In 2003 I took out a payday advance loan at one of "those" places for a little over $500. When it was time to pay them, I still was short funds, so I kept re-doing the loan. I had an old car, it was summertime in Florida, the electric windows completely died with the windows UP, and I had to get the window motor fixed. The manager suggested a two-week extension. I asked for it in writing. He said not to worry; it's verbal, but he did write down my new due date on a little green card. I had already paid down about $250 of it at that point.
One week later a woman called from that office and told me my payment was due. I told her who had suggested the extension, and asked if I needed to come in and show her the card. She said that would not be necessary. Then she deposited the check, resulting in NSF. The NSF resulted in more NSFs, plus penalties from the people who got the checks, costing me about $160. My position was, deduct the $160 from my balance, and that is what I will pay you. We never quite came to an agreement.
It is now 5 years later, and I get a voicemail in great detail (which of itself is illegal when making a collection call, due to the privacy laws). The woman said her name was Angela Davis, and she presented herself to be of an official capacity in Brevard County.
Believing I was calling the State of Florida, I furnished her with my new name, new address, etc. She accused me of "having all these aliases." I stated for the second time that the check had been written when I was still legally married to my previous husband, had taken back my maiden name when I divorced him in and had married my present husband in "in my Church, in the eyes of God, and also in the eyes of the State of Florida."
She went completely ballistic. She began shrieking about how I should get on my knees and repent immediately. I kept trying to talk reasonably to her, but she was like a woman possessed. (Actually she reminded me of those so-called "Christians" who bomb abortion clinics. She sounded very violent and very unstable.)
She was demanding I settle the debt immediately over the phone, said there would be a warrant out for me "in 24 to 48 hours" (also amazing since this was a Friday, and the Courts don't work on the weekend), and said the Statute of Limitations in the State of Florida for a NSF check over $500 is ten years.
I hung up on her and went to my local Courthouse to pay the balance of $300 with my debit card. They could not find any paperwork on me. When the clerk asked me very slowly, "What makes you think you were talking to the State of Florida?" the lightbulb went off and I realized something was very, wrong.
I did a Reverse Phone Book search and found this is actually a collections agency!!! This Angela Davis actually threatened me with ARREST!!!
I used to do professional collections. I can assure you that she violated the collections law on several counts.
The quesion now is... What are we going to do about it?
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