Debt Collectors Whittle Consolidated Class Actions

A debt collector succeeded in dismissing most of the state law claims against it but fails to attack Fair Debt Collection Practices Act claims on jurisdictional grounds, according to an Oct. 18 opinion from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan.

The plaintiffs filed seven putative class actions against Credit Bureau Collection Services, Inc. (CBCS) and its collections law firm for filing collection actions on medical debts that CBCS allegedly was not authorized to collect as assignee. The plaintiffs filed claims under Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), 15 U.S.C. §1692 et seq., the Michigan ...