W. Va. Woman Fights to Collect $10 Million from Debt Collectors

[mfcorey1]

snip

Two years ago, a debt collector with a company called Reliant Financial Associates, or RFA, left a message implying that her house was in jeopardy if she didn't pay a debt. The message stated:

"I'm calling in regards to a preliminary asset liability investigation. They are in the process of serving some court documents in regards to case 29369... They have some information now pending questions at the property,... Springdale Avenue, in Wheeling, West Virginia. It is in your best interests to contact the department. You are required to contact 866-764-9779."

It is illegal for debt collectors to make empty threats about serving people with a lawsuit or seizing their home. And it was especially galling to Mey, who says she is debt-free.

"They threatened to take legal action against our property and it wasn't even our debt," Mey said.

Millions of Americans are victims of this kind of mistaken debtor identity, partly because of a new breed of collectors called "debt buyers." They purchase old debts for pennies that the original creditors have given up on and then try to collect them for a big profit. Critics say debt buyers sometimes use outrageous tactics to get the money where others have failed. RFA is a debt buyer.

Mey wrote RFA a cease and desist letter, telling the company not to contact her anymore, and sent it certified mail. Postal records show exactly when RFA signed for it. Precisely 23 minutes later, Mey started getting mysterious hang-up calls that showed up on her caller ID as coming from her local county government.

"So I called the number back and it was the sheriff's department. And I asked if someone there was trying to reach me. And they said, no - nobody there was trying to reach me," Mey said.

After two days of hang-up calls from that sheriff's department number, Mey picked up another one with that same caller ID. The man on the line repeatedly called her a vulgar name for the female anatomy. He described violent sexual acts he would like to subject her to and asked if she liked to be "gang banged."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/va-woman-fights-collect-10-million-debt-collectors/story?id=16205697#.T5h00I7BrqF

[hobbit709]

1. Those bottom feeders have been around for years.

No "new breed" at all.

Look up clowns like NCO Financial,
·Unifund Partners
·Portfolio Recovery Associates
·Palisades a/k/a Asta Funding
·Midland Credit Management
·LVNV Funding
·AFNI
·Fredrick Hanna & Associates
·Asset Acceptance Capital Corp
·Marauder Corporation
·Brachfeld & Associates

[Riftaxe]

2. I would rather punish those who assume the debt...

A bit strange that, but i from the days when assuming a debt actually meant something.

That does not mean I support the abuses, but sure as hell it people actually read things before it happened, and this was back in the 198-'s when 19% interest was not only not unheard of but the federal standard.

However; I am surely without doubt 100% behind throwing prison time behind those who overstep debt collection....I personally think laws for wrongfully attempting to collect on it, worth about 20% of the time they do today if they were convicted of as much back then.

Fine print actually means something, half of me is a bit stunned at what people agree to, a hell of a lot more then half of me is offended by the means of collectors, profiting on the debtors collect...but is in the end, is the price of being stupid.

Actually reading a contract, might be a new concept for some.

Today we have 29.9% APR with morons actually using it, what can you do?

[hobbit709]

4. These bastards buy debts that have been charged off by the original creditor

for 3 to 5 cents on the dollar. Then they try to scare you into paying them full value of the debt. In TX, 4 years after the original creditor charges it off-i.e. writes it as a loss on their books-it is no longer legally collectible. I've had a couple of these guys try to collect for debts that were written off in 1993. And about 90% of what they tell you when they call is illegal under the FDCPA.

[Riftaxe]

5. As someone who had a 17.8% mortgage

I am all for for prosecuting the nebulous term of banker!

[BlueIris]

3. I am so horrified to read these stories.

Yes, I know they're common. They're also awful.