Are You Being Called By MCC Group, Inc.?*

Are debt collectors calling you constantly and leaving messages that threaten upcoming lawsuits and wage garnishments? Are they embarrassing you by telling your family and boss that you owe money? If so, they’re breaking the law, although they would never admit it to you.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

Collecting a legitimate debt is, and always has been, legal. Bullying and harassing people into paying, however, is not. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, limits what third-party collection agencies may say or do when dealing with indebted consumers.

Collection tactics like those below could lead to an agency’s license revocation:

• Swearing, yelling, and calling you names
• Telling your friends, neighbors, and co-workers that you owe money
• Contacting you after you have formally requested that all communications cease
• Calling you outside of the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Failing or refusing to report a debt as disputed to the credit bureaus
• Making threats they have no intention of following up on, such as garnishing your wages or filing a lawsuit

Company Profile: MCC Group, Inc.

If you are being called by MCC Group, Inc., information about the company is below:

MCC Group, Inc. is a collection agency located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. It was established in 1976, has approximately 30 employees, and is managed by its President, Richard McDonald.

Records on file at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website indicate that consumers who felt they were being harassed by MCC Group, Inc. dealt with the company’s demands by suing them for compensation.

Alleged Violations against MCC Group, Inc.

Connie Jo Hanson vs. MCC Group, Inc. et al*

According to PACER, in or around mid-2009 MCC Group, Inc. allegedly started trying to collect a rental debt from Minnesota resident Connie Jo Hanson. On December 17, 2009 and August 11, 2010 she faxed dispute letters, but the agency allegedly ignored them and transmitted a 15-day demand letter in August 2011.

In or around September 2011, a MCC Group, Inc. collect named Lynn Seigel allegedly called Ms. Hanson and demanded payment. When she told Ms. Seigel that she refused to pay, the latter allegedly threatened to report her to the credit bureaus and make it impossible for her to find a place to live.

When Ms. Hanson checked her credit report, she noted that the debt was not being reported as disputed. It also listed the debt as having been opened in November 2009, when in fact it was actually allegedly incurred in October 2008, effectively re-aging this account.

Feeling harassed by MCC Group, Inc., Ms. Hanson hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Using oppressive, harassing, and abusive means to collect a debt
• Using false, deceptive and misleading means to collect a debt
• Using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt

The matter was later resolved.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for this collection agency include:

• 1-952-941-0552
• 1-800-328-6205
• 1-952-943-0640

If you see any of these numbers on your caller ID, be aware that you are being called by MCC Group, Inc.. If they threaten to ruin your credit and re-age a disputed debt to bring it within the statute of limitations, hire a consumer attorney.

If you file a claim against MCC Group, Inc. and win your case, you could potentially receive $1,000 per FDCPA violation in addition to associated damages and costs. You have rights no matter how much money you owe, and should not hesitate to act on them.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is CASE 0:11-cv-03598-RHK-AJB from the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.

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 MCC Group, Inc., or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.