Are You Being Called By Columbia Collection Service, Inc.?*

Are you being called by Columbia Collection Service, Inc.?* Here’s what you need to know.

When debt collectors are after you, the sound of a ringing phone can cause your stress levels to explode. If the collectors are abusive, you might be tempted to declare personal bankruptcy to make the harassment stop. Before you take that drastic step, be aware that bullying indebted consumers is against the law and you don’t have to tolerate it.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was passed in September 1977 to give consumers certain rights and protections while preventing third-party debt collectors from using methods like those below to collect a debt.

• Using profane and obscene language
• Threatening to have you arrested if you don’t pay
• Pretending to be police officers or government agents
• Threatening legal actions they cannot take, such as having your property seized and wages garnished
• Calling before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone.
• Threatening harm to your person, property, and / or credit rating

Company Profile: Columbia Collection Service, Inc.

Are you being called by Columbia Collection Service Inc.? Here are some details about this particular collection agency.

Columbia Collection Service, Inc. is a debt collection agency located in Milwaukie, Oregon. It was established in 1985, has 20 to 49 employees, and is managed by its owner, Joyce Welch. Records on file at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website indicate that consumers who felt they were being harassed by Columbia Collection Service, Inc. have sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA.

Alleged Violations against Columbia Collection Service, Inc.

According to PACER, in 2009, Columbia Collection Service, Inc. sued an Oregon resident on an alleged medical debt to Providence Hood River Hospital and obtained a judgment against him. On or around November 8, 2012, the Oregon resident satisfied Columbia Collection’s judgment through a settlement-in-full payment, but in or around May 2013, the agency attempted to collect on the previously satisfied judgment by sending him a collection letter dated May 24, 2013. The following October, Columbia Collection Service, Inc. signed a writ of garnishment and garnished the Oregon resident’s bank account, claiming that $2,515.07 was lawfully subject to collection against him. In November 2013, the company collected payment from him under protest.

Feeling harassed by Columbia Collection Service, Inc., the consumer sued the company for the following alleged FDCPA violations:

• Using harassing and oppressive means to collect a debt
• Using false, deceptive and misleading means to collect a debt
• Using unfair or unconscionable means to collect a debt
• Misrepresenting the legal status of the debt
• Communicating false information to the credit bureaus
• Collecting an amount that was not expressly authorized by the agreement creating the alleged debt or permitted by law.

A judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for Columbia Collection Service, Inc. are:

• 1-503-635-9885
• 1-800-807-3476

If either number appears on your caller ID when the phone rings, it means that you are being called by Columbia Collection Service, Inc. If they attempt to collect on a previously satisfied judgment, hire a consumer attorney. If you opt to file a claim against Columbia Collection Service, Inc and win in court, you could be awarded $1,000 per violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. When you fight back, it can literally pay off.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 3:14-cv-00006-AC from the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, Portland 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 Columbia Collection Service, Inc. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.