Express Recovery Services on Your Credit Report: What to Know

If Express Recovery Services (ERS) has appeared on your credit report, a 2020 federal enforcement action is the most important context. In October 2020, ERS entered into a Stipulated Final Judgment and Order with the CFPB. ERS also operates under the name Clear Management Solutions, which may appear on collection notices or your credit report.

ERS focuses on the Intermountain West and collects primarily for utilities and healthcare providers. Their confirmed clients include Questar Gas, Rocky Mountain Power, and the University of Utah Health Care. This guide covers who ERS is, what the 2020 CFPB order means, and how to respond.

Who Is Express Recovery Services?

Express Recovery Services, Inc. (ERS) is a third-party debt collection agency founded in 1996 and headquartered in West Valley City, Utah. The company also operates under the name Clear Management Solutions. ERS is BBB-accredited and holds an A+ rating despite documented complaints and a 2020 CFPB enforcement action.

ERS explicitly markets “full-service litigation capabilities” on their own website, stating: “Should customers remain unwilling to work out reasonable repayment of debt obligations and the account meets our mutually agreed-upon criteria for the suit, our legal forwarding department will refer the account for litigation.” Unlike many small regional agencies, ERS does pursue lawsuits.

The 2020 CFPB Enforcement Action

In October 2020, ERS entered into a Stipulated Final Judgment and Order with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. While the specific terms of the order are not fully public, CFPB consent orders of this type typically require operational changes, compliance programs, and consumer remediation. The mere fact of a federal enforcement action against a small regional collector is significant.

If you were an ERS consumer between approximately 2017 and 2020, contact the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov to determine whether the consent order provides any relief applicable to your situation.

Confirmed Clients and the Intermountain West Focus

ERS’s own website identifies specific confirmed clients: Questar Gas (now Dominion Energy Utah), Rocky Mountain Power, and the University of Utah Health Care. This makes their geographic and industry focus unusually specific.

If you have an ERS account and you have never had utility or healthcare service in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, or surrounding Intermountain West states, investigate the account immediately for identity errors. A documented BBB identity theft complaint describes ERS pursuing a consumer for gas and electricity service at a Utah address the consumer did not occupy.

The Utility Bill Collection Fee Issue

A documented BBB complaint describes a consumer who requested the original signed contract for a $8,379 Rocky Mountain Power bill. ERS’s response stated: “Power customers are not required to sign a contract for service, there is no contract to send.”

This is correct under Utah law. Utility service in Utah is governed by statute, not signed contracts. ERS’s response also noted that Utah law specifically authorizes collection agencies to add a collection fee to unpaid utility bills when the account is assigned for collection.

Before disputing a utility balance on the grounds that no contract exists, confirm the specific amount ERS is claiming includes only the original utility balance and the statutorily authorized collection fee. Any additional fees beyond these two items may be unauthorized.

The Garnishment Without Notice Problem

A documented 2025 BBB complaint describes ERS obtaining a writ of garnishment on a consumer’s wages for a debt allegedly belonging to their spouse. The consumer never received any prior communication from ERS.

A representative spoke with the consumer’s young son about a court summons. Wage garnishment payments began on March 11. After the account was paid in full, ERS failed to issue a release of garnishment to the consumer’s employer, which continued deducting payments.

A writ of garnishment requires a court judgment. Obtaining a default judgment without proper service on the defendant is a serious due process violation. If ERS has begun garnishing your wages and you were never served with a lawsuit, contact a consumer protection attorney immediately.

ERS’s 2025 BBB response acknowledges the garnishment release was sent the day after final payment, confirming the release was delayed.

ERS Does File Lawsuits

Unlike many small agencies we’ve covered, ERS explicitly markets litigation as part of their service model. Their website confirms they forward accounts meeting their criteria to an attorney network. Do not ignore any ERS correspondence. A default judgment from ERS gives them the ability to garnish wages, levy bank accounts, and place liens.

What ERS Cannot Do Under Federal Law

The FDCPA applies to Express Recovery Services. Under federal law, they cannot:

• Garnish wages without a valid court judgment properly served: A documented 2025 BBB complaint.
• Fail to release a garnishment after account is paid in full: A documented 2025 BBB complaint.
• Discuss debt details with third parties including children: A documented complaint pattern.
• Collect unauthorized fees beyond statutory amounts: Verify any fee beyond the original balance and the Utah-authorized collection fee.
• Call outside permitted hours: Contact is only allowed between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in your time zone.
• Use threats or abusive language: Documented in consumer complaints against the Clear Management Solutions name.

File complaints at consumerfinance.gov. Utah residents can also file with the Utah Division of Consumer Protection.

Verify the Debt and Any Fees Before Paying

Send a written debt validation request by certified mail within 30 days of first contact. Ask for the original creditor, the original balance at referral, the collection fee amount and its statutory basis, and the total amount claimed. For utility accounts specifically, note that no original signed contract exists, but the account detail, service address, and fee authorization should be documentable.

For identity theft situations on utility accounts, ERS’s own BBB response confirmed they accept a police report or FTC identity theft affidavit to launch a fraud investigation through the original utility provider.

How to Check Your Credit Report for ERS Errors

Pull your credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Is the balance correct including any collection fee? Is the original utility or healthcare provider accurately identified? Does the service address match an address you actually occupied? Any inaccuracy is grounds for a dispute with each credit bureau.

How Long Can ERS Legally Pursue the Debt?

Utah has a 6-year statute of limitations on most consumer debts. If you no longer live in Utah, the relevant state is typically where you currently reside.

Your Options for Resolving an ERS Account

Once you have verified the debt, consider your options:

• Go to the original utility or healthcare provider: Questar Gas, Rocky Mountain Power, and the University of Utah Health Care all have billing departments that can confirm account history.
• Verify the fee structure: Confirm any collection fee is limited to what Utah statute authorizes for utility accounts.
• Respond to any lawsuit immediately: ERS litigates and pursues default judgments.
• Dispute identity theft accounts: Use the FTC affidavit process ERS’s own BBB response describes.

How to Contact Express Recovery Services

Handle all communication in writing whenever possible:

• Address: Express Recovery Services, Inc., 2790 Decker Lake Dr, West Valley City, UT 84119
• Mailing address: PO Box 26415, Salt Lake City, UT 84126
• Phone: (800) 238-5888

Bottom Line

Express Recovery Services has a 2020 CFPB consent order and a documented pattern of obtaining wage garnishments without proper notice. They do litigate and do not release garnishments promptly after payoff without follow-up.

Respond to every ERS communication, verify fee amounts against Utah’s statutory authorization, and contact an attorney immediately if you discover a garnishment was obtained without you ever being served.