In what is good news for one of my clients, she was sued by Portfolio Recovery Associates in 2 separate cases. The lawsuits were filed in 2012 for two alleged credit card debts. She denied she owed any money to them so we filed an answer. We began the discovery process and this week, both cases were dismissed against my client. Portfolio Recovery Associates (PRA) will get no money on either case and any alleged statute of limitations has expired.
The morals of the story:
- If you are sued by a debt collector, talk to an attorney and figure out your rights.
- Fight every debt collection case. Even the simple act of filing an answer may result in a dismissal.
- Be patient. These cases were both 4 years old. But with some patience, we obtained the right result.
- Listen to your attorney. When you hire an attorney who handles a lot of debt collection defense, listen to his/her advice!
The worst thing you can do is put your head in the sand and ignore it.