Quick analysis: Lawsuits Up Across The Board
CFPB complaints (+8.3%) and consumer litigation (FDCPA +10.6%, TCPA +10.1%, FCRA +17.3%) all spiked by double-digit percentages across all three major consumer statutes in March. However, only FCRA (+3.8%) is up YTD. CFPB complaints (-2.8%), FDCPA (-3.6%) and TCPA lawsuits (-39.8%) are all down compared to this time last year.
In other news, putative class actions represented 15.8% of FDCPA, 49.2% of TCPA and 4.8% of FCRA lawsuits filed last month. Those percentages are all up from the previous month as well. About 43% of all plaintiffs who filed suit last month had filed at least once before. And finally, Georgia attorney Matthew Thomas Berry and Florida attorney Thomas John Patti tied for the top spot for representing the most consumers in February (41) while Patti’s colleague Jibrael S. Hindi has represented the most consumers for the year so far (182).
| Current Month: | Previous Month: | Previous Year: |
Year to Date: | Year to Date Comp: |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 01, 2022 Mar 31, 2022 |
Feb 01, 2022 Feb 28, 2022 |
Mar 01, 2021 Mar 31, 2021 |
Jan 01, 2022 Mar 31, 2022 |
Jan 01, 2021 Mar 31, 2021 |
|||||
| CFPB | 5984 | 5524 | 8.3% | 6743 | -11.3% | 16584 | 17065 | -2.8% | |
| FDCPA | 500 | 452 | 10.6% | 559 | -10.6% | 1470 | 1525 | -3.6% | |
| FCRA | 495 | 422 | 17.3% | 515 | -3.9% | 1441 | 1388 | 3.8% | |
| TCPA | 120 | 109 | 10.1% | 199 | -39.7% | 360 | 598 | -39.8% | |
Complaint Statistics:
5984 consumers filed CFPB complaints, and about 1019 consumers filed lawsuits under consumer statutes from Mar 01, 2022 to Mar 31, 2022.
- 5984 CFPB Complaints
- 500 FDCPA, 79 Class Action (15.8%)
- 120 TCPA, 59 Class Action (49.2%)
- 495 FCRA, 24 Class Action (4.8%)
Litigation Summary (scroll down for CFPB data):
- Of those cases, there were about 1019 unique plaintiffs (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit).
- Of those plaintiffs, about 437, or (43%), had sued under consumer statutes before.
- Combined, those plaintiffs have filed about 3163 lawsuits since 2001
- Actions were filed in 151 different US District Court branches.
- About 643 different collection firms and creditors were sued.
The top courts where lawsuits were filed:
- 59 Lawsuits: California Central District Court – Western Division – Los Angeles
- 55 Lawsuits: Florida Middle District Court – Tampa
- 50 Lawsuits: Illinois Northern District Court – Chicago
- 47 Lawsuits: Georgia Northern District Court – Atlanta
- 26 Lawsuits: New York Southern District Court – Foley Square
- 26 Lawsuits: Minnesota District Court – Dmn
- 24 Lawsuits: Indiana Southern District Court – Indianapolis
- 24 Lawsuits: Florida Southern District Court – Fort Lauderdale
- 23 Lawsuits: Texas Northern District Court – Dallas
- 23 Lawsuits: Arizona District Court – Phoenix
The most active consumer attorneys were:
- Representing 41 Consumers: MATTHEW THOMAS BERRY
- Representing 41 Consumers: THOMAS JOHN PATTI
- Representing 40 Consumers: JIBRAEL JARALLAH SAID HINDI
- Representing 22 Consumers: MICHAEL FREDERICK CARDOZA
- Representing 21 Consumers: CHRISTOPHER NEIL ARMOR
- Representing 19 Consumers: CHRISTOFER MERRITT
- Representing 14 Consumers: JOHN THOMAS STEINKAMP
- Representing 13 Consumers: JAMES H LAWSON
- Representing 13 Consumers: DAVID ALI CHAMI
Statistics Year to Date:
3025 total lawsuits for 2022, including:
- 1470 FDCPA
- 1441 FCRA
- 360 TCPA
Number of Unique Plaintiffs for 2022: 2798 (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit)
The most active consumer attorneys of the year:
- Representing 182 Consumers: JIBRAEL JARALLAH SAID HINDI
- Representing 165 Consumers: THOMAS JOHN PATTI
- Representing 87 Consumers: MATTHEW THOMAS BERRY
- Representing 51 Consumers: CHRISTOPHER NEIL ARMOR
- Representing 42 Consumers: MICHAEL FREDERICK CARDOZA
- Representing 37 Consumers: YAAKOV SAKS
- Representing 36 Consumers: ALEJANDRO EMMANUEL FIGUEROA
- Representing 35 Consumers: SYED HASEEB HUSSAIN
- Representing 34 Consumers: DAVID J S MADGETT
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CFPB Complaint Statistics:
There were 5984 complaints filed against debt collectors from Mar 01, 2022 to Mar 31, 2022.
Total number of debt collectors complained about: 869
The types of debt behind the complaints were:
- 1535 I do not know (26%)
- 1486 Credit card debt (25%)
- 1441 Other debt (24%)
- 911 Medical debt (15%)
- 309 Auto debt (5%)
- 119 Payday loan debt (2%)
- 108 Mortgage debt (2%)
- 46 Private student loan debt (1%)
- 29 Federal student loan debt (0%)
Here is a breakdown of complaints:
- 3202 Attempts to collect debt not owed (54%)
- 1257 Written notification about debt (21%)
- 532 Took or threatened to take negative or legal action (9%)
- 477 False statements or representation (8%)
- 407 Communication tactics (7%)
- 109 Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly (2%)
The top five subissues were:
- 1718 Debt is not yours (29%)
- 900 Debt was result of identity theft (15%)
- 799 Didnt receive enough information to verify debt (13%)
- 501 Debt was paid (8%)
- 391 Attempted to collect wrong amount (7%)
The top states complaints were filed from are:
- 877 Complaints: FL
- 665 Complaints: TX
- 512 Complaints: CA
- 436 Complaints: GA
- 264 Complaints: IL
- 255 Complaints: NY
- 244 Complaints: PA
- 206 Complaints: OH
- 189 Complaints: VA
- 187 Complaints: NC
The status of the month’s complaints are as follows:
- 4545 Closed with explanation (76%)
- 719 In progress (12%)
- 593 Closed with non-monetary relief (10%)
- 89 Untimely response (1%)
- 38 Closed with monetary relief (1%)
This includes 5820 (97%) timely responses to complaints, and 164 (3%) untimely responses.