On February 10, the Connecticut Banking Commissioner issued an order requiring a New York-based collection agency to cease and desist from violating Connecticut laws governing collection agencies and pay a $100,000 civil penalty after the company failed to request a hearing following a January 6 notice of intent. The commissioner’s investigation found the agency attempted to collect debts in Connecticut despite never holding a consumer collection license in the state and had engaged in prohibited practices, including repeated calls to a hospital’s emergency medical line despite requests to stop, which occupied vital communication channels and caused undue stress for hospital staff.
The commissioner concluded that the collection agency violated Connecticut law by operating in the state without a license, engaging in harassing conduct in connection with the collection of a debt, contacting individuals other than the debtor without consent, and using abusive language. The order also stated that the agency’s actions, including contacting hospital staff through an emergency medical line after being told not to, violated the federal FDCPA, which prohibits debt collectors from harassing or abusing others. Because the collection agency failed to request a hearing to contest the allegations within 14 days of receipt of the Commissioner’s notice of intent, the allegations were deemed admitted for the purposes of the order. The order took effect on February 11.
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