Quick analysis: Increased Complaints Across the Board
In March, some ground was made up against February’s much lower-than-normal numbers with FDCPA (+9.5%), FCRA (+20.9%) and FCRA (+27.1%) all way up over the previous month, and CFPB complaints even got in on the action with a +15% increase as well.
Year-to-date, FDCPA (-31.8%) and FCRA (-9.4%) are still down from this time last year, while TCPA for a change is up YTD by +4.4%. CFPB complaints are also down YTD by -18.8%.
In other news, putative class actions represented 10.7% of FDCPA, 47.1% of TCPA and 4% of FCRA lawsuits filed last month. About 40% of all plaintiffs who filed suit last month had filed at least once before. And finally, Atlanta attorney Matthew Thomas Berry represented the most consumers in March (25) while Chicago attorney David J. Phillips has represented the most consumers YTD (47) so far in 2023.
| Current Month: | Previous Month: | Previous Year: |
Year to Date: | Year to Date Comp: |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 01, 2023 Mar 31, 2023 |
Feb 01, 2023 Feb 28, 2023 |
Mar 01, 2022 Mar 31, 2022 |
Jan 01, 2023 Mar 31, 2023 |
Jan 01, 2022 Mar 31, 2022 |
|||||
| CFPB | 6108 | 5313 | 15.0% | 6860 | -11.0% | 17491 | 21537 | -18.8% | |
| FDCPA | 346 | 316 | 9.5% | 505 | -31.5% | 1008 | 1478 | -31.8% | |
| FCRA | 474 | 392 | 20.9% | 498 | -4.8% | 1308 | 1444 | -9.4% | |
| TCPA | 136 | 107 | 27.1% | 120 | 13.3% | 376 | 360 | 4.4% | |
Complaint Statistics:
6108 consumers filed CFPB complaints, and about 837 consumers filed lawsuits under consumer statutes from Mar 01, 2023 to Mar 31, 2023.
- 6108 CFPB Complaints
- 346 FDCPA, 37 Class Action (10.7%)
- 136 TCPA, 64 Class Action (47.1%)
- 474 FCRA, 19 Class Action (4.0%)
Litigation Summary (scroll down for CFPB data):
- Of those cases, there were about 837 unique plaintiffs (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit).
- Of those plaintiffs, about 334, or (40%), had sued under consumer statutes before.
- Combined, those plaintiffs have filed about 9858 lawsuits since 2001
- Actions were filed in 148 different US District Court branches.
- About 616 different collection firms and creditors were sued.
The top courts where lawsuits were filed:
- 59 Lawsuits: Georgia Northern District Court – Atlanta
- 43 Lawsuits: Illinois Northern District Court – Chicago
- 33 Lawsuits: Florida Middle District Court – Tampa
- 32 Lawsuits: California Southern District Court – San Diego
- 27 Lawsuits: Pennsylvania Eastern District Court – Philadelphia
- 26 Lawsuits: Florida Middle District Court – Orlando
- 25 Lawsuits: California Central District Court – Southern Division – Santa Ana
- 22 Lawsuits: California Central District Court – Western Division – Los Angeles
- 21 Lawsuits: Texas Southern District Court – Houston
- 20 Lawsuits: Texas Northern District Court – Dallas
The most active consumer attorneys were:
- Representing 25 Consumers: MATTHEW THOMAS BERRY
- Representing 19 Consumers: CHRISTOPHER NEIL ARMOR
- Representing 16 Consumers: KYLE W SCHUMACHER
- Representing 16 Consumers: AHREN A TILLER
- Representing 12 Consumers: DAVID J PHILIPPS
- Representing 11 Consumers: SHAWN SHAWN JAFFER
- Representing 11 Consumers: YAAKOV SAKS
- Representing 11 Consumers: PHILLIP WESLEY POOL
- Representing 11 Consumers: ALLEN EDGAR ROBERTSON
- Representing 10 Consumers: YOUSSEF HUSSEIN HAMMOUD
Statistics Year to Date:
2411 total lawsuits for 2023, including:
- 1008 FDCPA
- 1308 FCRA
- 376 TCPA
Number of Unique Plaintiffs for 2023: 2216 (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit)
The most active consumer attorneys of the year:
- Representing 47 Consumers: DAVID J PHILIPPS
- Representing 46 Consumers: MATTHEW THOMAS BERRY
- Representing 34 Consumers: ALLEN EDGAR ROBERTSON
- Representing 33 Consumers: JOSEPH POWELL MCCLELLAND
- Representing 32 Consumers: KYLE W SCHUMACHER
- Representing 31 Consumers: AHREN A TILLER
- Representing 30 Consumers: PHILLIP WESLEY POOL
- Representing 30 Consumers: SHAWN SHAWN JAFFER
- Representing 27 Consumers: CHRISTOPHER NEIL ARMOR
- Representing 26 Consumers: YAAKOV SAKS
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CFPB Complaint Statistics:
There were 6108 complaints filed against debt collectors from Mar 01, 2023 to Mar 31, 2023.
Total number of debt collectors complained about: 830
The types of debt behind the complaints were:
- 1780 Other debt (29%)
- 1639 I do not know (27%)
- 1246 Credit card debt (20%)
- 873 Medical debt (14%)
- 294 Auto debt (5%)
- 130 Payday loan debt (2%)
- 74 Mortgage debt (1%)
- 44 Private student loan debt (1%)
- 28 Federal student loan debt (0%)
Here is a breakdown of complaints:
- 3257 Attempts to collect debt not owed (53%)
- 1149 Written notification about debt (19%)
- 603 Took or threatened to take negative or legal action (10%)
- 535 False statements or representation (9%)
- 436 Communication tactics (7%)
- 128 Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly (2%)
The top five subissues were:
- 1728 Debt is not yours (28%)
- 960 Debt was result of identity theft (16%)
- 788 Didnt receive enough information to verify debt (13%)
- 460 Debt was paid (8%)
- 410 Attempted to collect wrong amount (7%)
The top states complaints were filed from are:
- 703 Complaints: TX
- 649 Complaints: FL
- 578 Complaints: CA
- 436 Complaints: GA
- 315 Complaints: IL
- 299 Complaints: NY
- 226 Complaints: PA
- 209 Complaints: NJ
- 202 Complaints: TN
- 201 Complaints: OH
The status of the month’s complaints are as follows:
- 4585 Closed with explanation (75%)
- 883 In progress (14%)
- 534 Closed with non-monetary relief (9%)
- 81 Untimely response (1%)
- 25 Closed with monetary relief (0%)
This includes 5956 (98%) timely responses to complaints, and 152 (2%) untimely responses.