For the first time in more than a year, the number of lawsuits against companies in the credit and collection industry alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act were up while the number of suits alleging violations of the Fair Credit Reporting …
Read More »Judge Grants MSJ For Plaintiff in WVCCPA Bona Fide Error Case
A District Court judge in West Virginia has granted summary judgment in favor of a plaintiff who received a collection letter from a defendant that did not include updated language required under the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act related to the collection of time-barred debts. A copy of …
Read More »FTC Settles With Avant Over Deceptive Collection Practices
The Federal Trade Commission and Avant, LLC have reached a settlement that will see the online lender return $3.85 million back to consumers after it was accused of engaging in unfair and deceptive collection practices. Avant was accused of withdrawing payments for loans from the bank accounts of customers or …
Read More »Washington State Senate Passes Flurry of Bills Aimed at Collection Industry
The Washington State Senate passed a trio of debt collection-related bills yesterday, sending two of them to the desk of Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature to become law and sending the other one back to the state House to approve an amendment before that one is sent to Gov. …
Read More »Judge Grants MTD in FDCPA Dispute Suit Over Plaintiff’s Lack of Intent to Dispute
Saying in a deposition that he had no plans to dispute a debt and admitting he just “scanned” over a collection letter, a District Court judge in Pennsylvania has granted a defendant’s motion to dismiss, arguing the plaintiff’s lawsuit, in which he accused the defendant of violating the Fair Debt …
Read More »Pair of Scammers Facing Lengthy Jail Terms After Guilty Verdict
A pair of individuals have been found guilty by a jury for their roles in a debt collection scam that bilked individuals out of more than $6 million. The pair — Laurence Sessum and Jacqueline Dianne Okomba — were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and are facing …
Read More »Consumer Advocate Blasts Collectors For Making ‘Enormous’ Number of Robocalls
Companies collecting debts “make an enormous number” of robocalls and many of those callers are “repeatedly and flagrantly” violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, “paying off consumers” when they are sued and “then continuing their patterns of calling,” claimed Margot Saunders, the senior counsel of the National Consumer Law Center, …
Read More »Collection Firm Sues Citibank For Non-Payment of Collection Fees for $40 Million of Forgiven Loans
Citibank has not paid a collection law firm $8 million it is owed as part of an agreement to collect on delinquent second mortgages, according to a copy of a complaint filed in a New Jersey Superior Court. Citibank has filed a motion to have the case removed to federal …
Read More »Judge Denies MTD in FDCPA Suit That Included Contingent Collection Fee in Initial Letter
When is the right time to include a contingent collection fee in a collection letter? Not in the first one, according to a District Court judge in New Jersey, who has denied a defendant’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit accusing it of violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by …
Read More »Judge Partially Grants MTD in FDCPA Letter Case, But Also Hints At Awarding Plaintiff Summary Judgment
A District Court judge in New York has partially granted a defendant’s motion to dismiss but also ordered the defendant to show cause why the plaintiff should not be granted summary judgment on another count in relation to a collection letter that was sent. A copy of the ruling in …
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