Are You Being Called By Northtown Capital Associates, LLC?*

Are you being called by Northtown Capital Associates, LLC?* Here’s what you need to know.

Many debt collectors freely employ threats, deception, and various types of intimidation when they’re trying to get you to settle a debt. In all instances they are hoping that you won’t know or find out that such treatment is illegal and could, if you make a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, put them out of business.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, was passed in 1977 after complaints about abusive debt collectors became epidemic. This consumer protection law makes it illegal for collection agencies to do any of the following while collecting or attempting to collect a debt.

• Use profane or obscene language
• Call you at work when your employer does not allow such calls
• Threaten legal actions that they have no intention of taking
• Calling at inconvenient times, usually before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m
• Publicly posting details of a debt on social media and other public outlets
• Ignoring a formal cease communications request

Company Profile: Northtown Capital Associates, LLC

If you are being called by Northtown Capital Associates, LLC, information about the company is below.

Northtown Capital Associates, LLC, which also does business as Interstate Check Systems, is a debt collection office located in Buffalo, New York. It was established in 2009, has less than 10 employees, and is managed by Jason Jakubec. Legal records available for public viewing at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website suggest that consumers who believed they were being harassed by Northtown Capital Associates, LLC opted to resolve the dispute in court.

Alleged Violations against Northtown Capital Associates, LLC

According to PACER, on or about September 9, 2010, a Pennsylvania resident was informed by her parents that they had received a call from a Northtown Capital Associates, LLC representative named “Juliana Hays”, who was collecting on a debt allegedly owed on a past payday loan. Ms. Hays allegedly told the plaintiff’s parents that their daughter was a “person of interest” being investigated for writing bad checks, and that unless the plaintiff called her back by 12:30 the next day, they would be sending the sheriff to come and pick her up. A similar call was allegedly received by her aunt.

The plaintiff called Northtown Capital Associates, LLC back and spoke with an agent by the name of “Mrs. Hill”, who allegedly informed her that her failure to pay had caused a “red flag” to be put on her driver’s license and her social security card number. She was also allegedly told that if she didn’t take care of this now she would surely end up in a Bucks County court.

Mrs. Hill called the next day and allegedly left a message for the plaintiff telling her that she had until 5:30 pm that evening to let them know what she intended to do or that this account was going to litigation. Two days later, her parents allegedly received another voicemail asking them to have their daughter call him back by 5:00 pm the next day, otherwise someone would be at her home or work to serve her.

On or about September 13, 2010, a Northtown Capital Associates, LLC representative named “Frank Rizzo”, called the plaintiff claiming he was from a “law group”. He allegedly stated that he was calling because the she had agreed to settle the debt on the 9th of September. The plaintiff replied that she did not have the money at this time and that she had never agreed to a settlement.

Feeling harassed by Northtown Capital Associates, LLC, she hired a consumer attorney and sued the agency for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Indulging in harassing and abusive conduct
• Using false, deceptive and misleading means to collect a debt
• Discussing her debt with uninvolved third parties
• Threatening legal action it could not take

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for this collection agency are:

• 1-888-358-1120
• 1-716-691-3550

If you see either one on your caller ID in response to an incoming call, it means that you are being called by Northtown Capital Associates, LLC. If they discuss your debt with your friends and family and threaten to have you arrested if you don’t pay, contact a consumer attorney. Bullying and threatening consumers is illegal under the FDCPA, and if you file a claim against Northtown Capital Associates, LLC, you could potentially receive $1,000 per FDCPA violation plus legal costs and damages. Never back down from an unscrupulous debt collector: fighting back can pay off.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 2:10-cv-05065-PD from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

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 Northtown Capital Associates, LLC, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.