Are You Being Called By Margraf Collection Agency, Inc.?*

Are you being called by Margraf Collection Agency, Inc.?* Here’s what you need to know

If you miss a few payments on your mortgage, credit cards, or medical bills, you’ll soon be hearing from a debt collector. Several times, potentially, because they get paid when you pay. If they push you too far, however, be aware that you have rights no matter how much you may owe.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, requires third-party debt collectors to behave professionally when communicating with indebted consumers. Hostile tactics like those below are illegal, and can result in both fines and revocation of the agency’s license.

• Using profane and obscene language
• Telling you that you can be arrested for not paying your debts
• Contacting your friends, family and co-workers and discussing the debt with them
• Threatening legal action they cannot take or have no intention of taking
• Threatening to call your company’s payroll department and garnish your wages
• Using constant phone calls to annoy or harass you

Company Profile: Margraf Collection Agency, Inc.

If you are being called by Margraf Collection Agency, Inc., information about the company is below.

Margraf Collection Agency, Inc. is a debt collection company located in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. It was established in 1958, has less than 10 employees, and is managed by its President, Brian Haukom. It has a C rating with the Better Business Bureau due to failure to respond to consumer complaints. A review of litigation files at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website indicates that consumers who believed that they were being harassed by Margraf Collection Agency, Inc. chose to repel the agency’s claims in court.

Alleged Violations against Margraf Collection Agency, Inc.

Stephen Bloodworth, Individually and on Behalf of All Others Similarly Situated vs. Margraf Collection Agency, Inc.*

According to PACER, on or about May 31, 2016, Margraf Collection Agency, Inc. sent a debt collection letter to Wisconsin resident Stephen Bloodworth, demanding payment for a medical debt. He allegedly did not receive a debt validation letter within five days, but another collection letter followed on June 20, this one demanding payment before July 5 if he wanted to avoid a negative notation on his credit report.

Feeling harassed by Margraf Collection Agency, Inc., Mr. Bloodworth hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Failing to send a debt validation letter
• Demanding payment under terms that violated his dispute rights
• Using false, deceptive and misleading means to collect a debt
• Threatening legal action that could not be taken

The matter was later resolved.

Hire an Attorney

The phone number for this debt collection agency is 1-800-236-8484. If it appears on your caller ID when the phone rings, it means that you are being called by Margraf Collection Agency, Inc.. If they make payment demands that violate your dispute rights, contact a consumer attorney who can help you file a claim against Margraf Collection Agency, Inc.. You could potentially win $1,000 per FDCPA violation plus attorney fees and court costs. If a collection agency tries to harass money out of you, a lawsuit will remind them that you have rights.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 2:16-cv-01174-JPS from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 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 Margraf Collection Agency, Inc. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.