ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) -
The Florida Attorney General has obtained a temporary injunction and asset freeze against two Orlando debt collection agencies.
Attorney General Pam Bondi is claiming that Vanderbilt & Associates, LLC, Buchanan Capital Management, LLC, and their owner have engaged in unlawful debt collection schemes. Orlando police officers served a search warrant at offices located at 3760 Maguire Blvd, Suite 350 late Friday morning.
The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) and the Orlando Police Department assisted with the case involving the allegations that the companies would call consumers and claim to be law enforcement officials, government agents, process servers or county clerk's office employees to intimidate or scare consumers into paying debts.
"We will do everything within our power to protect Floridians from unlawful debt collection practices that often employ scare tactics to manipulate individuals," stated Attorney General Bondi. "My office will continue to partner with the Office of Financial Regulation and the Orlando Police Department to enforce Florida's tough consumer protection laws."
This investigation began as a civil complaint against the company, which has used multiple names over a period of time, according to the Attorney General's Office.
Bondi said that, in many cases, these alleged practices were targeted at debts that were non-existent, had already been paid, or for which the company had no legal rights to collect.
These alleged practices are in violation of the Florida Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act.
In addition truckloads of evidence, according to the detectives, over $200,000 has been seized from accounts.
The Office of the Statewide Prosecutor has agreed to prosecute this case.
