Consumer complaint received 2025-11-15 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was paid
Company: Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
For almost six months, Portfolio Recovery Associates ( PRA ) mishandled the release of a judgment lien that I had fully paid, causing major delays, financial loss, and severe emotional and physical stress. I paid the full amount of {$26000.00} in XX/XX/year>, but PRA repeatedly failed to correctly file the Acknowledgment of Satisfaction of Judgment with the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

Instead of reviewing their own errors, PRA blamed me. Their employees told me that I did not understand XXXX, that I was confused, and that even their attorney could not understand me. Their tone became hostile whenever they heard my XXXX accent or XXXX  surname, creating a discriminatory and humiliating environment. 

PRA filed the lien release to the wrong address. When the court rejected it, they refused to believe me and forced me to purchase the official rejection notice from the court website and email it to themsomething they could have verified themselves for free. Only after I paid for the document did they acknowledge their mistake. 

Later, PRA falsely claimed they had uploaded the corrected filing. When I questioned it, they blamed my XXXX and told me to go to the courthouse yourself if you dont understand. I went to the courthouse and learned that PRA had uploaded nothing at all. Their instruction was misleading and unnecessary.

For weeks, PRA continued submitting incorrect filings, repeatedly entering the wrong Instrument Number and Date of Record. Even when I clearly repeated the same instructionYou entered the wrong Instrument Number and Date of Recordthey said they did not know what I wanted and again implied that I was confused because of my accent. One representative spoke to me so harshly about my accent that the call left me in tears. PRA also never returned any of my calls, despite promising to.

Due to PRAs prolonged discriminatory and hostile treatment, my mental and physical health deteriorated severely. I was officially diagnosed with XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ), XXXX due to XXXX condition ( XXXX ), and Recurrent XXXX XXXX XXXX moderate episode ( XXXX ). These conditions developed directly as a result of the six-month discrimination, humiliation, and emotional XXXX caused by PRA. My symptoms became so severe that I was temporarily unable to care for my daughter, and she had to be sent to XXXX during my treatment. I am still undergoing therapy to recover from the impact of PRAs conduct. 

After nearly six months of this mistreatment, a XXXX escrow officer with a native XXXX accent contacted PRA. Once a native speaker repeated the same information I had provided for months, PRA corrected all errors within three days. This confirms that the issue was not communicationit was discriminatory behavior based on my accent and national origin.

Because of PRAs actions, escrow on my property was delayed for months, I suffered financial loss, and the physical and emotional harm was severe. I request CFPB assistance because PRAs conduct included negligent handling of documents, misinformation, refusal to verify filings, discriminatory communication, and unjustified delay in releasing a lien that had been paid in full.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation