Some Credit Card Collection Efforts and Foreclosures Rely on Sloppy or Fraudulent Documents
It’s a new year, but the specter of old debt, robo-signing and fraudulent foreclosure practices continues to haunt Missouri consumers.
The use of a dead woman’s name on affidavits used by a debt collector to bring credit card debt lawsuits against consumers is the latest incarnation of the problem, according to a story that ran on New Year’s Eve in The Wall Street Journal.
The story describes “an epidemic of mass-produced, sloppy and inaccurate documentation in the debt-collection industry.”
Martha Kunkle died in 1995, but her signature later popped up on documents used by Portfolio Recovery Associates, a collector of credit card debt. The practice led to a 2008 lawsuit against the debt collector in Montana for allegedly targeting 16,000 borrowers with “false and misleading” affidavits. The suit was settled confidentially last year with no admission of wrongdoing by the company.
The Wall Street Journal focuses in part on Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, who said he will investigate whether Kunkle’s name appears on affidavits used to collect debt in Missouri.
If you are the target of a credit card debt lawsuit or a foreclosure debt lawsuit, contact the lawyers at the S.E. Farris Law Firm who focus on defending credit card and foreclosure debt lawsuits. Call 314-A-LAWYER (314-252-9937) today for a free consultation or fill out our online contact form.