Guided by the expertise of M&S principal Steve Skalet, who has over 30 years of litigation and transactional experience in real estate and financial fraud, Mehri & Skalet, PLLC, represents clients in cases involving real estate, lending and debt collection practices.

In the class action context, the firm handles cases under the Truth in Lending Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act and other federal and state consumer protection statutes.

The Truth in Lending Act (T-I-L-A) requires lenders to give borrowers accurate information about a proposed loan, so that the borrower can accurately assess the cost of credit and compare different loan proposals. The Act has many disclosure protections, and also affords a borrower the right to rescind a loan transaction in certain situations. Often, TILA is used to defend against a lender who is foreclosing (or collecting) on a predatory loan. A successful plaintiff or class may recover actual damages, statutory penalties, punitive damages, and costs and attorney's fees.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was enacted to protect consumers from abuses by collection agencies and other debt collectors who harass and intimidate consumers. The Act has very strong protections for consumers, and is particularly well-suited to class action treatment since the offensive actions are often standard practices used against a large number of debtors.

There are many technical requirements that debt collectors must follow under the FDCPA, including limiting contacts with the debtor, giving the debtor notice that the contact is an effort to collect a debt and that information obtained may be used against the debtor and, most importantly, allowing the debtor to request and obtain verification of the claimed debt and an opportunity to dispute the creditor's records. Very serious sanctions may be imposed on debt collectors who violate the Act.

M&S also advocates for tenants’ rights. We have been lead counsel in a series of cases in the District of Columbia fighting to protect and preserve tenants’ rights of first refusal whenever a residential apartment building is sold. We assist tenant associations in purchasing their buildings establishing condominium or cooperatives. Where appropriate, we seek innovative ways to preserve affordable housing.