A
class-action
lawsuit was
filed Friday
in
Washington
County
Circuit
Court on
behalf of a
Springdale
man and
others
against
out-of-state
debt
collectors
because the
companies
allegedly
did not
register
with the
Arkansas
State Board
of
Collection
Agencies.
The lead
plaintiff is
Eddie
Dickard, and
the
defendants
are
Intraoperative
Monitoring
Company,
American
Intraoperative
Monitoring,
Oklahoma
Management
Services for
Physicians
and
Orthopedic
Management
Services.
The suit
seeks
monetary
damages and
injunctive
relief.
The class
is defined
in the suit
as any
Arkansas
residents
who have
been
contacted by
the
defendants
about the
collection
of alleged
outstanding
consumer
debts any
time since
August 2001.
Under
Arkansas
law,
according to
the
plaintiffs’
attorney,
Tim
Hutchinson
of Rogers,
companies
are not
permitted to
contact an
Arkansas
resident
about the
collection
of debt
unless they
are
registered
with the
Arkansas
State Board
of
Collection
Agencies.
The suit
specifically
claims the
defendants
committed
fraud and
violated the
Federal Fair
Debt
Collection
Act.
It
alleges that
the
companies
have “
repeatedly
contacted”
Dickard and
other state
residents.
As a
result of
their “
unlawful,
multiple
contacts”
with Dickard,
he paid them
fees, which
may have
included
interest,
costs and
penalties,
according to
the suit.
Similar
allegations
in the suit
are made
regarding
other
people.
