By Megan WildMoving can present an exciting opportunity, but if you’re a pet owner and a renter, the normal chaos of packing up could be accompanied with stress over how to handle the damage your pet has done to the property over time. As you notice each thing your furry family member has been responsible for, you might get a sinking feeling there’s no way you’ll get your security deposit back or worse, your home might have lost a significant amount of value.Fortunately, there are several things you can do to fix the unsightly pet-related problems around the house?.Clean Carpeting with Baking Soda and VinegarEven if you have a thoroughly house-trained dog or a cat that understands how to use the litter box, you’ve probably had to deal with pet urine stains on your carpet. However, they’re more stressful if they happen when trying to get the house spruced up for a move-out inspection. Act quickly and use a natural solution. That way, you won’t have to worry about your pet coming in contact with chemicals during your remaining time in the house.If you’re dealing with a very recent stain that’s still moist, carefully blot it with a paper towel. Then apply a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar and soak it. If the stain is especially bad, use pure vinegar instead. Once you’ve soaked the area, scrub as hard as possible to get down into the deepest carpet fibers. After that, add a bit of baking soda and leave the spot until it’s dry. Finally, vacuum the area.It’s crucial not to wait too long before cleaning pet stains. If the urine reaches the padding underneath the carpet, the method above may not be powerful enough. You might have to rely on a carpet cleaning company that uses water extraction methods to get the job done.Remove Pet Odors from Hardwood FloorsPerhaps the home you’re moving out of doesn’t have visible pet stains, but you’ve noticed areas covered with hardwood material seem to have absorbed the odor of your pets. Because certain cleaning agents can be very harsh on hardwood floors, it’s important to find some that are gentle, yet effective.Vinegar starts removing bad smells almost immediately. Alternatively, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide can also do the trick. All three could weaken the sealant or cause bleaching if not applied carefully or if left on too long, so don’t leave the area unattended.Improve Wood Furniture That’s Been Chewed by a DogIt’s certainly stressful to come home from a day at work to discover your dog has decided wooden furniture is a more adequate chew toy than the items you’ve provided for playtime. If it seems your dog is repeatedly chewing wood furniture and eating the shavings, it may be a self-inflicted injury worth consulting your veterinarian about.Once you’re satisfied the dog isn’t intentionally chowing down on the furniture due to a behavioral or physical problem that needs attention, turn your efforts toward improving the damaged wood. Take a utility knife and cut small, diagonal hatch marks across the chewed area. Hold the blade directly in your hand if possible to maintain good control, and put masking tape over the sharp parts to protect your skin. Then, make a batch of auto-body filler according to the packaging instructions. You’ll probably have to put several applications on the affected area to build up the surface so it’s flush with the part that hasn’t been chewed. However, once applied, the substance dries in about five minutes, so be careful not to prepare too much at once.Put the auto-body filler on a paper plate and mix it well for 30 seconds. Then, cover the chewed wood with the filler and wait until it’s dry, but not hardened. If necessary, use a knife blade to carve away excess filler, and sandpaper to smooth out the surface. You can also run a wax fill stick over the sanded surface to fill in any remaining small holes. This wood repair method may seem a little involved, but it’s something you can try even without having carpentry knowledge.Conceal Claw Marks on Leather FurnitureCats are arguably more likely than dogs to scratch leather furniture with their claws, especially since they naturally need to sharpen them on surfaces regularly. Ideally they’d use scratching posts, but that doesn’t always happen. Furthermore, dogs may unintentionally leave claw marks on leather, especially if they feel they are slipping and try to grip the surface. Luckily, there are ways to make claw markings less visible.If the area is only slightly affected so the leather appears to have an abrasion, try applying white vinegar with a soft cloth. The vinegar makes the leather swell, which may hide the marks. Using leather polish after the vinegar should conceal mild scratch marks even more.If the marks are so severe they have created tears, you’ll need to use a leather repair kit that includes a solution tinted about the same color as the damaged material. Insert a scrap of fabric, such as an iron-on patch, into the hole to add stability. Put grain paper with the grain side down over the material after you’ve applied the repair solution. Iron the grain paper as a finishing touch, then pull it away to see the results.Moving can be stressful, but thanks to these tips, you can stress less when getting the property ready to vacate.Megan Wild is a dog owner who loves spending time at home with her pup, Tucker. When she’s not on a hike outside, she loves designing and improving her home. You can find her tips and ideas on her personal blog, Your Wild Home.
Here’s a mind-blowing stat: In 2014, American adults collectively spent more than 2.3 billion minutes on lawn care and gardening.Many of the millions of Americans who do yardwork don’t mind putting in that time, though. Anonline poll commissioned in 2015 by the National Association of Landscape Professionals found that 75 percent of U.S. adults think it’s important to spend time in their yards.In this infographic, LawnStarter breaks down the amount of time Americans devote — willingly or not — to yardwork over the course of a year.
Authorities Announce 30 New Actions Targeting Illegal Practices Such as Phony Debt Collection, Threats of Arrest & Wage GarnishmentFOR RELEASENovember 4, 2015TAGS: deceptive/misleading conduct Finance Bureau of Consumer Protection Consumer ProtectionCredit and Finance Debt CollectionThe Federal Trade Commission and other law enforcement authorities around the country announced the first coordinated federal-state enforcement initiative targeting deceptive and abusive debt collection practices. This nationwide crackdown encompasses 30 new law enforcement actions by federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities against collectors who use illegal tactics such as harassing phone calls and false threats of litigation, arrest, and wage garnishment. The cases announced today bring to 115 the total number of actions taken so far this year by the more than 70 law enforcement partners in the Operation Collection Protection initiative.Some of these actions allege that collectors knowingly attempted to collect so-called phantom debts – phony debts that consumers do not actually owe. The illegal practices targeted by authorities also include the failure of some collectors to give consumers legally required disclosures and notices, or to follow state and local licensing requirements.“Being in debt is stressful enough for many Americans without also being subjected to intimidation and false threats,” FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez said. “Debtors have certain rights and rogue collectors that step outside the law will face the consequences of illegal behavior.”Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said, “My office receives thousands of calls and complaints each year from consumers who are victims of illegal debt collection tactics. Through our partnership with the FTC and states across the country, we are putting scam operations out of business and protecting consumers from abusive practices by legitimate creditors.”Minnesota Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman added, “Illegal and abusive tactics by debt collectors are a nationwide problem that requires a nationwide response. By working together in this new federal-state collaboration, we are joining our forces to stop these abusive practices and protect the public.”As part of the initiative, the FTC announced five new enforcement actions against debt collectors engaged in allegedly illegal practices. The FTC has asked federal courts to halt three abusive debt collection operations. One of the complaints has been filed under seal, and so the Commission cannot yet disclose details of that case. Two other operations have agreed to settle Commission charges:BAM Financial: The FTC has alleged that the defendants extracted payments from consumers through intimidation, lies and other unlawful tactics. According to the FTC’s complaint, the defendants bought consumer debts and collected payment on their own behalf by threatening consumers with lawsuits, wage garnishment and arrest, and by impersonating attorneys or process servers. They also unlawfully disclosed debts to, or harassed, third parties, failed to identify themselves as debt collectors, and failed to notify consumers of their right to receive verification of the purported debts.In one instance, the defendants falsely told a consumer’s 84 year-old mother they had a warrant for her daughter’s arrest, and later told the consumer they represented a bounty hunter and would have the sheriff serve her with process. The defendants falsely told another consumer that she would not be allowed to see her children, and that they would garnish her wages and report her to the Internal Revenue Service if she did not pay.The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint was 4-0. The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California issued a temporary restraining order against the BAM Financial defendants on October 21, 2015, halting their operations.Delaware Solutions: In a joint action by the FTC and the Attorney General of the State of New York, the Delaware Solutions defendants are charged with attempting to collect on debts they knew were bogus. The defendants bought payday loans supposedly owed to a company that repeatedly told them to stop collection efforts because the debts were invalid, and ignored consumers’ evidence that they had never authorized a payday loan.According to the complaint, the defendants also failed to identify themselves to consumers as debt collectors, falsely portrayed themselves as process servers or attorneys, and falsely threatened arrest or litigation. The defendants also unlawfully disclosed consumers’ debts to third parties in an attempt to embarrass the consumers into paying them.The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint was 4-0. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York issued a temporary restraining order against the Delaware Solutions defendants on October 6, 2015, halting their operations. This is the seventh case against an abusive Buffalo debt collection enterprise that the FTC has filed in the last two years, four of which were filed jointly with the New York Attorney General’s office.K.I.P., LLC: Under a settlement with the FTC and the Illinois Attorney General, a married couple who ran a phantom debt collection scheme based in Aurora, Illinois, have agreed to a $6.4 million judgment, and a ban on working in any debt collection business.In April 2015, the FTC and the Illinois Attorney General charged K.I.P. LLC, and Charles and Chantelle Dickey, with threatening and intimidating consumers to pay payday loan debts they either did not owe, or did not owe to the defendants. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division subsequently halted the operation and froze the defendants’ assets pending litigation.According to the complaint, the defendants used a host of business names to target consumers who obtained or applied for payday or other short-term loans. Claiming those loans were delinquent, they threatened to garnish consumers’ wages, suspend or revoke their driver’s licenses, have them arrested or imprisoned, or sue those who did not pay. Many consumers paid, even though they may not have owed the debts, because they believed the defendants would follow through on their threats or because they simply wanted to end the harassment.The proposed stipulated final order also prohibits the defendants from misrepresenting financial products and services, profiting from customers’ personal information, and failing to dispose of such information properly. It imposes a $6,403,781 judgment, including proceeds from the sale of a car and the turnover of any assets held by third parties.The Commission vote approving the filing of the proposed stipulated final order was 4-0. The proposed order is subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.National Check Registry: The operators of a debt collection scheme agreed to a ban on participating in any debt collection business to settle charges brought by the FTC and the New York Attorney General’s Office in June 2014 that the defendants used lies and false threats to collect millions of dollars from consumers.The settlement order prohibits the defendants from misrepresenting material facts about any financial-related product or service, including lending, credit repair, debt relief, and mortgage assistance relief services, and profiting from customers’ personal information. One of the defendants, Joseph Bella, will pay $112,000 and surrender certain bank accounts, two cars and two boats.The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the proposed stipulated final order was 5-0. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York entered the order on October 16, 2015.The orders involving K.I.P., LLC and National Check Registry impose millions of dollars in judgments, include strong injunctive relief and monitoring provisions, and ban the defendants from working in the debt collection industry for life. With the new settlements, the FTC has now secured final judgments in seven cases so far in 2015, placing 33 defendants under strict federal court orders, securing over $88 million in judgments, and banning 24 defendants from working in debt collection.NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. Stipulated orders have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge.To learn more, read Facing Debt Collection? Know Your Rights and Fake Debt Collectors.The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook(link is external), follow us on Twitter(link is external), and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.PRESS RELEASE REFERENCE: FTC, Illinois Attorney General Halt Chicago Area Operation Charged With Illegally Pressuring Consumers to Pay ‘Phantom’ DebtsCONTACT INFORMATIONMEDIA CONTACT:Frank DormanFTC Office of Public Affairs 202-326-2674STAFF CONTACTS: Chris KoegelBureau of Consumer Protection 202-326-2761Tom CarterSouthwest Region Office214-979-9372