State, debt collector reach $4.3 million settlement
The state Office of Consumer Protection has resolved charges a debt collector engaged in unfair business practices with a $4.3 million settlement.
Nelson, Hirsch & Associates agreed to cease operations as part of the settlement, the office said. The company was accused of threatening consumers with arrest if they did not pay, collecting more than the amount owed and calling repeatedly, up to 50 times a day. Nelson, Hirsch agreed to pay a $26,000 civil penalty and forgo collection of 5,809 consumer accounts worth $4.3 million, the office said.
“We are sending a strong and clear message that this kind of abuse and harassment of consumers, and the egregious disregard for the law that these practices typify will not be tolerated,” says John Sours, administrator of the Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
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