Dolores Maddux owed a credit card debt to CitiFinancial. CitiFinancial sold the debt, and Merchants Retail Credit Association (MRCA) eventually bought it.
MRCA tried to collect the debt from Gilbert Maddux, Dolores Maddux’s spouse, and Jeni Maddux, her daughter. MRCA treated the Madduxes like dirt.
MRCA demanded $10,000 from Dolores Maddux when they finally called her after first contacting her daughter. $10,000 was more than Dolores Maddux thought she owed, so she disputed the amount.
When she disputed the amount, MRCA debt collectors called her lazy, fat, black, inbred, pathetic, and stupid. The MRCA debt collector threatened to tell everyone Dolores Maddux knew that she was a deadbeat. The debt collectors from MRCA laughed at her and threatened to ruin her life and Gilbert Maddux’s life. They called her a liar, a thief, and verbally abused her and her husband, daughter, and others, telling the people they called that Dolores Maddux was a deadbeat, a thief, a liar, etc.
They continued to call Gilbert Maddux at work and on his cellular phone, even though Gilbert Maddux had no liability for the debt. A MRCA debt collector “stated that if Gilbert did not pay the debt, he would ‘bring four guys down from Topeka to take care of the situation’ . . . .” They called Jeni Maddux and her roommates, accused them of being Dolores Maddux, and called one roommate a “stupid n[----]r” and an inbreed.
MRCA called incessantly and threatened the Madduxes repeatedly, using threats, abusive language, and profanity–even after the Madduxes hired an attorney–that the Jackson County, Missouri, district court took over 100 paragraphs to catalog. The court awarded $616,970.87 to the Madduxes and $237,418.94 in attorney fees and costs to the Madduxes’ attorneys.
While MRCA’s behavior may not be typical in the debt collection industry, it is not unusual. So few consumers ever call an attorney that debt collectors can almost get away with murder in collecting debts.
If you are in Minnesota, contact The Glover Law Firm, LLC, for a free case evaluation. In any other state, you can find a consumer rights lawyer using the National Association of Consumer Advocates lawyer database.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t care who you are a collection agency has no right to treat anyone like that.
Good for you Ms. Maddux!
Dear:
A bank sued me for @20,000 debt at NY state supreme court.
I do not have this account. thieves seem to have opened it. It is the bank’s fraud.
Can anyone help me to get a damages from the bank?
c. sone
So many people dont do what the Maddux did,sue.You’d think that others would back off and take note.FDCPA is a joke to some debt collectors,hopefully others will take note and back off.Our discharge order has been violated for over 10yr.Cenlar Federal Savings bank sold the debt to Aurora Loan Service about 2002,they sold the discharged debt to Midland Mo. in 2005,all 3 re-aged,and reported on our perfect credit off and on thru 2006. Midland hired Barrett Burke Wilson Castle Daffin Frappier a professional Attorney to collect the debt,they made a mistake and sent us in 2008 a letter stateing that we still owed the discharged debt,they also stated that I did not have clean hands in the matter.The debt was never validated,nothing sent within 5 day’s after I was contacted,they attemped to collect a discharged debt even after being notified of the order.But I get the feeling that Attorneys dont like suing Attorneys.A order means nothing,not worth the paper it’s written on,BBWCDF also sent that letter to 14 others letting them know that we still owe the debt.It will soon be x-mas 2008 and all 4 are guilty of attempting to collect on a ZOMBIE DEBT THAT REFUSE TO DIE!!!They seem to underestimated my determinationand resolve.Ido not want anyone to be subject to the harsh abuse,disrespect,deceptive,unfair injury,emotional stress and sleepless night that we’ve had to endure for yrs.Well it’s 1:45 in the morning,I’ll wake up ready to finish this fight,I cant quit .Good-night!