Home → Consumer Credit Home Page → Enforcement → Enforcement Action
Settlement Management; 1526 6th Avenue; Seattle, WA 98101 - Order for Affirmative Sanctions
December 12, 2014
NOW COMES the Superintendent, State of Maine, Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection, and issues the following Order for Affirmative Sanctions for regulatory penalties and costs of investigation:
WHEREAS the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection (the Bureau) is established to, among other things, receive and act on complaints of violations of the Maine Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (32 M.R.S. ??11001 - 11051-A), and may issue orders that direct a person or entity to refrain from certain actions; and
WHEREAS 32 M.R.S. ? 11031(1) provides that ?[n]o person may conduct the business of a debt collector in this State without a valid license issued by the superintendent?; and
WHEREAS on May 29, 2014, the Bureau received a written complaint from a M. C., a Maine consumer, regarding contact from a debt collector using the name of Settlement Management, purportedly located at 1527 6th Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98101-1705; and
WHEREAS M. C. received written communication from Settlement Management stating that Settlement Management would take ?legal action? if the debt was not paid, which would include forwarding her case to Attorney Ellen F. Rosenblum and sending M. C.?s file ?inside the court house?; and
WHEREAS Settlement Management failed to respond to a May 7, 2014 letter from M. C.?s attorney requesting verification of the debt, or in lieu of such verification, written assurance of Settlement Management?s cessation of further communication in connection with the debt; and
WHEREAS Bureau staff searched the Bureau?s licensing records and determined that Settlement Management is not licensed as a debt collector by the Bureau; and
WHEREAS Bureau staff sent a certified letter dated June 4, 2014 (copy attached) to Settlement Management at 1527 6th Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98101-1705, the address listed on a facsimile sent to M. C. by Settlement Management; and
WHEREAS the letter from the Bureau was returned with the post office?s notation of June 12, 2014: ?Return to Sender/Attempted ? Not Known/Unable to Forward?;
NOW, THEREFORE, Settlement Management is hereby:
ORDERED to refrain from all contact with any Maine consumer until such time as it has obtained from the Bureau a valid license to conduct debt collection activity in Maine; and it is further
ORDERED to pay $500 to the Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection no later than January 2, 2015 for the costs of this investigation, pursuant to 9-A M.R.S ?6-106(6) and 32 M.R.S. ?11051.
ATTACHMENT: Complaint letter to Settlement Management
| Date: December 12, 2014 | /s/William N. Lund |
| William N. Lund | |
| Superintendent | |
| Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection |
NOTICE OF APPEAL RIGHTS Any party aggrieved by this Order may appeal to the Superior Court pursuant to 5 M.R.S. ?11001 et seq. within 30 days of receipt of this Order. Any other person aggrieved shall have 40 days from the date the Order was rendered to petition for review.
| Date: December 12, 2014 | /s/William N. Lund |
| William N. Lund | |
| Superintendent | |
| Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection |