Is Louisiana Recovery Services calling you? Here’s what you need to know.
Most people owe some type of debt. Credit cards, medical bills, student loans, and mortgages are practically a part of life today. As long as your income is steady, debt can be managed.
But if you lose your job or experience a financial setback like car or house repairs, a debt load that was once easy to handle can spiral out of control, resulting in the accounts being charged-off and debt collectors calling.
As a profession, debt collectors have an unsavory reputation thanks to those who ignore professional ethics in favor of doing whatever it takes to get your money. Although the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibits unscrupulous conduct, methods like the following result in thousands of complaints to the Federal Trade Commission every year.
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- Calling at inconvenient times, such as before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
- Calling you at work after being informed that your boss does not permit such calls
- Threatening legal action they cannot take or have no intention of taking, such as having you arrested
- Discussing the debt with anyone except the you, your attorney, spouse, or co-signer
- Contacting you for payment after you have formally disputed the debt
Alleged Violations against Louisiana Recovery Services, Inc*
Despite these restrictions, many debt collectors use unethical tactics to get your money. Louisiana Recovery Services, Inc is a collection agency located in Lafayette, Louisiana. It was established in 1998, employs 20 to 49 staff, and is a member of the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals. Records archived at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website indicate that Louisiana Recovery Services, Inc has been accused of violating the FDCPA while trying to collect consumer debts.
Hope Montemagno v. Louisiana Recovery Services, Inc et al.
In June 2014 collectors from Louisiana Recovery Services, Inc began calling Ms. Hope Montemagno in an attempt to collect a consumer debt from Ricky, an individual she had previously been in a relationship with. In response to a call received on July 8, 2014, Ms. Montemagno explained that the relationship with Ricky had ended 10 years ago and she had not heard from him in over two years.
After making it plain that she had no contact information for him, she asked that her number be removed from the Louisiana Recovery Services, Inc system. More calls, however, allegedly followed.
On September 15, 2014, Louisiana Recovery Services, Inc called Ms. Montemagno in an attempt to collect a debt from her deceased mother. She politely informed them that her mother was dead, but another call followed nearly 10 days later. Ms. Montemagno, angry, swore at them to stop calling and once again informed them that her mother was dead.
Feeling exasperated and harassed, she hired a consumer attorney and filed a lawsuit against Louisiana Recovery Services, Inc for the following alleged FDCPA violations:
- Using harassing and abusive conduct to collect a debt
- Continuing to contact her after she insisted that she had no way of contacting the debtors
The judge later ruled in favor of the plaintiff.
The phone numbers for Louisiana Recovery Services, Inc are 1-337-233-6300 and 1-877-277-6300. If either number appears on your caller ID, be aware that a debt collector is trying to collect a debt from you or locate a debtor you know or are related to. If they continue to call you even after you have made it clear that you have no contact information for the debtor, see a consumer attorney.
Such repeated contact violates the FDCPA, and you could be awarded $1,000 per violation plus attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. When a debt collector does not listen to you, they may ended up forced to listen to a judge.
*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is 6:15-cv-02270-SMH-PJH, from United States District Court, Western District of Louisiana.
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 Louisiana Recovery Services, Inc or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.