside for projects to increase capacity on our roads, and put it toward increasing capacity in our higher learning institutions.

Thankfully, we were able to spare some of the deepest cuts from nursing homes, hospitals and affordable housing. About $700 million will be taken from the Lawton Chiles Fund, which was specifically designed to pay for healthcare programs for seniors and low-income children. While I oppose this approach, I am hopeful that Florida will receive federal stimulus money to help sustain the Chiles Fund. As I did last session, I will again sponsor legislation to increase the cigarette tax by one dollar. This increase will generate nearly one billion dollars in revenue which will be used to fund cancer research efforts to stimulate Florida’s economy, as well as to offset cuts to healthcare programs.

The 2009 Legislative Session commences on March 3. I ask for your support in identifying ways to raise revenue and to save the state money. Please email me your suggestions at Deutch.Ted.Web@flsenate.gov.

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