Who is Midland Credit Management?
Midland Credit Management, Inc. (MCM) aka Midland Funding, LLC (both subsidiaries of Encore Capital Group, Inc.) is a debt collection agency based in San Diego, California. Midland was founded in 1953.
You may see Midland listed on your credit report as a collections account. This can happen if you owe a creditor money and they’ve hired someone to collect that money.
They may appear on your credit report as any of the following entries:
- mcm credit
- mcm midland credit management
- midland collections
- midland credit
- midland credit mgmt inc
- midland fund
- midland funding
- midland management
How to Remove Midland Credit Management Collections from Your Credit Report
Collections can hurt your credit score and remain on your credit report for up to 7 years regardless of whether you pay it or not. Unfortunately, paying the collection could even lower your credit score.
This may affect your ability to get credit in the future, such as an auto loan, credit card, or mortgage. However, it is possible to have it removed before 7 years, and you may not even have to pay it.
(Debt collectors prefer that we didn’t tell you this, but it’s something you should know.)
Lexington Law is a credit repair company that helps people fix their credit. You may not even have to pay any of the debts on your credit report.
In addition to collections, Lexington Law will help you challenge (and possibly remove) other inaccurate information from your credit report. These items include inquiries, late payments, charge-offs, foreclosures, repossessions, judgments, tax liens, and bankruptcies.
Call Lexington Law now to learn more: (800) 220-0084
Midland Credit Management, Inc. (MCM) Information
Address:
Midland Credit Management, Inc.
350 Camino De La Reina #100
San Diego, CA 92108
Website: https://www.midlandcredit.com
Phone number: (858)-309-6970, (800) 825-8131, (858)-309-6970 or (858)-560-2600
4 Ways to Remove Midland Credit Management from Your Credit Report
When you have a negative entry listed on your credit report from MCM, there are a few different ways you can deal with it. Try these four tips for removal.
Step 1: Communicate Only in Writing
Midland Credit Management is known for its quasi-unethical debt collection practices. That includes breaking promises made over the phone to consumers. They do this because it’s difficult for you to prove what was said during your conversation. To avoid this, tell MCM that you only want to communicate via written communication.
You have the right to do this under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and you’ll want to send your request in writing as quickly as possible. They should start sending everything in the mail, otherwise, you can report them for unfair practices.
Step 2: Get Your Debt Validated
Next, send a debt validation letter. This is a formal request that can be made within 30 days of first hearing from MCM. It’s their responsibility to prove that the debt is yours and that all of the account details are accurate.
Because MCM buys debt from other companies, it’s quite possible that their records are inaccurate or incomplete. If they do send you some proof of the debt, make sure all the details are accurate. For example, if any dates are wrong or previous payments aren’t listed, then you can ask them to remove the incorrect entry from your credit report.
Step 3: Settle for Removal
If Midland Credit Management does happen to validate your debt, you have the option to settle the amount you owe. This means you can pay less than what you owe in exchange for having the debt settled and removed from your credit report.
It’s very important that you get the deal in writing, though. Otherwise, you risk the collection agency going back on their word. Once you have a written agreement on how you want the settlement handled, you can make your payment.
Step 4: Get Help from the Pros
Negotiating with a debt collector and the credit bureaus can be a tricky, time-consuming process. Avoid the headaches and potentially missing key details in an agreement by outsourcing the work to a professional credit repair firm.
They understand the law and know exactly what MCM can and can’t do. They also know how to navigate the system to maximize your chances of getting those negative items removed. Plus, it can save you a ton of time and often yield better results than if you went at it alone.
What are my legal rights?
There are limits to what a debt collector can and cannot do. Just because you owe money doesn’t mean you cease to have any rights. Your rights, according to the FDCPA, are:
- They cannot collect more money than you owe.
- They cannot call you repeatedly all day long, early in the morning, or late at night.
- They cannot speak intimidatingly or abusively.
- They cannot inform other people of your debt if you are over 18 (with the exception of your spouse if you’re married).
- They cannot ignore your debt validation request.
Recognize any laws that have been broken?
Should I contact or pay Midland Credit Management?
Nothing good can come from contacting a collection agency. And making payments on the collection account will reset the clock. So not only will it not help your credit, but it could actually make it worse.
The best way to go about handling this is to contact a professional credit repair service. They have deleted millions of negative items from companies like Midland Credit Management for millions of clients nationwide.
And they can help you too.
Will Midland Credit Management sue me or garnish my wages?
It’s possible, but if you work with a law firm like Lexington Law, you have nothing to worry about. They will help you dispute the collection account and possibly get it removed from your credit report. It’s also quite possible that you may never hear from or have to deal with MCM again.
Call Lexington Law to learn how they can help you avoid lawsuits and remove negative items from your credit report that will significantly improve your credit scores.
Wage Garnishment
Some states allow wage garnishment, while others do not. It is important to note that if you are in a state that does not allow wage garnishment, it is illegal for them to threaten to garnish your wages.
It is also illegal for Midland Credit Management to make any claims they cannot or will not follow through on – this includes threatening to sue you or to foreclose on your home.
Midland Credit Management, Inc. Complaints
Most collection agencies have numerous complaints filed against them with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Most complaints are about inaccurate reporting, harassment, or failure to verify a debt. If you find yourself facing any of these situations with a debt collection agency, you should also consider filing a complaint.
You have many consumer rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Lexington Law knows that you have rights, and Midland Credit Management does too.
How Collections Affect Your Credit
Missed payments over several months will cause a hit to your credit score. Couple that with a collection account on your credit report, and it can definitely impact your ability to qualify for new credit.
Debt collectors often buy and sell debt from one another, so this can lead to multiple collections showing on your credit reports for the same account.
When this happens, if you don’t dispute the accounts, they will definitely have a negative impact on your credit score.
Your Rights When Dealing with Midland Credit Management
There are strict regulations about what a debt collector can and cannot do in the United States. For example, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act prevents the use of abusive or deceptive tactics to collect any debt, whether or not you actually owe it. In addition, the FDCPA provides you with many rights to ensure that collection agencies don’t take advantage of you. In particular:
- Debt validation. Under the FDCPA, you have the right to validate a debt. The collection agency reporting the information must prove to you, within 30 days, that the account is really your responsibility and the amount of money you owe is accurate.
- All personal debts are covered, including personal credit cards, auto loans, household bills, and mortgage payments.
- Midland Credit Management may not threaten or harass you, call you repeatedly, swear at you, or publicly publish a list of debtors.
- Midland Credit Management must be honest about who they are and what they are trying to do. They must notify you that they are a collection agency both orally and in writing.
- Midland Credit Management cannot threaten to have you arrested, and they are not allowed to threaten to take legal action if they have no intention of doing so.
More Tips on Dealing with Midland Credit Management
Avoid the phone. NEVER talk to a debt collector on the phone. Nothing good can come of it. The less they know about you, the better.
Politely tell them it’s your policy to deal with everything in writing and then hang up. If they keep calling, send them a cease & desist letter.
Record their calls. If you must deal with a debt collection agency on the phone, record them. Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia allow you to record your phone conversations secretly.
In the other 15 states, you can record with the other party’s permission. If you tell the debt collector you are going to record, and they keep talking, that’s considered giving permission. They will usually hang up.
Don’t believe what they say. Debt collectors are known to make false threats, lie, and tell you whatever they need to tell you to try to get you to pay the debt.
Don’t try to hide money. It’s considered fraudulent to hide money or assets from a legitimate debt collector if you owe them. However, it’s also best to avoid giving access to your bank account or credit card information.
Don’t apply for new lines of credit. It’s also considered fraudulent to apply for new lines of credit if you are unable to pay your current creditors.
Don’t ignore them. You can do things on your terms, but ignoring the situation will not make MCM go away. Ignoring them sets you up for a possible lawsuit.
Know Your State’s Statute of Limitations. Each state has a statute of limitations on debt. Once your debt reaches a certain age, it is considered “zombie debt,” and you are no longer legally obligated to pay it. The age limit varies from state to state, but usually, it’s around 4-6 years.
A collection agency is still allowed to contact you about these debts, but they can no longer sue you for them, and you are not required to pay them.
Can Midland Credit Management collections be removed from my credit report?
Lexington Law specializes in disputing MCM collection accounts. They have over 28 years of experience and have removed over 10 million negative items for their clients in 2018 alone.
Midland Credit Management Collections Removed from Credit Report
Get Your Collections Removed Today!
If you’re looking for a reputable company to assist you with collection accounts and repair your credit, we HIGHLY recommend Lexington Law.
Call them at (800) 220-0084 for a free credit consultation. They have helped many people in your situation and have paralegals standing by waiting to take your call.