Okay this is a hot ass mess, but in the end Justice was served. A Kansas City Missouri woman, Maria Guadalupe Mejia sued Portfolio Recovery Associates for suing her for a $1,000.00 credit card bill that she didn't owe. It was actually owed by a man with a similar name. But PRA harassed and sued her by mistake. Maria was awarded $250,000.00 for violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and $82,990,000.00 in punitive damages for maliciously prosecuting Maria.PRA released the following statement, "This outlandish verdict defies all common sense," wrote spokesman Michael McKeon. "We hope and expect the judge will set aside this inappropriate award, and we plan to file motions to make that request formally in the near term. Any fair reading of the facts of this case makes plain that a verdict of this size is not justice by any means, and cannot stand."
I think the jury got it right. Its about time a debt collection company pays punitive damages when they are in the wrong. And this was definitely a case of them being in the wrong. Maria didn't even owe the $1,000.00 and for them to phone harass her and then sue her. Good job Maria in suing them back and winning!!! The $83 million judgement might now stand the judge might reduce it, but I hope he leaves it in the millions. Debt collection companies are the lowest of the low. I know for me, that I keep getting calls for a Michael Baldwin, and I keep telling them that I am not Michael Baldwin. But they keep calling me regardless. Luckily I can block some of their calls with my phone service. But that is only limited to 12 callers. And many of these companies have more than 1 phone# they can use to call you on.
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