The Attorney General of New York has reached a settlement with Transworld Systems resolving allegations that Transworld engaged in the following collection practices on behalf of the National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts:
Filed complaints that falsely identified the National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts as the borrower’s “original creditor” when, in fact, the National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts are assignees of the original creditors
Filed sworn affidavits in support of default judgment motions attaching documents Transworld identified as “redacted” versions of original documents when, in fact, they were documents Transworld created for the purpose of litigation
Filed sworn affidavits in support of default judgment motions in which Transworld staff asserted that they had personal knowledge of certain business records when, in fact, they lacked such knowledge
Filed sworn affidavits in support of default judgment motions that stated that a particular student loan was transferred to particular National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts when, in fact, the documents submitted to support this assertion failed to conclusively demonstrate a link between the loan at issue and the National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts
Filed complaints representing that a borrower applied for a loan from a “servicing agent” when, in fact, the borrower never dealt with such an entity
Filed National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts lawsuits outside of the three-year statute of limitations applicable to such lawsuits in New York
Threatened legal action against borrowers even though the National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts could not or would not sue because the statute of limitations for suing on the debt had expired
As part of the settlement, Transworld has agreed to:
Cease identifying the National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts as “original creditors,” stop identifying documents prepared for litigation as “redacted,” end the obfuscating of entities involved in originating National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts loans, and discontinue the use of misleading language in communications with borrowers by implying that they cannot sue due to the expiration of the statute of limitations
Enhance training for Transworld staff to ensure accuracy of statements concerning personal knowledge and chain-of-title
No longer file National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts lawsuits beyond the three-year statute of limitations applicable to such lawsuits in New York
Voluntarily dismiss all lawsuits — which should have never been filed because of the expired statute of limitations — that were filed between Jan. 1, 2018 and the date of the settlement
Voluntarily release all pending garnishments, levies, liens, restraining notices, attachments, or any other judgment enforcement mechanism obtained as a result of judgments obtained in wrongfully-filed lawsuits where the statute of limitations have expired
Take steps to vacate any judgment obtained in an wrongfully-filed lawsuit where the statute of limitations have expired (provided the relevant parties, including the National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts, consent to the suit being vacated)
Pay $600,000 in penalties to the state and/or restitution to certain New York borrowers