Is Hollis Cobb Associates calling you? Here’s what you need to know.
Debt can overwhelm you when you least expect it. One day you’re paying down the principal on your credit cards, student loans, and mortgage.
The next, you’ve lost your job or been injured in an accident and can’t work. The arrears accumulate, and next thing you know, debt collectors are calling. For many, that’s when the nightmare begins.
Debt collectors are not legally permitted to be abusive and harassing during the collection process. Their actions are regulated by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA.
This consumer protection law, which is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, makes it illegal for them to say or do things like the following when attempting to collect a debt:
- Use obscene or profane language
- Call you outside of the 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. time frame in your time zone
- Call you at work after you’ve told them that you’re not allowed to talk to them there
- Discuss the debt with anyone except you, your spouse, attorney and any co-signers
- Pretend to be police officers or government agents
- Make threats they cannot legally carry out or have no intention of carrying out
Alleged Violations against Hollis Cobb Associates*
For many debt collectors, the FDCPA is not a deterrent. They say and do whatever they feel is necessary to get your money.
Hollis Cobb Associates is a specialty healthcare collection agency headquartered in Norcross, Georgia. It was established in 1977, employs 50 to 99 staff, and is a member of both the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals and the Georgia Collector’s Association.
It also has branch offices in Chicago, Illinois, Jackson, Mississippi, Mobile, Alabama, Managua in Nicaragua, and Panama City, Panama. Records archived at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website confirm that Hollis Cobb Associates has been accused of violating consumer rights during some debt collection attempts.
On or around September 20, 2012, debt collectors from Hollis Cobb Associates called an Illinois consumer to collect a debt she allegedly owed. During this communication, the consumer notified the collector that she had an attorney to file for bankruptcy and provided the attorney’s contact information.
Despite having received this notice, Hollis Cobb Associates allegedly called her numerous times thereafter to collect the debt.
Feeling harassed, the consumer hired a consumer attorney and filed a complaint accusing the company of the following FDCPA violations:
- Contacting her directly after she had advised its representative that she was represented by an attorney
- Using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt
- Using unfair or unconscionable means to collect a debt
The matter was later dismissed.
The phone numbers below are all connected to the various offices of Hollis Cobb Associates:
1-678-969-7800
1-312-279-8300
1-601-933-2520
1-251-345-7000
1-305-777-6919
1-507-838-8807
If any of these numbers appear on your caller ID, it means that a debt collector is attempting to contact you. If you have retained legal counsel regarding the debt and Hollis Cobb Associates persists in contacting you about it directly, schedule an appointment with a consumer attorney.
If you opt to take the agency to court, you may be awarded $1,000 per FDCPA violation, as well as court costs, attorney fees, and any actual damages.
When debt collectors push you too far, let the law help you push back.
*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is 1:13-cv-00031 from the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.
Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Hollis Cobb Associates or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.