Ohio Debt Collector Hit With Nuisance Calls Suit

A Marietta, Ohio-based debt collection agency violated state and federal laws against unwanted robocalls, according to proposed class claims filed Monday in federal court.

Proposed lead plaintiff James Caldwell said that he received numerous automated phone calls to his cellphone from Platinum Recovery LLC in 2024 and 2025 — sometimes more than once a day — despite never giving Platinum his cellphone number or permission to reach him there.

The calls persisted despite Caldwell reaching out to the company to dispute the debt they said he owed and his efforts to explicitly rescind any consent to contacting him via his cellphone under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the suit said.

“Defendant placing calls to plaintiff’s cellular telephone after having been told to stop constitutes willful and knowing violations of the TCPA,” said the complaint, filed in Ohio’s Southern District federal court in Columbus. “The expenses incurred and the time wasted by plaintiff in attempting to contact defendant and mailing the dispute letter constitutes a concrete and particularized injury to establish standing.”

Caldwell sought to represent several subclasses of customers contacted by Platinum by various means, for alleged violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The suit also made individual claims for alleged violation of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act.

In addition to Platinum continuing to call his cellphone despite his demands that the calls stop, Caldwell also said the company sent him a debt collection letter in October that gave him less time to dispute the debt than the 30 days required by the FDCPA.

Counsel for Caldwell and representatives for Platinum did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.

Caldwell and the proposed classes are represented by Brian D. Flick, Brent S. Snyder, Marc E. Dann and Marita I. Ramirez of DannLaw.

Counsel information for Platinum was not immediately available.

The case is Caldwell v. Platinum Recovery LLC, case number 2:25-cv-00489, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

–Editing by Daniel King.

Read more at: https://www.law360.com/articles/2335709/ohio-debt-collector-hit-with-nuisance-calls-suit?copied=1