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(EMAILWIRE.COM, April 27, 2011 ) Orlando, Florida – Morgan and Morgan is pleased to announce that a Florida judge has made a precedent-setting preliminary ruling in Beacham v. MarkOne Financial, a debt harassment case handled by the firm’s own Billy Howard. The judge ruled last month that the debt collector can no longer contact the plaintiff, her family or friends on Facebook, making this the first ruling by a judge specifically stating that creditors cannot use a social networking website to collect a debt.
In the Facebook debt harassment lawsuit, Billy Howard, an attorney in Morgan and MorganÂ’s MorganÂ’s Tampa office, represented Melanie Beacham. According to the lawsuit, Ms. Beacham fell behind on car payments and received several e-mails, text messages and phone calls, both at home and at work, from MarkOne Financial representatives. Soon after, the suit claims, MarkOne contacted BeachamÂ’s sister via Facebook in regard to the debt. Mr. Howard believed this conduct to be a violation of Ms. BeachamÂ’s rights and filed a debt harassment case in Pinellas County on her behalf.
Debt harassment lawyer Billy Howard has also filed another harassment lawsuit against MarkOne in Duval County. According to the case, MarkOne representatives sent Facebook messages to the plaintiff, asking her to call them, even though they had already phoned her several times.
Mr. Howard and his firm also have an additional number of cases which are currently under investigation and involve the use of social media to collect outstanding debts.
If you or a loved one has been harassed by a debt collector on Facebook or otherwise, you have legal rights. Visit http://www.forthepeople.com/collection_harassment.htm to learn more about top debt collector violations and to receive a free evaluation of your claim. Mr. Howard and the debt harassment attorneys at Morgan and Morgan are offering this online case evaluation at no cost and remain dedicated to protecting the rights of consumers who were subjected to abusive or harassing conduct by debt collectors.
About Morgan and Morgan
Morgan and Morgan is one of the largest Personal Injury law firms in the country with multiple office locations throughout Florida and the Southeast. The firm handles auto accident cases, personal injury cases, and medical malpractice cases, as well as claims against drug and medical device manufacturers. Visit Morgan and Morgan online at http://www.forthepeople.com/ for a free case evaluation and information about your legal rights.
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