skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, May 18, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Millions under threat of strong tornadoes and violent winds as storm danger increases Friday; Expanded Clean Slate laws in NC, US could improve public safety; TX farmers and ranchers benefit from federal conservation funds; Head Start supports WA parents, celebrates 60 years.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Omaha elects its first Black mayor, U.S. Supreme Court considers whether lower courts can prevent Trump administration's removal of birthright citizenship, and half of states consider their own citizenship requirements for voter registration.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

New Mexico's acequia irrigation system is a model of democratic governance, buying a house in rural America will get harder under the Trump administration's draft 2026 budget, and physicians and medical clinics serving rural America are becoming a rarity.

New Tool Offers Legal Resources for Common Issue: Debt Collection

play audio
Play

Tuesday, July 26, 2022   

A new website is helping Montanans answer tricky legal questions about debt.

The Montana Legal Services Association has launched MontanaDebtOptions.org to offer resources for those dealing with consumer debt.

Alex Clark, community legal education coordinator for the Association, said the website is designed for any Montanan with a debt question who is afraid of losing income or property due to debt collection.

"We created some custom answers based on people's individual experiences with debt collectors that are pretty common to give them an idea of what might be crossing the line and what is actually legal," Clark explained.

Nationwide, about 64 million Americans have debt in collections, according to the Urban Institute.

The Montana Legal Services Association helped more than 350 clients with consumer debt issues last year. The website also includes a garnishment calculator to verify if a debt collector is taking the right amount from a person's wages.

Clark pointed out many people struggle when they are served with a lawsuit. He noted to participate in a lawsuit, people have to file a written response to the court by the deadline outlined in the serving papers, but it can be hard to identify.

"As we all know, court papers are really scary," Clark stated. "They're hard to understand. It's not really clear-cut what to do, and if you can't afford an attorney, you don't know where to go. So we're trying to change that."

Debt lawsuits are among the most common civil court cases in the country. But less than 10% of people have legal representation in such cases, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Many simply don't show up to court, with about 70% of cases ending in default in favor of the debt collector. The website emphasized it shouldn't take the place of advice from a lawyer.

Disclosure: The Montana Legal Services Association contributes to our fund for reporting on Civil Rights, Human Rights/Racial Justice, Poverty Issues, and Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Since its inception in 1965, Head Start has served nearly 40 million children and their families. (Save the Children)

Social Issues

play sound

This Sunday is the 60th anniversary of Head Start, the federally funded preschool program supporting more than 12,000 children, up to age four…


Environment

play sound

By Dawn Attride for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Arkansas News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborati…

Environment

play sound

Friday is Endangered Species Day and experts are reminding Rhode Islanders of the plight of the North Atlantic right whale. Right whales' habitat is …


The peninsular bighorn sheep is federally listed as an endangered species. (Chrismr/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Today, on the 20th anniversary of Endangered Species Day, conservation advocates warn polices of President Donald Trump's administration are …

Environment

play sound

New data show Arizona's two largest airports have fared well for on-time departures and arrivals but the same cannot be said about U.S. airlines in …

Eastern hellbenders reproduce from late August to October, with females laying 150-450 eggs that males guard and oxygenate until they hatch, in 45 to 75 days. (Ondreicka/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

It is Endangered Species Day, a reminder some plants and wildlife need protection, like Pennsylvania's eastern hellbender. It is the state's …

Social Issues

play sound

Legal groups are weighing an appeal after a court ruling this week that left voters in several states, including North Dakota, at a disadvantage in …

Environment

play sound

By Dawn Attride for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Greater Dakota News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborati…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021