Debt buyers ignore $10M lawsuit loss against woman who didn't even have a debt with them

[ck4829]

In a twist of irony, a West Virginia woman is trying to collect money from a collection agency. Diana Mey, of Wheeling, W. Va., won the largest judgment ever against an abusive debt collection company -- more than $10 million.

"I'm a mom, and I'm a housewife, and I'm an accidental activist," Mey said.

From her small-town home base in Wheeling, Mey went after a debt collection empire that hounds people nationwide and won. But she still hasn't received any money: "I don't know that I'll ever collect a dime, but if I can get their operation shut down, that would make me very happy."

Two years ago, a debt collector with a company called Reliant Financial Associates, or RFA, left a message implying that her house was in jeopardy if she didn't pay a debt.

http://www.wlsam.com/Article.asp?id=2443829&spid=

Debt buyers and fake debt collectors, this is a growing problem. My own mother was threatened with arrest over a fictitious debt.

[tech3149]

1. I went through it a few years ago for a lousy $65

I went through all the proper steps and proved that I didn't owe a cent but they wouldn't back down. I finally paid it because it was such a small amount.
Now I'm so far off the grid and don't buy anything without cash. Rule #1 in this day is not to be in debt to anyone, ever.

[ladywnch]

2. I'm still going through this shit.

I don't know what happened when I lived in MN (15 years ago) but in the last 4 years, claims of my owing monies to various utilities and merchants (which I never even did business with) are bubbling up. I get it resolved with one outfit and they sell it off to another outfit and I have to go through all this shit all over again.

Fortunately for me, I contacted both Colorado's AG and MN's AG. I know now, these slime balls can't really do anything but harass those who are unfamiliar with the law. I know to demand 'original proof of debt' right off the bat. I know this is no proof ( and so do they) and I never hear from them again.........I hear from some other fly-by-night shyster outfit. And after having contacted the 'original' debt holder to make inquires of the charges.........they've never heard of the collection company and can't show that I owe them a penny or that I even had an account with them! So the collection company's claim that they are representing company X (the original debt holder) they are really representing company Z (the schmucks who bought the bogus debt last from the last unscrupulous collection outfit)

These bastards need to driven out of business!!!!!!!

[ieoeja]

3. Curse

I had a credit card company bothering me repeatedly when my credit card number was used. I made the initial mistake of acknowledging that the card was still in my possession. Only the number had been stolen.

Even though this is a fairly common crime, their reps seemed to find the concept a complete mystery.

Anyhow, one night I went off on the caller. Which brought in the manager. So I went off on him. I believe it ended with, "so you have no intention of ever paying this?"

I cursingly affirmed that and added the point that from hence forth I was going to create a very hostile working environment for every poor worker they forced to call me.

It might have been the last point that did it. Forcing their employees to knowingly face such abuse could be an actionable item against them.

[ieoeja]

4. She will never collect.

It is really hard to collect money won from a corporation in a lawsuit. You can garnish an individual's wages. There is no comparable law in regards to corporations.

An oversight on the part of our elected representatives, I assume.