United States Seventh Circuit

A creditor's letter to a debtor does not constitute "initial communications" within the meaning of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, but a debt collector's initiation of a lawsuit in state court does. Because the Act required defendants to send plaintiff a debt validation notice within five days of initiating the lawsuit, plaintiff has stated a viable claim.

Appellate Information

• Argued 06/02/2004
• Decided 01/13/2004
• Published 01/13/2004

Judges

• WILLIAMS, Circuit Judge., Before POSNER, COFFEY, EASTERBROOK, RIPPLE, MANION, KANNE, ROVNER, WOOD, EVANS, and WILLIAMS, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Seventh Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Frank Thomas, Matteson, IL, pro se., Jessica E. Price (argued), Milwaukee, WI, for Plaintiff-Appellant., Jessica E. Price, Milwaukee, WI, for Amicus Curiae.


• For Appellees:
  
• Peter A. Monahan (argued), Alholm, Monahan, Keefe & Klauke, for Defendants-Appellees Law Firm of Simpson Cybak, Attorneys at Law and Kathleen M. Haggerty., Linda B. Dubnow (argued), McGuirewoods, Ross & Hardies, Chicago, IL, for Defendants-Appellees General Motors Acceptance Corp., Kay Candiano, and Donald Houck.