DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FILES SUIT AGAINST MINNESOTA COMPANIES FOR COLLECTING DEBT IN WISCONSIN WITHOUT REGISTERING

MADISON - The Wisconsin Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against four Minnesota corporations alleging that they have failed to register as required by the Wisconsin Consumer Act, based upon their collection of debts in Wisconsin. The four companies named in the suit are:

Bayfield Financial, LLC
Dakota Bluff Financial, LLC
Livingston Financial, LLC
Red Rock Lake Financial, LLC

All four companies list their primary office at 150 South Fifth Street, Suite 1800, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

According to the suit, which was filed at the request of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, the defendants purchase consumer debt from creditors, and then seek to collect the debt from the consumers, including in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Consumer Act requires persons or companies engaged in such debt collection activities to register with the Department of Financial Institutions within 30 days of commencing collection activities in Wisconsin, and then to file an annual report and pay assessments depending upon the amount of outstanding debt the company holds attributable to Wisconsin consumers.

The case has been assigned to Dane County Circuit Court Judge John C. Albert. Assistant Attorney General John Greene is representing the State.