Cite as 2014 Ark. 363
Agencies, Simpson contends that commencing the debt collection action against her violated this federal statute.
After we accepted the certified question, Patty Simpson ("Simpson" or "Petitioner") and Cavalry SPV I, LLC, as assignee of HSBC Bank Nevada, N.A./Orchard Bank ("Cavalry" or "Respondent") filed their briefs. Additionally, the Arkansas Creditors Bar Association (as amici curiae) filed a brief after this court granted it permission to do so on May 1, 2014.
The certified questions present issues of statutory construction. This court's rules regarding statutory construction are clear and well established. The basic rule of statutory construction is to give effect to the intent of the legislature. Calaway v. Practice Mgmt. Servs., Inc., 2010 Ark. 432. Where the language of a statute is plain and unambiguous, this court determines legislative intent from the ordinary meaning of the language used. Id. In considering the meaning of a statute, this court construes it just as it reads, giving the words their ordinary and usually accepted meaning in common language. Id. This court construes the statute so that no word is left void, superfluous, or insignificant, and this court gives meaning and effect to every word in the statute, if possible. Id. If the language of a statute is clear and unambiguous and conveys a clear and definite meaning, it is unnecessary to resort to the rules of statutory interpretation. Brown v. State, 375 Ark. 499, 292 S.W.3d 288 (2009). However, this court will not give statutes a literal interpretation if it leads to absurd consequences that are contrary to legislative intent. Brock v. Townsell, 2009 Ark. 224, 309 S.W.3d 179.
A statute is considered ambiguous if it is open to more than one construction. Pulaski
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