Portfolio Recovery Associates sued over debt collection practices

PARKERSBURG - A woman is alleging that a debt collecting company harassed her with daily phone calls.

Teri Robert filed a lawsuit Nov. 22 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia at Parkersburg against Portfolio Recovery Associates LLC and unknown persons, citing violations of the fair debt collection practices act, violations of the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act and violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

The plaintiff says she incurred a debt to Capital One and the debt was assigned to PRA for collection.

Robert alleges that in the past year, the defendants have attempted to collect the debt by placing daily calls to both her cellular and residential phones by use of an automated telephone dialing system and/or artificial and prerecorded messages.

She states when she was finally able to speak to a live representative, she disputed the debt stating she had already paid off the debt.

Robert is seeking actual damages pursuant to the applicable code sections, statutory damages of $1,000, damages between $100-$1,000 for each violation of the Consumer Credit and Protection Act as well as costs, attorneys fees and any other damages determined by the court.

She is being represented in the case by attorneys Brian J. Headley of Lemberg & Associates LLC.

United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia at Parkersburg Civil Action No. 6:13-29857