Story of Justice: Jose Gets Sued for Credit Card Debt that Does Not Belong to Him
Background
A few years ago, Jose*, a veteran, lost his wallet which had his social security card in it. Since that time, Jose started receiving collection letters from several debt collectors. One particular debt collector actually filed a small claims lawsuit – Jose was being sued for a credit card debt from Home Depot that did not belong to him.
Assistance
Jose reached out to Legal Aid Service of Broward County for Legal Assistance. Since 2019, Legal Aid had been arguing with the credit card company that the debt did not belong to Jose. The debt collector refused to dismiss the lawsuit.
For two years, the credit card company strenuously litigated the matter. At some point, the credit card company offered to reduce the debt, but Jose adamantly denied owing the debt and refused to pay a debt that did not belong to him.
Why it Matters
After 2 years of litigating, and 3 days before a scheduled motion hearing, the debt collector finally discharged this fraudulent debt against Jose, removed the debt action from his credit report, and dismissed the lawsuit they filed. After such a lengthy effort, Jose is very relieved to finally have this debt collection action resolved.
*Names and images have been changed to protect the privacy of our clients