HOUSTON — A Harris County woman claims a debt collection company falsely threatened her with a lawsuit and garnished wages in an effort to coerce her into paying them more than $1,300.
Danesha Nelson filed a complaint Jan. 15 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas against First Quality Financial Services LLC and John Vasconcellos alleging violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Texas Finance Code and California Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
According to the suit, Nelson had incurred an overdraft or insufficient funds charge from a previous Wells Fargo Bank account which First Quality obtained the right to collect. She alleges that on Aug. 26, 2019 First Quality falsely informed her she was being served with a lawsuit and deceptively threatened to garnish her wages which coerced her into paying First Quality $1,394.67. Nelson claims the threats were "false and misleading because First Quality had no right" to garnish her wages at the time.
Nelson seeks monetary relief of between $100 and $1,000 for each violation, trial by jury and other just relief. She is represented by Jeffrey Wood of The Wood Law Firm PLLC in Little Rock.
Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas case number 4:20-CV-00147