- 24
- Apr
It was revealed in recent news that top legal prosecutors in Washington and Louisiana announced actions they had taken against accounts receivable management firms and their owners and managers.
Louisianian attorney general James Caldwell made the announcement on Friday that his office had obtained injunctions against two collection companies and their managers. On the same day, Rob McKenna, Washington’s Attorney General stated that his office had settled charges with a collection company that had promised to stay on the straightened arrow. In a press release, Caldwell’s office said that in late December they had obtained an injunction against Bush and Kennedy, Inc, a Baton Rouge based collection agency. The order he won placed restrictions on the business, banning them from operating further, and specifically, ordered that two of the firm’s principals, Quay W. Pattott Jr, and William S. Fesguson were banned from conducting business together.
Late last week, a judge slammed Ferguson and Parrott with added injunctions as per the request of Caldwell’s office. Ferguson is banned from using deceptive and unfair acts and practices at his current place of business, Franklin, Grant and Associates Incorporated, a collection agency based out of Metairie Louisiana. Parrott is completely restricted against conducting any new business at his new place of work, Metairie based Halsey and Associates, LLC.
In Washington, McKenna’s office stated that Topco Financial Services Inc, a Washington based collection company agreed not to harass, curse out, or threaten consumers as part of a settlement. The collection company must pay around $38,000 in legal fees and penalties. An additional $82,000 in fees and penalties were suspended pending that the company agrees with the settlement terms.
As per the agreement, Topco is restricted from harassing, intimidating, threatening and embarrassing debtors, including using profanity. They are banned from implying that failure to pay an unpaid bill will result in a revocation, suspension or impairment of the debtor’s driver’s license. They are no longer allowed to threaten consumers with impairment of their credit rating. However, the agency is permitted to report debts legally to credit reporting agencies.
Mallory Megan works for a debt collection agency. Also she writes articles on business, finance, consumer spending and collection agencies.
