Bill-Collecting Law Firm Sued Over Court Debts

A firm that is one of the nation’s largest collectors of debt owed to municipalities and other government entities has been sued for what plaintiffs allege are heavy-handed and deceptive practices, in violation of state and federal laws, including the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The firm, Linebarger, Googan, Blair & Sampson, is said to have at least 2300 governmental clients nationwide and to collect more than $1 billion in government debt annually, for which it’s been paid millions in fees. The matter is being handled by Iowa Legal Aid, along with the California public-interest group Public Justice and the Terrell Marshall Law Group of Seattle, and it specifically goes after the firm for its modus operandi in Iowa, where it was first retained by the Iowa Judicial Branch in 2010.