Portfolio Recovery Associates
The federal government—through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau—has sued Portfolio Recovery Associates for a second time for unlawfully trying to collect debt.
Some of the debt they are accused of trying to collect is not valid. Some debt is too old. And for some, they don’t have the proper documents.
Portfolio Recovery Associates has been ordered by a federal court to do several things, including:
• Prove that they can lawfully collect any debt they are trying to collect; and
• Pay money to consumers who were harmed by their illegal debt-collection practices
The Prosecutor’s Office’s Economic Justice Unit has identified about 250 cases (as of 5/9/2023) in Washtenaw County where Portfolio Recovery Associates is trying to collect debt from consumers. Though the Prosecutor’s Office cannot directly represent people in court, we have filed notices with the courts to make all parties aware of what the federal court said.
If Portfolio Recovery Associates is trying to collect debt from you, the following resources may be helpful to help you advocate for your rights. Again, the Prosecutor’s Office cannot directly represent you, but you may wish to consult an attorney who can.
A list of legal resources is available in our Letter to Consumers below.
• Letter to consumers sued by Portfolio Recovery Associates
• Federal court lawsuit against Portfolio Recovery Associates
• Federal court order against Portfolio Recovery Associates
• State court notice filed by Washtenaw Prosecutor’s Office
The Economic Justice Unit encourages you to look at and pursue every option that you may have to assert your rights.