Lawsuits citing Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) violations reached 10,788 this year through Nov. 30. Last year, the 10,000 mark was reached on Dec. 1.
FDCPA lawsuits in the most recent reporting period of Nov. 16-30 totaled 385, reports WebRecon LLC, a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based company that tracks the data from the courts. Through Nov. 30, the number of consumer statute lawsuits reached 11,597. The total includes not only FDCPA cases but also Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) cases (1,714), Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) cases (432) and the Truth-in-Lending Act cases (1,432). Many of the lawsuits list more than one alleged violation.
For the Nov. 16-30 reporting period, consumers sued an estimated 427 different collection agencies and creditors, down from 474 in the Nov. 1-15 period and down from 498 in the Oct. 16-31 period.
Year-to-date, attorney David M. Larson has represented 314 consumers in cases against agencies and creditors, followed by Feng Li (299), Craig T. Kimmel (239) and Sergei Lemberg (227). In the most recent reporting period, attorney Edwin D. Haskins led the way representing 18 consumers, followed by Larson with 14.
The top courts for lawsuits in the second half of November include: Colorado District Court - Denver (25 lawsuits); California Central District Court - Western Division - Los Angeles (22); and Minnesota District Court (21).
