With the economic downturn, the number of consumer credit-related suits filed in U.S. District Courts in Texas has steadily increased over the past five years. In 2005, 81 such cases were filed in Texas, according to PACER, the federal courts’ online filing system. But in 2010, that number rose to 390.
The trend is on track to continue this year. From Jan. 1 to June 30, 2011, the number of consumer credit-related cases filed in Texas’ U.S. District Courts totaled 263, compared to 190 for the same period in 2010, PACER shows. The numbers include consumer borrowers’ suits filed against credit reporting companies under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and against credit collection agencies under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
