Encore Capital Group, Midland Funding, Midland Credit Management, and Asset Acceptance Capital Corp.
On September 8, 2020, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) filed suit in federal district court in the Southern District of California against Encore Capital Group, Inc., and its subsidiaries, Midland Funding, LLC; Midland Credit Management, Inc.; and Asset Acceptance Capital Corp. The companies are headquartered in San Diego, California and together comprise the largest debt collector and debt buyer in the United States, with annual revenue exceeding $1 billion and annual net income exceeding $75 million. Encore and its subsidiaries are currently subject to a 2015 consent order with the Bureau based on the Bureau’s previous findings that they violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The Bureau alleged that Encore and its subsidiaries have violated the terms of this consent order and again violated the FDCPA and CFPA. On October 16, 2020, the court entered a stipulated final judgment and order that requires Encore and its subsidiaries to pay $79,308.81 in redress to consumers and a $15 million civil money penalty. The settlement also requires Encore and its subsidiaries to make various material disclosures to consumers, refrain from the collection of time-barred debt absent certain disclosures to consumers, and abide by certain conduct provisions in the 2015 consent order for five more years.
Related documents
Stipulated final judgment and order