Falling behind on your debts and seeing the arrears add up is a stressful situation for anyone to be in, especially if debt collectors are chasing you for the outstanding balance. Fortunately, you still have rights no matter how much money you owe.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act or FDCPA, regulates the activities of third-party collection agencies. Under this consumer protection law, methods like the following are illegal when used to collect a debt.
- Calling at inconvenient times, such as before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
- Calling several times per day
- Showing up at your house to intimidate you
- Using profane and obscene language
- Threatening action they cannot legally take or have no intention of taking
- Discussing the debt with anyone except you, your spouse, or your attorney
Company Profile: Hunter Warfield, Inc.
Hunter Warfield, Inc. is a debt collection agency located in Tampa, Florida. It was established in 2004, has 150 employees, and is managed by owner Stephen W. Sobota.
Litigation files archived at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website indicate that consumers who believed they were being harassed by Hunter Warfield, Inc. have confronted the company in court.
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Alleged Violations against Hunter Warfield, Inc.
According to PACER, on or about August 8, 2011, a Florida consumer vacated the apartment she had rented in Orlando, Florida.
The following October, she received a letter from Hunter Warfield, Inc., which allegedly claimed that she owed $402.72 to her previous landlord. She sent a dispute letter in response and explicitly stated, “If you have verification of this debt or a judgment, please provide it to me.”
On October 14 she was called by Hunter Warfield, Inc. During a subsequent conversation, a company representative denied receiving her dispute letter, although the consumer had received a signed U.S. Postal Service return receipt.
The collector also allegedly yelled and shouted at her. The consumer later complained that Hunter Warfield, Inc. called her two more times within two hours after this initial phone call.
When Hunter Warfield, Inc. finally sent her documentation purported to validate the alleged debt, she alleged that it did not prove how the debt occurred. She sent a letter ordering the agency not to call her any more and to only communicate with her via letter.
Nevertheless, collectors allegedly called her at work and threatened to place negative information regarding the alleged debt on the consumer’s credit report.
Feeling harassed by Hunter Warfield, Inc., she hired a consumer attorney and sued the agency for the following alleged FDCPA violations:
The matter was later dismissed.
The phone numbers for Hunter Warfield, Inc. are:
If your phone rings and either number appears on your caller ID, be aware that you may be being called by Hunter Warfield, Inc. If they use abusive language and refuse to cease contact on request, hire a consumer attorney.
Such conduct violates the FDCPA, and if you file a claim against Hunter Warfield, Inc. and win, you could potentially receive $1,000 per violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages.
When it comes to aggressive debt collectors, the law is on your side.
**Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 6:11-cv-01798-ACC-DAB from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Orlando 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 Hunter Warfield, Inc. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.