Payday loan co. taken to court due to Social Security card, birth certificate
Neon payday loan storefront sign.
WINDOW ROCK
A Navajo woman, who was the subject of a 2014 profile by NBC News because of her problems with a Gallup payday loan company, has now taken that company to court.
Tammy Lee, 20, is one of three plaintiffs represented by New Mexico Legal Aid – the other two are Trudell Pino Sr. and Rose Mary Wood – have filed a suit against Cash Cow.
They are alleging that the company violates state law by refusing to return the plaintiff’s and their family’s Social Security and birth certificates for months or even years until their loans are paid in full.
This practice, which is common among payday loan companies in the Gallup area, has made it impossible for the plaintiffs to get the state and tribal help they need to get on welfare and housing assistance programs, according to the suit.
“By using vital and sensitive identification documents as collateral, Cash Cow holds a person’s very ability to provide for their families,” said Jean Phillips, a staff attorney for the New Mexico Legal Aid office in Gallup, which is one of the firms representing the plaintiffs.
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