New Jersey Complaint Against Equifax for Reporting Inaccurate Public Record Judgement on Consumer’s Credit Report

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY

 John Doe,           Plaintiff, 

v.

 

EQUIFAX INFORMATION SERVICES LLC.,

 

          Defendant.

 

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Civil Action No.

 

 

COMPLAINT

 

JURY TRIAL DEMANDED

NON-ARBITRATION

 

COMPLAINT

 

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

The Parties

 

  1. Plaintiff,  is an adult individual residing at in Virginia .
  2. Defendant, Equifax Information Services LLC (“Equifax”) is a business entity that regularly conducts business in New Jersey, and which has a principle place of business at 6 Clementon Road, East, Suite A2, Gibbsboro, NJ 08026.

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 (the “inaccurate information”).
  2. The inaccurate information includes, but is not limited to, a public record judgment being reported in duplicate for two different amounts.
  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.
  4. Defendant has been reporting the inaccurate information through the issuance of false and inaccurate credit information and consumer credit reports that they have disseminated to various persons and credit grantors, both known and unknown.
  5. Plaintiff has disputed the inaccurate information with Defendant by both oral and written communications to their representatives and by following Equifax’s established procedures for disputing consumer credit information.
  6. Plaintiff has disputed the inaccurate information with Equifax from November 2010 through the present.
  7. Notwithstanding Plaintiff’s efforts, Equifax has sent Plaintiff correspondence indicating its intent to continue publishing the inaccurate information and Equifax continues to publish and disseminate such inaccurate information to other third parties, persons, entities and credit grantors.  Equifax has repeatedly published and disseminated consumer reports to such third parties from at least November 2010 through the present.
  8. Despite Plaintiff’s efforts, Equifax has never:  (1) contacted Plaintiff to follow up on, verify and/or elicit more specific information about Plaintiff’s disputes; (2) contacted any third parties that would have relevant information concerning Plaintiff’s disputes; or (3) forwarded any relevant information concerning Plaintiff’s disputes to the entities originally furnishing the inaccurate information.
  9. Despite Plaintiff’s exhaustive efforts to date, Defendant has nonetheless deliberately, willfully, intentionally, recklessly and negligently repeatedly failed to perform reasonable reinvestigations of the above disputes as required by the FCRA, have failed to remove the inaccurate information, have failed to report on the results of its reinvestigations to all credit reporting agencies, have failed to note the disputed status of the inaccurate information and have continued to report the derogatory inaccurate information about the Plaintiff.
  10. As a result of Defendants’ 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.

CLAIMS

COUNT ONE – 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, Equifax was a “person” and “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, Equifax 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 and 1681i.
  6. The conduct of Equifax 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, Equifax 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 Mark Mailman as trial counsel in the above-captioned matter.  Plaintiff reserves the right to amend this designation as necessary.

 

ARBITRATION CERTIFICATION

 

I, Mark 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 related to any case now pending or within one year previously terminated action in this court.

Respectfully Submitted,

FRANCIS & MAILMAN, P.C.                             

 

BY:      /s/ Mark Mailman

MARK MAILMAN, ESQUIRE

Land Title Building, 19th Floor

100 South Broad Street

Philadelphia, PA 19110

(215) 735-8600

 

Attorneys for Plaintiff