While lawsuits citing violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) fell in August on both a monthly and yearly comparison, Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) lawsuits are rising fast, according to data from U.S. district courts.
TCPA lawsuits in August rose 15.4% from July and 72% compared to August 2012. Year-to-date, TCPA lawsuits are up 65%. WebRecon LLC, a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based company, pulls the monthly data from the courts.
FDCPA lawsuits fell 2.3% in August compared to July, and fell 16% compared with August 2012. For the full year, FDCPA lawsuits are down 5% compared to the first eight months of 2012. FDCPA lawsuits for the full year fell an estimated 7% compared to 2011, marking the first year that FDCPA cases against collectors have dropped after several years of growth.
In August, an estimated 981 different collection agencies and creditors were sued in 152 separate district court branches. There were an estimated 1,118 unique plaintiffs, including 373 - or 33.4% - who previously had sued under consumer statutes. Combined, those plaintiffs have filed an estimated 1,974 lawsuits since 2001.
