Denver-based debt collector to return $475K to Washington consumers
Elise Amendola/AP
FILE - In this June 15, 2018 file photo, twenty dollar bills are counted in North Andover, Mass. Amid the pandemic-fueled recession, your job description and responsibilities may have changed. Whether youâve taken on more tasks after employees were laid off or your household income has taken a hit, there are plenty of reasons to negotiate your salary even in tough times. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
and last updated 2021-06-09 09:25:39-04
SEATTLE (AP) â A Denver-based collection agency must return about $475,000 it collected improperly from up to 5,000 Washington consumers after state Attorney General Bob Ferguson prevailed in a lawsuit alleging unlawful debt-collection practices.
Collection agency to return $475K after suit alleged it unlawfully garnished wages in WA
News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash. 3 hrs ago Alexis Krell, The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.)
Jun. 9 A collection agency accused of unlawfully garnishing wages will return $475,000 to Washingtonians, the state Attorney General s Office said Tuesday.
People affected won t have to contact the state to get that restitution. The Attorney General s Office will mail checks.
Money will be returned to up to 5,000 people, and hundreds of others will have $250,000 in fees forgiven. The number of people affected hasn t been finalized, the AG s Office said.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued the agency, Machol & Johannes, in King County Superior Court last year. The lawsuit alleged the company violated Washington s Consumer Protection Act and Collection Agency Act.
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