Lynn Ellen Coleman

I offer personal, compassionate assistance with debt and consumer law issues to persons in the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina.

• Collections Defense
• Student Loan Law
• General Civil

• Free Consultation
  I offer a free online or telephone consultation.
• Credit Cards Accepted
  Debit cad only for bankruptcy. Credit card (all major cards) for other areas.
• Contingent Fees
  For certain consumer law cases only.
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  I offer flat fees, contingency fees, and hourly fees depending upon the nature of the case.

North Carolina

Since 2000

Texas

1986-2000

St. Mary's University School of Law

J.D. | Law

1983 - 1986

Trinity University

B.S. | History, Political Science

1979 - 1982

North Carolina State Bar

Member

Current

National Association of Consumer Advocates

Member

2010 - Current

National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys

Member

2009 - Current

North Carolina Bar Association

Member

1999 - Current

Q. Foreclosed house, auction set, bank says I can sell before auction. Can the bank force separated wife to sign contract?

April 2, 2024

A: Unfortunately, no Bank can force your ex to sign the necessary paperwork for the sale. The time for getting a Judge to do that has passed, and whether or not that was possible depends upon the equitable distribution/separation agreement that you and your ex had in place. I assume that's what you spent $14k in attorneys fees on. Hopefully there will be a lot of bids on the house and you will come out with some net proceeds from the sale.

Q. Motor repair cost $15,000, warranty company is covering $10,000 cap, 3 weeks after purchase. Is this even legal?

April 1, 2024

A: An attorney would have to review the warranty itself to make sure that all covered charges are being paid for. How much is the deductible (the amount you have to pay for repairs). Is there a limitation on how long you have to own the car before the warranty will come in to effect, or a limitation on how much the warranty will pay within the first few months or miles driven? No lawyer on an advice website can advise you specifically without reviewing all of the documents you signed at purchase. "Less than 3,000 miles" in 30 days sounds like over 2,500 miles. This seems like a lot of miles in 30 days, so maybe there is a mileage limitation that allows the warranty company to pay less?

Technically yes, this is allowed under NC law. Your financial issues have nothing at all to affect the rights you have under the contracts you signed. North Carolina has no "lemon law" for used cars. Contact an attorney directly who is licensed in North Carolina who can review the contract for you. I wish you the nest of luck and I am sorry you are in this situation. ... Read More

Q. My things were in a fire at a storage facility. The biz isn't letting me look through my destroyed unit for salvage.

March 8, 2024

A: Your property should be covered by your homeowners or renters insurance policy. Turn in an insurance claim and your own insurance company will help you get access.

If you did not have insurance, that's too bad because most likely the storage facility is not at fault whether a customer broke in or used a code.

Get a copy of the fire department report and see if they have identified the person who caused the fire. If they did, are there any charges being brought? You may have a right to restitution if criminal charges are brought.

You do not say how long it has been since the fire, but at some point they should allow you to see your property whether you ahve insurance or not. It's just going to be a lot easier if you have insurance. ... Read More