Gatestone & Co. International Named in Third FDPCA Class Action

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Gatestone & Co. International Inc. has been hit with another class action claiming the company engaged in practices that violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). This lawsuit, out of Florida, claims the company sent collection letters that “falsely and misleadingly” detail the plaintiff’s debt verification rights. Specifically, the defendant’s letter said that if the plaintiff notified them in writing, the company would obtain verification of the debt and mail it to him. What the defendant’s language left out, however, is that the plaintiff’s written notification must dispute the debt and not just request verification.

The lawsuit further alleges the language in question—“If you notify this office in writing within 30 days after receiving this notice, this office will: obtain verification of the debt of obtain a copy of a judgment and mail you a copy of such judgment or verification.”—is misleading and confusing to the least sophisticated consumer, as it does not expressly state what the debtor needs to do to dispute the debt.