Full Answer
To beat them, all you need to do is “show up.” Specifically, many debt collectors (Midland Funding LLC included) that file lawsuits against consumers are not actually prepared to prove their debt collection case in court. What does that mean for you?
In California Midland’s primary outside law firm is Hunt & Henriques, though sometimes they keep the account in-house and use one of their own attorneys. That happens a lot – in fact, during November 2014 alone Midland Funding and Midland Credit Management filed 193 collection cases in Los Angeles Superior Court alone.
In many cases the original documentation that you signed to verify that you incurred a debt is never sent to Midland Funding by the original creditor. Without these documents, Midland cannot prove their case and will have to dismiss their law suit. Other times they may have some documentation but can’t prove how they came to the amount you owe.
If you defend the credit card lawsuit when Midland Funding decides to sue, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll either get a very good settlement or win the case entirely. Because in the absence of any proof of their ownership of the debt or the amount due, Midland’s case falls apart.
To beat them, all you need to do is “show up.” Specifically, many debt collectors (Midland Funding LLC included) that file lawsuits against consumers are not actually prepared to prove their debt collection case in court.
If the case is not dismissed, it can often be settled in court for a lesser amount. Midland Funding is not the original creditor, so your debt is not their loss. Their goal is to recoup as much as possible, and often a settlement is the best way to make money in their case.
Companies like MCM are debt buyers, meaning if you fail to pay a debt, such as a credit card, loan, line of credit, phone bill, or hospital bill, MCM will purchase that debt. Companies don't usually have the resources to collect the debt from you, so they sell it for pennies on the dollar.
If you want to remove Midland Credit Management from your credit report, write to their address:Address: P.O. Box 939069. San Diego, CA 92193.Phone Number: (877) 420-0039.Website: www.midlandcredit.com.
Typically, a creditor will agree to accept 40% to 50% of the debt you owe, although it could be as much as 80%, depending on whether you're dealing with a debt collector or the original creditor. In either case, your first lump-sum offer should be well below the 40% to 50% range to provide some room for negotiation.
A judgment allows Midland Funding to seize money from your bank account, put a lien on your property, garnish your wages, and more. The judgment will follow you and Midland will use it until it collects everything ordered against you.
0:313:18#1 Mistake When Responding to a Midland Funding Debt Collection ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNow that's the right thing to do a lot of people don't respond to it in fact 95% of people who getMoreNow that's the right thing to do a lot of people don't respond to it in fact 95% of people who get sued by Midland Funding do not file a response. And they end up with the default judgment. So if you'
In the letter or phone call Midland may offer you the opportunity to settle or set up payments on your account in order to prevent the credit reporting of the collection account from occurring at all.
Contact Chicago Consumer Law Center, P.C. Our law firm has a track record of protecting consumer rights and explaining your options to you when a company like Midland Funding or Midland Credit Management (MCM) takes you to court and before they get a default judgment against you.
To move forward with getting MCM removed from your credit report, you should write another letter called a debt validation letter, also within thirty days of your first communication with this debt collector. This letter should demand validation of your debt.
It can also include suing on a debt you don't actually owe or threatening to sue when they don't have any legal right to do it. Just because Midland Credit sued you doesn't mean there's a violation, but given their history and the past allegations against them, it's always worth doing a review.
Steps to initiate a pay for delete letterContact the collection agency in writing or over the phone to request a pay for deletion. ... Once the collection agency agrees to a pay for deletion, request a signed agreement stating they will remove the collection account or negative tradeline from your credit reports.More items...
As we have previously mentioned, the plaintiff has the burden of proof and for them to win, they need to prove several things to you and the court.
When reading your summons, pay close attention to the deadline given. Some states will give you 20 days, others will allow 30 days in order for you to answer you summons.
If you ignore it or present it late, then the junk debt buyer will receive a default judgment against you, meaning that you lose.
An important factor in this is that the burden of proof is with the plaintiff. That means that the Midland Funding has to prove everything and have evidence to back it all up. Surprisingly, this is something that they consistently struggle ...
Any individual or company could accuse someone of the same thing. To win a case, they need to back-up and prove, with evidence, that the allegations are true. An affidavit may come with the summons. This is the junk debt buyer’s version of evidence but you need to examine this closely.
If it is signed by an employee of the junk debt buyer then it is not real proof. Midland cannot testify to a statement from another company as it is not official nor compelling. If this is the case, you could file a motion to strike the case as hearsay.
These both contain vital information that if ignored, could cost you your case before you have even put a pen to paper. For example, it will contain the deadline for submitting a response to your summons and complaint. This is usually about 20-30 days depending on where you live. As mentioned, 90% of defendants let that cut-off date pass like any other day, whether unintentionally or consciously, hoping that it will mean the end of the nightmare. Unfortunately, it is not and whatever your reasons, ignoring your summons and complaint is never a wise move and completely avoidable.
Regrettably, the name Midland Funding is becoming increasingly recognizable across the United States and as they serve scores of summonses to unsuspecting consumers on a daily basis, regular families and individuals are left feeling confused and anxious.
Without an attorney, many consumers served by Midland make the false assumption that they have no hope of winning their case. They recoil, figuring that they are over a barrel and have no choice but to let Midland toss them about like a cat with a mouse, until they get what they want.
One reason why many people throw in the towel too soon is because they believe that a lawsuit requires an attorney and without one, they are doomed. In an ideal world, where money is no object, hiring an expert lawyer who is experienced with junk debt lawsuits would be the perfect solution.
This is a legal case and as such, it is vital to be diligent when it comes to the rules and requirements. As we have seen, failing to do so can be disastrous for your case and your pocket.
If this is your first lawsuit, then it’s important to understand that a lot of the fighting takes place before you even step inside a court room. In fact, the battle can be won before it gets that far.
They may provide you with a bundle of credit card statements but this is not enough as you have never had a contract with Midland Funding.
A default judgment is the same as winning in front of a judge or jury, and Midland will then start garnishing your wages, seizing the money in your bank accounts, and putting liens on your property.
Why Most People Lose to Midland Funding. Midland’s entire business model relies on the fact that most people will not file a response to a law suit. When you fail to respond to a law suit filed by one of their lawyers, Midland can get what’s called a default judgment against you. A default judgment is the same as winning in front ...
Midland will often purchase debts where the statute of limitations has run, and they have no legal right to collect on the debt. Of course, you MUST file a response with the court presenting this defense to win. If everyone who Midland Funding sued actually filed a response, they would probably be out of business.
Most of the time, when someone is sued by Midland or another debt buyer, they fail to defend the case or show up in court. With no opposition to the lawsuit, the judge grants a judgment in Midland’s favor.
Midland Funding is a company that buys old credit card debts at a steep discount, often without proper documentation. The company tries to collect by hiring collection agencies; if that doesn’t work, Midland will hire a lawyer to file a collection lawsuit.
If you don’t pay the debt when Midland Credit Management comes calling, then Midland Funding will take back the account and send it to a law firm. In California Midland’s primary outside law firm is Hunt & Henriques, though sometimes they keep the account in-house and use one of their own attorneys.
If the original creditor can’t get you to pay the debt, it makes sense that the lender would want to sell the account in an effort to minimize its losses. The new buyer understandably doesn’t want to pay full price for the account, which is why these debts are sold at such steep discounts.
The original agreement, including the terms and conditions under which the original lender agreed to extend credit; copies of statements showing how the borrower incurred the debt, including the dates of transactions;
One of the major players in the debt buyer arena is Midland Funding, a unit of Encore Capital Group. Encore Capital, based in San Diego, is the largest debt buyer in the nation, buying enormous portfolios of charged-off debts each year in the hopes that it will be able to collect. According to Midland’s website:
Midland Funding, however, buys billions of dollars worth of debt each year. To cut its costs, Midland wants to pay as little as possible for each account. The credit card companies, however, want to get paid as much as possible so that they take less of a loss on their unpaid accounts.