Courtney McFarlane has filed a lawsuit against Midland Credit Management, Inc., accusing the company of violating federal debt collection laws. The complaint was filed on November 1, 2024, in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, by J.P. Ward & Associates, LLC on behalf of McFarlane.
The case stems from an earlier civil complaint that Midland Credit Management filed against McFarlane on August 6, 2024. McFarlane responded by hiring J.P. Ward & Associates to defend against these allegations and formally disputed the debts claimed by Midland Credit Management. On September 13, 2024, McFarlane's legal team sent a "First Dispute Letter" to Midland Credit Management stating that he denied owing any money and requested proof of liability for the alleged debts. Despite this dispute and subsequent withdrawal of their complaint by Midland Credit Management on September 16, 2024, the company allegedly reported false information to TransUnion regarding McFarlane's credit status.
According to the complaint, Midland Credit Management violated several provisions of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including falsely representing the character and legal status of a disputed debt and failing to communicate its disputed nature to credit reporting agencies. The plaintiff claims these actions were deceptive and abusive under federal law designed to protect consumers from unfair debt collection practices.
McFarlane is seeking monetary damages for actual harm suffered due to these violations, statutory damages as allowed under FDCPA provisions, and coverage for legal costs incurred during this process. The lawsuit emphasizes that such practices contribute significantly to personal financial distress and privacy invasions.
The attorneys representing Courtney McFarlane are Travis A. Gordon and Joshua P. Ward from J.P. Ward & Associates, LLC. The case is presided over by Magisterial District Judge Rick Cronauer with Case ID MJ-11101-CV-0000216-2024.