EDITOR’S NOTE: The following recap was provided by Nicole Strickler of Messer Strickler.
The team at Messer Strickler, Ltd. is pleased to report a complete defense verdict in favor of its client, Federated Law Group, PPLC, in a case filed by serial FDCPA filer, Michael Savino, Jr. Savino, represented by prolific consumer attorney Donald Yarborough, filed an action against Federated, a creditors rights law firm, after receipt of a single collection letter. That letter presented Savino with various options to potentially settle a debt owed to its client.
Specifically, the plaintiff claimed that the statement in the letter stating that Federated “may resolve [Savino’s account] for $525.98 [was] false, deceptive or misleading” in violation of both §1692e and e(10) of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. §1692 et seq. because Federated could indeed settle the debt for $525.98. According to the plaintiff, Federated’s letter was merely a ruse made in attempt to collect the debt or obtain information about Savino. Instead of using the word “may”, according to Savino, Federated should have disclosed that it “could” settle the account for $525.98.
In contrast, Federated argued that its letter merely stated the truth concerning a potential option to resolve the account. While Federated could, under certain circumstances, settle the account for $525.98, it was not forced to do so. Of course, while a collector may have settlement authority, nothing in the law requires it to offer or disclose the lowest amount it may take to resolve an account. The FDCPA is designed to prevent overreaching and egregious debt collection practices, not to deny creditors the right to recover as much as it can on a valid balance.
Notably, Messer Strickler was able to enter into evidence the plaintiff’s expansive history of suing collection agencies and law firms with Yarborough’s help. At the time of trial, Savino had been the plaintiff in no less than three cases filed against debt collectors in the Southern District of Florida. Savino also admitted on the stand that he had been subject to extensive collection efforts by debt collectors, including a prior collection lawsuit.
On Feb. 19, a jury rendered a complete defense verdict in favor of Federated.
It’s nice to see that the court took note of this person being a frequent litigant against agencies. It has become a trendy way to make easy money – don’t pay your bills, sit back and wait for a collection agency to contact you so you can sue them…. SMH…. Do we know if the court awarded the defendant with the costs incurred to defend this claim?