Small claims court is supposed to be a so-called people’s court with informal procedures that make it easy to bring your claim. But an investigation by the GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting finds that the state’s courts are flooded with corporate debt collectors pursuing low-income people. Losing a case can lead to wage garnishments, car seizures and more.
The legislation’s sponsors are reviving the call to protect debtors as new trial court data shows more than 92,000 consumer debt cases were filed last year.