***For all things Wyoming, sign up for our daily newsletter***
By Jim Angell, Cowboy State Daily
A Gillette man who worked for more than two years to convince various debt collectors that his debt was paid is suing the companies for violating federal debt collection rules.
Bryan Vass, in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on Wednesday, alleged that the debt he repaid in 2019 was passed on to different debt collectors over two years, prompting a lawsuit against him.
The companies all violated the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, according to the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, in 2018, Vass entered into an agreement to settle a debt to Cach, LLC, with Frontline Asset Strategies for $5,000, to be paid in 12 installments.
The lawsuit said Vass repaid the debt in November 2019, but in April 2020 Frontline told him that his debt had been transferred to Resurgent Capital Services, a consumer debt collection company, so Frontline would not was unable to provide a letter stating that his debt was fully paid. .
Resurgent placed the debt with another consumer debt collection service, Machol and Johannes, a Denver-based company.
In June 2020, Machol and Johannes sued Vass, seeking to raise nearly $9,000. The company also refused to honor Vass’ agreement with the original debt collection company, Frontline Asset Strategies.
In November 2021, a lawyer for Vass contacted Machol and Johannes and sent them proof that Vass’ debt had been paid.
In January 2022, Machol and Johannes told the lawyer that the account and proof of his payments had been sent to another office.
The account was sent in February 2022 to the law firm Gurstel, another debt collection service, but the company has not yet acknowledged settlement of Vass’ debt, according to the lawsuit.
“Time and time again, defendants, despite evidence that all 12 payments were made on this agreement, refuse to acknowledge that the account was paid in full,” he said. “The conduct of the defendants, as well as that of their agents, servants and/or employees, was malicious, intentional, willful, reckless, negligent and in wanton disregard of federal law and the rights of (Vass)…”
The lawsuit accused all of the debt collectors of “abusive, deceptive and unfair debt collection practices.”
He also accused the companies of breach of contract for failing to honor the settlement agreement Vass originally reached.
The lawsuit seeks damages, the amount of which will be determined at trial.
***For all things Wyoming, sign up for our daily newsletter***
