New Jersey Complaint Against Experian for Reporting Derogatory and Inaccurate Information to Third Parties Related to Consumer Credit Reports

Uncategorized No Comments

N THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY

 

 JANE DOE,  

          Plaintiff,

 

          v.

 

 

 EXPERIAN  INFORMATION

 SOLUTIONS, LLC. 

           

          Defendants.                                    

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   Civil Action No. 

 

 COMPLAINT

 

 JURY TRIAL DEMANDED

 

 NON-ARBITRATION

 

                                                                             

Preliminary Statement

  1. This is an action for damages brought by an individual consumer, against Experian Information Services, LLC, for violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (hereinafter the “FCRA”), 15 U.S.C. §§ 1681, et seq.

The Parties

  1.  Plaintiff is an adult individual residing in South Carolina. 
  2. Defendant Experian Information Solutions, Inc. (hereafter “Experian”) is a business entity that regularly conducts business in the District of New Jersey, and which has a principal place of business located at 5 Century Drive, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054.

JURISDICTION & Venue

  1.  Jurisdiction of this Court arises under 15 U.S.C. § 1681p and 28 U.S.C. § 1331, and supplemental jurisdiction exists for the state law claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1367.
  2.  Venue lies properly in this district pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b).

Factual Allegations

  1.  Defendant has been reporting derogatory and inaccurate statements and information relating to Plaintiff and Plaintiff’s credit history to third parties (hereafter the “inaccurate information”) from at least August 2012 through the present.
  2. The inaccurate information includes, but is not limited to, accounts with Aargon Agency, AFNI, Contract Callers, Enhanced Recovery and personal information.
  3. The inaccurate information negatively reflects upon Plaintiff, Plaintiff’s credit repayment history, Plaintiff’s financial responsibility as a debtor and Plaintiff’s credit worthiness. The inaccurate information consists of public records, accounts and/or tradelines that do not belong to the Plaintiff. Due to Defendant’s faulty procedures, Defendants mixed the credit file of Plaintiff and that of another consumer with respect to the inaccurate information and other personal identifying information.
  4. Defendant has been reporting the inaccurate information through the issuance of false and inaccurate credit information and consumer credit reports that it has disseminated to various persons and credit grantors, both known and unknown from at least August 2012 through the present.
  5. Plaintiff has applied for and has been denied various loans and extensions of consumer credit on many different occasions, and Plaintiff has been informed that the basis for these denials was the inaccurate information that appears on Plaintiff’s credit reports and that the inaccurate information was a substantial factor for those denials.
  6. Plaintiff’s credit reports and file have been obtained from Defendant and have been reviewed by prospective and existing credit grantors and extenders of credit, and the inaccurate information has been a substantial factor in precluding Plaintiff from receiving credit offers and opportunities, known and unknown.  Plaintiff’s credit reports have been obtained from Defendant by such third parties from at least August 2012 through the present
  7. As a result of Defendant’s conduct, Plaintiff has suffered actual damages in the form of credit denial or loss of credit opportunity, credit defamation and emotional distress, including anxiety, frustration, embarrassment and humiliation.
  8. At all times pertinent hereto, Defendant was acting by and through its agents, servants and/or employees who were acting within the course and scope of their agency or employment, and under the direct supervision and control of the Defendant herein.
  9.  At all times pertinent hereto, the conduct of the Defendant as well as that of its agents, servants and/or employees, was malicious, intentional, willful, reckless, and in grossly negligent disregard for federal and state laws and the rights of the Plaintiff herein.        

COUNT I – EXPERIAN

VIOLATIONS OF THE FCRA

  1.  Plaintiff incorporates the foregoing paragraphs as though the same were set forth at length herein.
  2. At all times pertinent hereto, Experian was a “persons” and a “consumer reporting agency” as those terms are defined by 15 U.S.C. § 1681a(b) and (f).
  3.  At all times pertinent hereto, Plaintiff was a “consumer” as that term is defined by 15 U.S.C. § 1681a(c).
  4. At all times pertinent hereto, the above-mentioned credit reports were “consumer reports” as that term is defined by 15 U.S.C. § 1681a(d).
  5. Pursuant to 15 U.S.C. §1681n and 15 U.S.C. §1681o, Experian is liable to the Plaintiff for willfully and negligently failing to comply with the requirements imposed on a consumer reporting agency of information pursuant to 15 U.S.C. §§ 1681e(b).
  6. The conduct of Experian was a direct and proximate cause, as well as a substantial factor, in bringing about the serious injuries, actual damages and harm to Plaintiff that are outlined more fully above and, as a result, Experian is liable to Plaintiff for the full amount of statutory, actual and punitive damages, along with the attorneys’ fees and the costs of litigation, as well as such further relief, as may be permitted by law.

JURY TRIAL DEMAND

  1. Plaintiff demands trial by jury on all issues so triable. 

PRAYER FOR RELIEF

WHEREFORE, Plaintiff seeks judgment in Plaintiff’s favor and damages against the Defendant, based on the following requested relief:

(a) Actual damages;

(b) Statutory damages;

(c) Punitive damages;

(d) Costs and reasonable attorney’s fees pursuant to 15 U.S.C. §§ 1681n, and 1681o; and

(e Such other and further relief as may be necessary, just and proper.

DESIGNATION OF TRIAL COUNSEL

            Plaintiff hereby designates John Soumilas as trial counsel in the above-captioned matter.  Plaintiff reserves the right to amend this designation as necessary.

ARBITRATION CERTIFICATION

            I, Mark D. Mailman, counsel of record do hereby certify pursuant to Local Civil Rule 201.1(d) that relief other than monetary damages is sought and that the damages sought are in excess of $150,000.  I further certify that, to my knowledge, the within case is not the subject of any action, arbitration or administrative hearing now pending in any court.

Respectfully submitted,

FRANCIS & MAILMAN, P.C.

BY:     _/s/ Mark D. Mailman____________________

MARK D. MAILMAN, ESQUIRE

JOHN SOUMILAS, ESQUIRE

GEOFFREY H. BASKERVILLE, ESQUIRE

Land Title Building, 19th Floor

100 South Broad Street

Philadelphia, PA 19110

(215) 735-8600

Attorneys for Plaintiff