Capstone Credit & Collections or CCC is a debt collection agency, which receives a lot of consumer complaints to our law firm for debt harassment. Find out who they are, why they might be calling, and how you can stop them.
Capstone Credit & Collections, LLC (CCC) is a third-party collection agency based in Florida that specializes in collecting delinquent debts for residential property managers. CCC has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including threatening to take actions that cannot legally be taken and attempting to collect debts not owed. If CCC has contacted you about a debt, make sure you know your rights before you take action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Capstone Credit & Collections, LLC is a legitimate collection agency, founded in 1992 and incorporated in 2009. The BBB established a profile page for CCC in 1995. The BBB lists CCC as a collection agency. Buzzfile estimates CCC’s annual revenue at $760,000 and the size of its headquarters staff at 8 employees.
According to its website, CCC“has sustained a determined growthpattern by combining the qualities necessary to a successful recovery and skiptracing effort with the flexibility of computerization…Technology and innovation are the keys to CCC’s sustained growth,” and “integrity, knowledge, and professionalism preserve…their relationship with…clients.”
CCC “specializes in debt collection for multifamily housing,” or apartment complexes. Their range of collection services includes letter collection series, collection calls, skip tracing, and litigation via their in-house collection attorney. CCC also offers its clients flat-fee or contingency-based rates; monthly status reports; credit bureau reporting; and “numerous placement methods.”
The CCC website provides very little detailed information about their business practices or regulatory compliance polices. However, they do state that their success in the collections industry results from “in-depth skip tracing;… a persistent and ethical collection effort”; and “recovery activities that comply with the strict guidelines of applicable state and federal laws.”
The CCC website cites affiliation with several professional associations, including the Florida Apartment Association (FAA); the Apartment Association of Greater Orlando (AAGO); the Bay Area Apartment Association (BAAA); and the National Apartment Association (NAA). Their Frequently Asked Questions page provides information exclusively for apartment managers. There are no links or references anywhere on the site to consumer protection resources, laws, or enforcement agencies.
Who are we? We are Lemberg Law, a Consumer Law Firm
Lemberg Law is a consumer law firm helping victims of collection harassment and abuse. We are ranked A+ by the BBB. We’ve helped more than 15,000 consumers stop harassment and recover money from debt collectors. Harassed? Abused? Misled by a collector? Call our Helpline today! There is no charge unless we win.
As of March 2019, the BBB has given CCC a rating of F. The BBB has closed 37 complaints against Capstone Credit & Collections in the preceding three years, with 12 complaints closed in the previous 12 months. Most of those complaints cited problems with billing and collections, although 11 complaints also cited problems with customer service. Since October 2016,the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)has closed 30 complaints involving CCC. Justia lists at least 1 case of civil litigation involving CCC.
Capstone Credit & Collections, LLC
PO Box 1267
Lutz, FL 33548-1267
Telephone: (813) 949-0631
Website: http://capstonecollections.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely CCC would sue you for a debt you may not owe or they cannot validate. However, debt collection agencies are known to have summoned debtors to court and garnish wages after a default judgement. Contacting an attorney BEFORE this could possibly happen would be a smart move. We’ve helped thousands of consumers fight back against unscrupulous debt collection harassers. Find out if we can help you too today!
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Unlawful Debt Harassment? Learn the Law & Sue the Collector.
Absolutely. Here are some Sample Complaints
In January 2015, in United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, a judge issued a final judgment in a case alleging Capstone Credit & Collections had violated the federal FDCPA and the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (FCCPA). In this case, the plaintiffs had filed an instant action against CCC, alleging that its collection staff had violated provisions of both laws. The plaintiffs sought “statutory damages and reasonable attorney’s fees and costs under both the FDCPA and the FCCPA.” The plaintiffs filed the complaint with the court and sent a notice to CCC, but CCC failed to enter an answer to the complaint and failed to appear in court on the date summoned. As a result, a “Clerk’s Default was entered against CCC for its failure to respond to the complaint or otherwise file an appearance.” At the January 2015 hearing, the plaintiffs moved “for a default final judgment in the amount of $9,625.00 for the following damages: (1) $1,000 statutory damages under the FDCPA per plaintiff; (2) $1,000 statutory
damages under the FCCPA per plaintiff; (3) $4,050.00 in attorney’s fees; (4) $1,120.00 in law clerk fees; and (5) $455.00 in costs.”
In determining whether to award the plaintiffs the damages they were seeking, the court considered Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(b)(2), which states that “a court may enter a final judgment of default against a party who has failed to plead in response to a complaint.” Furthermore, a “default judgment may be entered against a defendant who never appears or answers a complaint, for in such circumstances, the case never has been placed at issue.” In addition, “all well-pleaded allegations of fact are deemed admitted upon entry of default; however, before entering a default judgment, a court must confirm that it has jurisdiction over the claims and that the complaint adequately states a claim for which relief may be granted.” The court agreed that it had jurisdiction to make a ruling on the plaintiff’s complaint and that the plaintiffs’ “allegations were sufficient to state a claim under the FDCPA and the FCCPA.” As for the amount of the award, the court reduced the amount of statutory damages from $1,000 per plaintiff to $250 per plaintiff. The court agreed that the plaintiffs’ “request for attorney’s fees in the amount of $4,050.00 and costs in the amount of $455.00 was reasonable.” However, the court found that their request for clerk’s fees was “unreasonable under the circumstances…and reduced the law clerk’s hours from 11.2 hours to 6 hours,” with the resulting law clerk fees “awarded in the amount of $600.00.” The court’s final judgement concluded that the plaintiffs were “entitled to a judgment in the amount of $6,105.00.”
Federal laws protect you. The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) regulates the behavior of collection agencies by prohibiting actions such as the use of abusive or threatening language; harassment; or the use of false or misleading information to collect a debt. The FCRA regulates how collection agencies and creditors report delinquent debts to credit reporting agencies. Additional consumer protection laws include the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA).
But here’s the rub: If you want to enforce your rights, or recover money for violations — you need to sue. These laws provide individuals like you with a means to seek monetary damages in court. For example, the FDCPA allows consumers who have been violated to recover damages of up to $1,000, plus attorney fees and court costs.
You may have a case, if…
“With your help the nagging collection calls have finally ceased! I was thrilled I was also able to get damages from the collection agency. I am unable to adequately express my joy. I am so thankful I made the call.”
“When I first emailed the office, I was not exactly sure what they could do for me. I had an idea, but they responded back with everything I could expect to take place. I never believed I would be receiving a check, it was definitely a silver lining. I highly recommend them to anyone seeking customer legal services.”
“I just wanted to let you know we received the check from your office on now and I wanted to take some time to inform you that we really appreciate all of your efforts in this matter.”
We can absolutely help. Call us today.
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Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
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Cary Morgan is the person harassing me from capstone credit