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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Lawsuit seeks class action against Pennsylvania debt collector

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A New Jersey woman is suing a Pennsylvania collection agency for putting her account number on the collection notice sent to her home.

Yosaif Richter filed the federal lawsuit through her attorney, Edward B. Geller, this week against the law firm of Allan C. Smith P.C., a Pennsylvania-based collection agency.

The lawsuit requests class action against the law firm, which works with corporations to collect debts. Richter claims in the lawsuit that she received a mass-produced notice from the law firm on Aug. 13. Her account number, name and address were visible on the envelope of the notice, the lawsuit says.

Richter claims the notice violated the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, which states debt collectors can only use the debt collector's address on an envelope when sending consumers mail.

According to a previous case in Pennsylvania, the account number is considered a “core piece of information” related to a debtor, and could raise privacy concerns.

Richter claimed in the lawsuit that hundreds of people received debt collection notices from the company and the case should be brought as a class action lawsuit.

Richter is seeking damages from the law firm, as well as a declaration that the law firm violated the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, and attorneys' fees.

United States District Court of New Jersey case number 3:14-cv-07201.

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