What is a debt buyer?

A company that purchases defaulted accounts from banks and lenders — typically for a small fraction of the balance — and then collects or sues in its own name. If the plaintiff on your papers is a company you never did business with, it is very likely a debt buyer.

How do I know if the company suing me in Florida is a debt buyer?

Check the plaintiff's name at the top of your court papers against the companies listed on this page. If the name is not your original bank or lender, the plaintiff bought the account. In court it must prove that purchase — every link from the original creditor to it — with admissible records.

Do debt buyers win most of their cases?

Most of their judgments are default judgments, entered because the person sued never responded. When defendants respond and require proof, debt buyers frequently dismiss rather than document the claim.

Debt buyers in Florida

Most collection lawsuits filed against Florida residents don't come from the original bank — they come from debt buyers: companies that purchase charged-off accounts in bulk and sue in their own name. Their business model depends on default judgments. When a defendant shows up and requires proof, the buyer must establish that it owns the specific account, through every link in the chain of assignment, and prove the amount with admissible records.

The major debt buyers

Sourced, factual profiles — who each company is, what public records say, and what it must prove when it sues:

Responding in Florida

What Florida requires depends on the amount. In a SMALL CLAIMS case ($8,000 or less) you generally do not file a written answer before the first court date — you must APPEAR at the pretrial conference stated in your notice, and appearing is what keeps the case alive. In a COUNTY CIVIL case (over $8,000) a written answer is due within 20 days of service under Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.140(a), and it is where affirmative defenses like the statute of limitations must be raised or they are waived.

Five years on an action founded on a written contract, and four years on an open account or a contract not in writing (Fla. Stat. § 95.11). Florida courts generally treat a credit-card agreement as a written contract, so five years is the period to screen against — but where the plaintiff cannot produce a signed agreement, the shorter open-account period is worth raising. It is an affirmative defense that is waived if it is not raised. (Fla. Stat. § 95.11)

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By county

Where these companies file in Florida, with the deadline that applies and where to find your court:

Questions people ask

What is a debt buyer?: A company that purchases defaulted accounts from banks and lenders — typically for a small fraction of the balance — and then collects or sues in its own name. If the plaintiff on your papers is a company you never did business with, it is very likely a debt buyer.
How do I know if the company suing me in Florida is a debt buyer?: Check the plaintiff's name at the top of your court papers against the companies listed on this page. If the name is not your original bank or lender, the plaintiff bought the account. In court it must prove that purchase — every link from the original creditor to it — with admissible records.
Do debt buyers win most of their cases?: Most of their judgments are default judgments, entered because the person sued never responded. When defendants respond and require proof, debt buyers frequently dismiss rather than document the claim.

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DebtDefense is not affiliated with any company named on this page; names are used to identify the companies factually. DebtDefense is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice — it is a self-help document-preparation and education tool. No outcome is guaranteed.