Are You Being Called by Summit Account & Computer Service?*

Are you being called by Summit Account & Computer Service?* Here’s what you need to know.

If your credit card bills, medical accounts, or student loans have been in arrears for while, you’ll almost certainly be contacted by a debt collector sooner or later. Although these collection agents can be intimidating, they are not permitted to harass you or make legally insupportable threats to get your money. If they do, you have recourse under the law.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA grants consumers the right to dispute a debt and tell collection agencies to stop to stop calling them. It also regulates what debt collectors can say or do during collection attempts and prohibits tactics like those below.

• Calling you before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m.
• Pretending to be attorneys, police officers, or federal agents
• Discussing the debt with your family (with the possible exception of your spouse), friends, and co-workers
• Using profane and abusive language
• Calling you at work after you tell them that you can’t take personal calls there
• Demanding outrageous ‘fees’ in addition to the original debt

Company Profile: Summit Account & Computer Service, Inc.

Summit Account & Computer Service, Inc. (formerly known as General Collections, Inc.) is a debt collection agency located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with a second office in Goshen. It was established in 1961, has 10 to 19 employees, and is managed by Judy Brown, general manager. Files archived at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website reveal that consumers who believed they were being harassed by Summit Account & Computer Service, Inc. have sued the company in response.

Alleged Violations against Summit Account & Computer Service, Inc.

Jennifer Watson vs. Summit Account & Computer Service, Inc.*

According to PACER, in or about September 2013, an Indiana resident woman retained an attorney to represent her about an account that Summit Account & Computer Service, Inc. had been attempting to collect from her. She notified agency representatives that she now had an attorney and provided them with that lawyer’s contact information. The law office also mailed a letter to Summit Account & Computer Service, Inc. the following month, with the agency allegedly acknowledging receipt of the communication.

Despite having received notice of attorney representation, the woman was allegedly called by Summit Account & Computer Service, Inc. on June 22, June 23 and July 3, 2014. Calls were also allegedly made to her mother in an attempt to collect the alleged debt. Feeling pursued and harassed by Summit Account & Computer Service, Inc., she sued the agency for contacting her directly when she already had representation from an attorney regarding the debt.

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for Summit Account & Computer Service, Inc. are:

• 1-260-432-8101
• 1-574-533-3013

If the phone rings and either number appears on your caller ID, it means that you are being called by Summit Account & Computer Service, Inc. about a debt you allegedly owe. If they call you directly after receiving confirmation that you have legal representation regarding the debt, hire a consumer attorney. If you file a claim against Summit Account & Computer Service, Inc. for violating your rights under the FDCPA, you could potentially be awarded $1,000 per violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. No matter how much you may owe, the law must be obeyed when collecting it, or penalties result.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case: 3:14-cv-01892-PPS-CAN from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, South Bend 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 Summit Account & Computer Service, Inc. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.