McGraw
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Legal Newsline) - A debt collector will cancel nearly $300,000 in debt as a result of a settlement reached with West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw.
McGraw announced Thursday that Brady, Caruso and Associates of Nevada is cancelling $282,953.84 in debt for 174 state customers and also paying $9,287.87 in refunds.
McGraw said his investigation was triggered by a complaint from a consumer who said Brady and Caruso called her demanding payment but could not verify the amount she allegedly owed. A federal law says debt collectors are required to include that information.
McGraw said the company was also not registered or bonded to collect debts in the state, and that it threatened to place a lien against a customer's property if she did not pay. A creditor must obtain a court judgment to do place a lien on a property.
Brady and Caruso will also take the steps to delete any negative credit reporting in connection with their West Virginia accounts.
From Legal Newsline: Reach John O'Brien by e-mail at john@legalnewsline.com.