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(USGovernment-News.Com, May 28, 2015 ) Savannah, GA -- A Missouri woman has won $83 million against a collection agency that used “malicious prosecution,” in pursuing her for a debt that she didn’t even owe.
A judge has found Portfolio Recover Associates LLC guilty of violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act in their pursuit of Maria Guadalupe Mejia and fined the company $250,000 in damages. The remaining $82,990,000 sum was awarded to Mejia for punitive damages.
Mejia’s trouble began in February of 2013 when Portfolio Recovery sued her over a $1,000 outstanding credit card bill. However, the bill actually belonged to a man in Kansas City with a name similar to Mejia’s.
Over the next 15 months, the company continued to pursue legal action against Mejia, causing her a great deal of fear and stress.
Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, debt collectors can not:
• Pose as a law enforcement officer
• Use threatening, foul or abusive language
• Contact you before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m.
• Try to reach you at work
• Mail personal information on the outside of a collection letter
• Disclose damaging information to a third party
• Pose as an attorney or fake affiliation with a law firm
If you feel a debt collector has violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, contact a law firm that specializes in debt collection such as Monge & Associates.
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