Are You Being Called By IPC of Nevada, Inc.?*

Are You Being Called By IPC of Nevada, Inc.?* Here’s what you need to know.

Money worries are a huge source of stress, but they can get worse if your creditors turn your accounts over to collection agencies or sell them to junk debt buyers. Calls and notices demanding money will soon follow, and not all debt collectors bother to conduct themselves professionally.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, restricts the activities of third-party collection agencies by making it illegal to do any of the following while collecting or attempting to collect a debt:

• Using an autodialer to leave a series of prerecorded messages
• Telling your friends and family about the debt
• Claiming that you can be arrested or lose your children if they do not pay
• Calling before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Failing to identify themselves as debt collectors trying to collect a debt
• Telling uninvolved third parties that they are trying to collect money from you

Company Profile: IPC of Nevada, Inc.

If you are being called by IPC of Nevada, Inc., information about the company is below.

IPC of Nevada, Inc. is a branch office of IPC Healthcare, a nationwide doctor group practice headquartered in North Hollywood, California. Its duties include medical billing and collections. IPC Healthcare was established in 1995 and the Las Vegas office managed by its Regional Senior Vice President, Steve Peterson. Records retained at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website indicate that a consumer who believed they were being harassed by IPC of Nevada, Inc. hired a consumer attorney and faced the company in court.

Alleged Violations against IPC of Nevada, Inc.

Julie Heppner vs. IPC of Nevada, Inc.*

According to PACER, on or about January 3, 2012, IPC of Nevada, Inc. sent Michigan resident Julie Heppner a letter attempting to collect on an alleged medical debt. Ms. Heppner later complained that the letter did not advise her of her 30-day validation notice rights or identify the sender as a debt collector.

Sometime at the beginning of March 2012 IPC of Nevada, Inc. called Ms. Heppner directly. She directed the caller to speak with her bankruptcy attorney regarding the alleged debt and provided the attorney’s contact information, but on or about March 6, 2012, the agency allegedly sent her another letter attempting to collect on the alleged debt. This time Ms. Heppner sent a letter stating that she turned the bill over to her lawyer for further attention. In this letter, she again provided her attorney’s name and number, but another direct call allegedly followed.

Feeling harassed by IPC of Nevada, Inc., Ms. Heppner hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Failing to identify itself as a debt collector in all communications
• Contacting her directly even after she had provided her attorney’s contact information

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an Attorney

The phone number for this collection agency is 1-702-304-2144. If it appears on your caller ID when the phone rings it means that you are being called by IPC of Nevada, Inc.. If they persist in calling and sending you letters directly even after learning that you have engaged legal counsel regarding the debt, hire a consumer attorney. If you decide to file a claim against IPC of Nevada, Inc. and win your case, you could potentially be awarded $1,000 per violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. Ignoring a consumer’s rights is an expensive mistake for any collection agency to make.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 1:12-cv-12081-TLL-CEB from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Northern 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 IPC of Nevada, Inc., or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.