United Collections Bureau sued over alleged debt collection violations

WINFIELD - A woman is suing United Collections Bureau Inc. for violating the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act by continuing to attempt to collect debt from her after she was being represented by counsel.

After Dawnette Watts became in arrears upon an alleged indebtedness to the defendant, the defendant began engaging in collection of the alleged indebtedness through the use of telephone calls placed to Watts, according to a complaint filed April 8 in Putnam Circuit Court.

Watts claims she retained counsel and informed the defendant of her representation and provided the defendant with her counsel's contact information.

Despite being informed of her counsel representation, the defendant caused multiple telephone collection calls to be placed to Watts' home, which violated the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act, according to the suit.

Watts claims the defendant's actions resulted in her being annoyed, inconvenienced, harassed, bothered, upset, harangued and otherwise caused her indignation and distress.

The defendant's conduct was atrocious, intolerable and extreme so as to exceed the bounds of decency, according to the suit.

Watts is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is being represented by Benjamin M. Sheridan of Klein and Sheridan LC.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Phillip Stowers.

Putnam Circuit Court case number: 13-C-97