Called By Colonial Credit Corporation? Here’s What to Know*

When debt collector push their legal limits, we can reach a point where we don’t want to answer the phone or pick up the mail. If this happens to you, it is important to understand your rights and what you can do to protect yourself.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was passed in 1977 to protect consumers from being harassed and humiliated by third-party debt collectors. It penalizes collection agencies that use actions like the following to settle a debt.

• Calling you at work after you tell them that you can’t take personal calls there
• Threatening to report the debt to the credit bureaus until it is paid
• Demanding amounts that are not supported by law or the original creditor agreement
• Threatening legal action they cannot take or have no intention of taking
• Using profane or obscene language
• Talking to your friends and family about your debt

Company Profile: Colonial Credit Corporation

If you are being called by Colonial Credit Corporation, a summary of the company’s history and management is below.

Colonial Credit Corporation, which also does business as Wolpoff & Abramson, is a debt collection company in Rockville, Maryland. It opened for business in 2006, has 10 employees, and is managed by its President, Daniel Varner. Digitized court proceedings available at the PACER website indicate that consumers who believed that they were being harassed by Colonial Credit Corporation took action.

Alleged Violations against Colonial Credit Corporation*

According to information on the PACER website, in or around late 2006, Colonial Credit Corporation tried to collect a debt from a Texas consumer by filing an arbitration action against him with the National Arbitration Forum, but allegedly failed to produce an arbitration agreement that backed the action. The consumer also alleged that the debt was time-barred.

Feeling harassed by Colonial Credit Corporation, the consumer sued the company for:

• Failing to validate the debt
• Misrepresenting the legal status of the debt
• Taking action that could not legally be taken

The matter was later settled.

Hire a Consumer Lawyer

The phone number for this debt collection agency is 1-240-386-3000. Seeing it on your caller ID is evidence that Colonial Credit Corporation may be pursuing you. If they take legal action against you without the proper standing, forcing you to spend money defending yourself, hire a consumer lawyer and file a claim against Colonial Credit Corporation. You could receive $1,000 per FDCPA violation as well as associated costs. When your financial integrity is at stake, fighting back is worth it.

Additional Resources

• Has a debt collector attempted to collect an old debt?
• Has a debt collector taken money from your bank account?

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 3:07-cv-00641-D from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.

Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be constructed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Colonial Credit Corporation or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.