Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery Inc. (LMM) is a third-party collection agency based in Texas. LMM has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), such as failing to provide written verification of debts and using false or misleading information in an effort to collect a debt. If LMM has contacted you about delinquent collection items, make sure you understand your rights before you respond.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery, Inc. was founded and incorporated in June 2004. The BBB established a profile page for LMM in August 2004, and LMM has been a BBB-accredited business since 2012. The BBB lists LMM as a collection agency and financial services company. Buzzfile estimates LMM’s annual revenue at $1.2 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 10 employees.
According to its website, LMM“offers a wide range of services designed to help… clients recover past-due and uncollectable receivables.” LMM “understands the complexities of the ever-evolving receivables market and the importance of maintaining a stellar business relationship with …customers, all while remaining profitable.”
Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery is a full-service collection agency that provides a range of services, including dispute resolution; third-party consumer collections; third-party commercial collections; early-out collections; credit reporting; bankruptcy management services; skip tracing; and letter series.
Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery specializes in collecting delinquent debts for vocational and trade schools; healthcare service providers; alarm system service companies; and commercial collection accounts for freight and logistics companies. LMM’s vocational education debt collection division is administered by Vocational Recovery Solutions, a division of LMM “dedicated to serving creditors in the vocational lending space…by offering a final stage of protection against unpaid tuition for lenders, schools, and students.” LMM’s medical debt collection division “resolves accounts by partnering with the patient to identify payment solutions for their balance, thus keeping them engaged in the recovery process.” LMM’s Apex division “partners with both dealers and stations that install, service, and monitor alarm systems… to determine the reason for non-payment, explain …clients’ rights under the monitoring agreement, and assist the consumer in finding a solution” to unpaid accounts. LMM’s commercial collections division “delivers effective out-of-court solutions to unpaid freight debts… then negotiates with responsible parties to find amicable solutions.”
LMM cites membership in several professional associations, including the International Association of Credit and Collection Professionals (ACA International); the Receivables Management Association (RMA); and the Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA). Their website does not include any detailed information about their regulatory compliance policies; however, it does include a mini-Miranda identifying them as a bill collector. Their payment portal requires site visitors to agree to a lengthy legal disclaimer before gaining access, and the Contact page provides a link to the Consumer Resources page of the RMA website.
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 August 2019, the BBB has closed 3 complaints against Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery in the preceding three years, none of them closed in the previous 12 months. All of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections. As of April 2018, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 1 complaint against LMM. Justia lists at least 2 cases of civil litigation involving LMM.
Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery, Inc.
1401 N. Central Expressway, Suite 225
Richardson, TX 75080
Telephone:(877) 214-3355
Website: http://www.lmmcollections.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely LMM 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. You can sue a debt collector. Here is a Sample Case Complaint:
Complaints against Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery cite problems resulting from disputes about the validity of debts and the accuracy of information reported to the credit reporting agencies. In April 2018, a complainant stated that LMM reported unverified and inaccurate information about him to the credit reporting agencies, which had prevented him from getting a pre-approval letter for a home loan. According to the complainant, he had begun the preapproval process for a home loan. At some point during the process, “the loan officer called him back and told him he was denied for a low credit score, and that there was a debt collector that had sent him to collections” for a debt of over $6,000.00. The complainant told the loan representative that he “had no knowledge of it,” but that he would “try and straighten it out. He filed a dispute with the credit bureau and told them that he didn’t have any knowledge of the account.” Unfortunately, the investigation resulted in a decision in favor of LMM, with LMM “telling the credit bureau the account belonged to” the complainant. The complainant wrote to LMM to dispute the account. He requested written verification of the debt. He said LMM had failed to provide sufficient verification, so he calledand asked when they had sent the initial letter “or had their first communication with him.” He also told them he had only been a co-signer on the loanin question. Allegedly, the LMM representative told him thatthey had “never sent him a letter, nor had they communicated with him about this debt.”As a result, he “sent them another letter indicating they had violated the FDCPA guidelines.” In response, LMM “sent…a letter… saying they were not going to investigate the claim and that all the letters in question were similar in nature.” The complainant stated that the claim was false. He disputed LMM’s claim that his letters were all the same. Ha also insisted that because he had no previous knowledge of the debt, LMM had violated the FDCPA by reporting it to the credit reporting agencies.
In May 2017, a complainant stated that Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery had reported “a false debt amount to the credit reporting agencies and had incorrectly verifiedthe debt as accurate.” The complainant stated that LMM had reported the debt without informing him first. He had made multiple attempts to contact LMM regarding the listing and had sent documents to support his claim,but all of it was returned. Regardless, LMM continued to report negative, false information that had damaged the complainant’s credit score.
In both cases, Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery denied all allegations of wrongdoing, stating they had “determined the balance to be accurate and the debt to be valid,” and that they believed they had “acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law.”
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 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.”
“I would recommend your company to anyone. You have the debt collectors off my back, and I will finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Throughout the entire procedure your employees were courteous and professional. I was blown away by their efficacy also.
“After speaking to one of the partners, and going over the plan of action, I felt I’d chose the perfect company to go to work for me. He was very accommodating in describing what was going to happen. I would strongly recommend Lemberg Law to anybody being hassled by debt collectors”
“Prior to contacting you, we had tried repeatedly to handle this matter without threatening litigation. In the end, not only were they unapologetic, but they were dismissive – even of an attorney friend who called on our behalf. Sincerest thanks for resolving this matter for us!”
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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