As long as we are here, we thought we might let the readers direct our posting. So, gentle readers, the ball is in your court. Ask questions in the comments about consumer rights, consumer law, or anything consumer-related that you might want to direct to a lawyer (debt collection, credit reporting, equity stripping, fair housing, predatory lending, auto fraud . . . you get the idea). A few of the best questions will be addressed in a post later today. It’s Dear Abby, Esq., today.

A few common-sense ground rules:

(1) IANYL (I am not your lawyer). Don’t post personal information about a case you may have. This is a public forum, after all. We will not give personalized advice over the Internet.
(2) IANALIYS (I am not a lawyer in your state). You can ask questions about anything consumer-related, but many consumer rights are regulated by state laws. We can talk about most federal consumer laws and generally about common law, but in the end, we will tell you to find a lawyer in your state.
(3) This information is worth what you paid for it (nothing). Don’t go complaining that you got bad advice.

That said, bring on the questions. — SAM GLOVER

(P.S. – We don’t know anything about bankruptcy, so don’t ask. Also, those sexy abbreviations came from Popken; I can’t take credit.)