Rash Curtis & Associates on Your Credit Report: What to Know

Rash Curtis & Associates is one of the few debt collection agencies with a nine-figure court judgment against them. In September 2019, a federal court entered a $267 million verdict after a jury found Rash Curtis made over 534,000 illegal autodialed calls to cell phones, many to people who did not owe any debt at all.

If Rash Curtis is calling your cell phone or has appeared on your credit report, that judgment history is directly relevant to how you respond. This guide covers who they are, their documented legal record, and the right steps to take.

Who Is Rash Curtis & Associates?

Rash Curtis & Associates is a third-party debt collection agency founded in 1977 and headquartered in Vacaville, California. Their parent company is K.B.R., Inc. They also operate as TA Ross Collections and process more than $130 million in debt placements annually.

Rash Curtis collects for banking, government agencies, healthcare providers, retail businesses, and utility companies. They confirmed a partnership with Health Advocates in 2014. Documented FDCPA complaint patterns include improper sharing of consumer information, threatening actions they cannot legally take, and abusive language during collection calls.

The $267 Million TCPA Judgment

The defining case against Rash Curtis is McMillion et al. v. Rash Curtis & Associates (Case No. 4:16-cv-03396-YGR, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California). After four years of litigation, a jury ruled in May 2019 that Rash Curtis made 534,698 autodialed calls to cell phones without consent between June 17, 2012 and April 2, 2019.

The class covered two categories: consumers who received skip-traced autodialed calls and wrong-number recipients who were not the debtor at all. The court entered judgment in September 2019 for $267,359,000, awarding each class member $500 per unauthorized call. A subsequent bad faith insurance lawsuit recovered an additional $75.6 million toward satisfying the judgment.

If you received autodialed or prerecorded calls from Rash Curtis on your cell phone during that period and believe you were a wrong-number recipient, the case has a dedicated website at rashcurtislawsuit.com for claim information.

The Vidrio Class Action: TCPA and FDCPA Combined

In March 2017, Amy Vidrio filed a class action against Rash Curtis in the Eastern District of California (Case No. 1:17-cv-00407) alleging both TCPA and FDCPA violations. The complaint alleged Rash Curtis used autodialed and prerecorded calls and also made false or misleading statements and violated the California Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which applies additional requirements beyond the federal FDCPA to California collectors.

California collectors like Rash Curtis must comply with both the federal FDCPA and California’s Rosenthal Act, which gives California consumers an additional layer of protection.

Documented FDCPA Complaint Patterns

Beyond the TCPA cases, Rash Curtis has documented FDCPA complaints including improperly disclosing consumer information to third parties and threatening legal actions they cannot legally take. California residents also have the Rosenthal Act as an additional avenue for complaints outside the federal FDCPA framework.

If Rash Curtis has shared information about your debt with someone other than you, or threatened a lawsuit, wage garnishment, or other action they did not follow through on, both the FDCPA and California Rosenthal Act provide remedies.

What Rash Curtis Cannot Do Under Federal and California Law

Based on their documented case history:

• Make autodialed or prerecorded calls to cell phones without consent: The McMillion jury verdict found 534,698 violations at $500 per call. Each unauthorized call to a cell phone after revocation of consent is a separate TCPA claim.
• Call wrong-number recipients about debts they do not owe: The McMillion class specifically included non-debtors who received skip-traced wrong-number calls.
• Threaten legal action they cannot or do not intend to take: A documented FDCPA complaint pattern against Rash Curtis.
• Improperly share consumer information with third parties: A documented FDCPA complaint pattern.
• Violate the California Rosenthal Act: California collectors face both FDCPA and Rosenthal Act obligations. California residents can pursue claims under either statute.

Verify the Debt Before Paying Anything

Send a written validation request by certified mail within 30 days of first contact. For healthcare accounts, request the itemized bill and your insurer’s explanation of benefits. For government accounts, request the specific agency, account number, and nature of the obligation before paying anything.

California has a 4-year statute of limitations on written contracts. Confirm the age of the debt before engaging, particularly for older accounts in Rash Curtis’s banking or retail client portfolio.

How to Check Your Credit Report for Rash Curtis Entries

Search all three credit reports for “Rash Curtis” and “TA Ross Collections.” Confirm the original creditor is identified and the balance reflects what the original creditor reported at charge-off. Any entry that cannot be tied to a creditor you recognize is worth disputing with documentation.

Your Options for Resolving a Rash Curtis Account

• Log every autodialed or prerecorded call to your cell phone: The McMillion case established that each unauthorized call is worth $500 under the TCPA. If Rash Curtis is calling your cell phone with automated messages, document date, time, and content.
• Confirm you actually owe the debt before engaging: The McMillion class included wrong-number recipients who never owed anything. If Rash Curtis cannot validate the debt in writing, you may be in the same position.
• Check whether the McMillion settlement applies to you: Calls received between June 17, 2012 and April 2, 2019 on a cell phone may qualify. The case website has claim information.
• California residents can file under both FDCPA and Rosenthal Act: California’s additional protections apply to Rash Curtis as a California-based collector.

How to Contact Rash Curtis & Associates

• Office address: Rash Curtis & Associates, 190 S Orchard Avenue, Suite A200, Vacaville, CA 95688
• Mailing address: P.O. Box 5790, Vacaville, CA 95696
• Phone: (800) 929-3935 or (707) 454-2000

Bottom Line

Rash Curtis & Associates is one of the few collection agencies in the country with a $267 million federal court judgment against them for making over 534,000 illegal autodialed calls, many to people who did not even owe a debt. That verdict established both the scale of their automated calling operation and their willingness to call wrong-number recipients.

If Rash Curtis is calling your cell phone with automated messages, document every call. If you received such calls between 2012 and 2019 and did not owe the debt, the McMillion settlement may apply to you. Before paying any claimed balance, send a written validation request and confirm the debt is actually yours.